Author Archives: rawgirl

Breakfast Options for a Raw Girl On-the-Go

breakfast

It’s morning, you have a full day ahead of you, and you want to stay on the healthy track. Here’s ten quick breaking-the-fast/breakfast ideas to get your morning started right! There is an asterisk next to some of them to indicate that those recipes require some overnight soaking or prep the night before. I try to mix it up, but my favorite breakfast meals are quick, usually liquid meals that include superfood supplements. Below, I’ve also compiled links to a few past recipes from the blog that work well for breakfast. Have a favorite raw breakfast you’d like to share? Feel free to post your recipe on the Facebook page. –XoXo Raw Girl

  1. Fruit Smoothies with superfood supplements or green powders
  2. Green Smoothies
  3. Green Juices/ Vegetable Juices
  4. Cacao Smoothies/ “Milk” Shakes from nut milks
  5. Young Coconut Water/ Meat/ Young Coconut Smoothies
  6. Fruit Yogurt/ Puddings
  7. Chia Seed Pudding
  8. Raw Oatmeal*
  9. Raw Granola*
  10. Raw Banana Pancakes*
Click on the links below to review some past recipes featured on the blog that can work for breakfast. Also be sure to check the recipe category for more juice combinations and recipes!

How to Make a Green Smoothie

How to Make Raw Blueberry Pancakes

How to Make Blueberry Banana Coconut Yogurt

How to Make a Sweet Popeye Smoothie

Carrot Juice For Glowing Skin & Juice! Spicy Carrot

acne

Just in case you missed the memo, carrot juice is good for you. In the raw vegan world we spend a lot of time talking about green juices and keeping our bodies alkaline, but it’s good to have balance, and not neglect the benefits of juices like carrot and beet, although they are sweeter. This post was sparked by the fact that right now I have something like a 10 lb bag of organic carrots in my refrigerator that I am determined not to waste. Needless to say I’ll be getting my carrot juice fix in for the next week! After doing some more research to remind myself exactly why carrot juice is so good for me, I was not disappointed. Carrot juice is definitely packed with a lovely amount of vitamins and minerals. Beyond that, as I consider myself a life long acne-zapping samurai, I was pleased to learn that carrot juice can help one get that vegan glow and stay acne-free. Rather than give you a long rundown, I’ve picked my top five reasons why carrot juice rocks my world and will boost the beauty of your skin. If you have diabetes, you should stay away from carrots because of their high natural sugar content. Everyone else, if you’ve been ignoring carrot juice, I urge you to get some and get juicing. Remember healthy skin is the result of everything you eat, so make sure to get a wide variety of fruits and veg and not just rely on one magic smoothie, formula, or vegetable. Recipe for my spicy carrot juice below. -XoXo Raw Girl

  1. Vitamin A. Carrot juice has an insane amount of vitamin A which is in the form of beta carotene. If you wanted to O.D. on Vitamin A, this would be the vegetable of choice to get your fix. Vitamin A helps the body to maintain tissue growth, healthy vision, and healthy bones and teeth. All this said,  too much Vitamin A is also not a good thing and can cause problems for you liver and other health issues.
  2. Vitamin C.  Carrots contain a nice amount of this lovely vitamin in highly absorbable form which helps to boost your immunity. Even more importantly for those of us who are vain—(raising my hand)—vitamin C helps the body to produce collagen which is essential for skin elasticity, preventing wrinkles, and slowing signs of aging. Doesn’t drinking carrot juice sound so much better than a collagen injection? Sounds great to me!
  3. Potassium. The potassium in carrots will play a role in the growth of new skin cells, and helping the body maintain the proper electrolyte balance. Getting a regular dose of potassium will reduce acne/blemishes, prevent and cure scars or dark spots on the skin. FYI, If your body is in need of potassium and become deficient this can result in dry skin, acne, or muscle spasms.
  4. Carotenoids. I know it sounds like the name of some sort of carrot wielding alien, but it’s not. I promise. These friendly but powerful antioxidants available in carrot juice/carrots protect your body from free radical damage and boost your immune system. They can also increase your skins immunity to the sun by preventing sun-induced collagen breakdown. Essentially they help to protect the skin against sun damage and sunburn, like an internal sunblock. Beta carotene is one of these carotenoids that prevents cells from degenerating, helps to slow aging, and maintain a youthful appearance.
  5. Cleans Your Liver. When your liver is overworked or overloaded it has to find a way to get rid of toxins. One of the ways it does is through your skin, causing acne. Carrot juice is a great liver cleanser that will help keep things in balance and your skin blemish-free.

Juice! : Spicy Carrot

8-10 carrots, 1 apple, 1 cucumber, 1 big piece of ginger root, (add 1/2 lemon optional)

Juice all ingredients. Strain, serve, enjoy! 🙂

Get Over Your Ego & Clean Your Colon!

cleansing
Excretion. Defection. Releasing. Whatever you wanna call it. Its something that we all must do, yet it for some reason has always been a very taboo subject. Who can remember the childhood taunting that accompanied having to go #2 and being discovered by others? It is so ironic that something so completely natural and necessary to regulate our metabolism, clean our bodies, and literally “lighten our load” is such an avoided and even dreaded topic by many people.

In the United States alone 60 to 70 million people are affected by some type of digestive disease. Among the most commonly diagnosed are chronic constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, and diverticular disease. Digestive diseases are responsible for over 13.5 million hospitalizations, and cost the United States 97.8 billion on medical care and $44 billion on indirect costs ($141.8 billion annually). Beyond digestive conditions, there are numerous other diseases begin with too much waste building up in the colon, the bodies’ sewage system.

I’ve often  heard people saying they are avoiding watery food, or cleansing meals because it will make them go to the bathroom. Many people have this irrational fear of having to defecate while in public! My response to that is;  would you rather carry it around in your body to clog up your colon, stink up your insides, and create a toxic  state (which WILL affect your mental state)? The main complaint that I hear when it comes to colon cleansing is that many can not accept the idea of an enema, colonic, or any sort of contraption of which involves the rectum and insertion.  While it may require some re-wiring of the brain and bravery in your efforts to be consistent, colon cleansing can have dramatically rewarding benefits. You’ll be surprised at some of the waste that you have been carrying around, sometimes for years. If you want to maintain optimal health,  remain disease-free, lighten your load, and feel more at peace, it’s important for you to move past  the ego and begin to harness the power of regular colon cleansing. ~XoXo Nicola, signing in for Raw Girl

Some benefits of regular colon cleansing include:
  • More efficient digestion
  • Clearer Skin
  • Slimmer waist
  • Flush out parasites
  • Boosts your  energy
  • Helps to regulate your sleep
  • Literally feel “lighter”
  • Increases your mental sharpness
  • Avoid long-term chronic disease (health begins and ends in the colon)

For 10 Methods To Keep Your Colon Clean, check out this past post: http://rawgirltoxicworld.com/2011/04/07/1-health-issue-in-america-maintaining-a-healthy-colon/

The Healing Wonders of Neem

acne

I was first astounded by the power of neem years ago when an Ayurvedic doctor told me that it can be used as an effective natural birth control. Last week I was reminded of neem again, when another holistic doctor friend posted about neem oil as an insecticide to help keep away mosquitoes and other bugs. These two benefits are just scratching the surface of the  uses and benefits of neem.

Neem is a flowering tropical tree native to India, Pakistan, and Malaysia, that can survive the worst of environmental conditions. All parts of the tree can be used for many benefits, and in East Africa, neem is referred to as Muarubaini which means “the tree of the 40” because it is known to be effective in treating at least forty diseases. Over 75% of Ayurvedic remedies contain neem because of its anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti-fungal, antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic properties. In addition to the uses I mentioned above, neem is very effective in treating acne, psoriasis, eczema, gum diseases, malaria, chicken pox, fever, parasites, arthritis, rheumatism, bronchitis and more. Neem helps to facilitate wound healing, so it can also be applied topically to combat fungus, warts, cold sores, bee stings, bug bites, poison ivy, athlete’s foot etc.

One use that I thought was super cool and is useful for all the gardeners out there is that neem can be used as a natural pesticide and is effective against 500 or more pests! To do this just search for neem pesticides. It doesn’t negatively affect humans or harm beneficial insects, and it makes plants bitter so that they won’t be eaten. The oil itself can also be used as a moisturizer and is high in vitamin E (if you can stand the smell). Based on all the wonderful uses of neem, it’s safe to say neem oil is a great thing to have on hand in your home. You can also find a plethora of neem products in stores from soaps to lotions, but take care to understand what the other ingredients are. Whether your fighting acne, dealing with parasites, healing wounds, or trying to keep your garden pest-free, neem is a one stop natural cure that will meet your needs. -XoXo Raw Girl

Juice! : Cucumber Melon Lemonade

cantaloupe

Made this juice yesterday which I found pretty refreshing. Did you know you can juice melons? In this recipe you can try honeydew melon or cantaloupe, they both will work.  Melons in general are great for alkalinizing the body because of their high water content. They are a great addition to your diet if you are trying to lose weight, keep your skin clear, or just get your daily fruit and veg. Honeydew melon contains Vitamin C, calcium, potassium, magnesium, beta carotene, and B Vitamins with the exception of B12.  -XoXo RawGirl

Ingredients

2 Long English Cucumbers or 4 regular cucumbers, 1/4 Honeydew melon or cantaloupe, 1/2 lemon, 1 whole lime, 2 apples.

Juice all ingredients, strain, serve, and enjoy! 🙂

Natural Cures: Bitter Melon for Diabetes

bitter melon
Did you know that the number of people with diabetes rose from 1.5 million in 1998 to an epidemic 17.9 Million in 2007? How about that each year over 1.6 million new adult cases are diagnosed?  At this point it’s an anomaly to not know personally or have at least heard about someone that has had to deal with some of the devastating side effects of diabetes such as blindness, kidney failure, and even cognitive decline. Many people who have altered their diet to include a wide array of fruits and vegetables and have seem remarkable results, even those who were former sufferers of diabetes and all sorts of other degenerative dis-eases.  Diabetes is essentially marked by the presence of excess sugar in the bloodstream, which then results in an inability for the pancreas to secrete sufficient or sometimes any insulin.
            Bitter melon is a special vegetable that you probably have never heard of, that has been used with positive results in the attempt to treat diabetes naturally. This vegetable is very well known in Asia and has been shown to significantly lower blood sugar. Bitter melon is an amazing healing agent  has a structure similar to insulin, hence its natural ability to assist in the movement of glucose into cells which gives you the energy to do all the great things that you do! Bitter melon has been used as in traditional medicine for a long list of conditions such as: killing bacteria, parasites, and viruses, reducing inflammation, cleansing the blood, acting as an antibacterial agent against e.coli, and possibly destroying some strains of the herpes virus.
          What’s even more interesting is that this vegetable is widely used by the Okinawa people in Japan which have per capita some of the longest life spans in the world. This vegetable grows in tropical areas like East Africa, Asia, South Africa, and the Caribbean. Bitter melon is very rich in iron, phosphorous, contains twice the beta carotene of broccoli, twice the calcium of spinach, twice the potassium of bananas, and Vitamins A, C, B1 to B3. Which is not surprising due to its amazing healing effects. To make things even better,  it is a great source of dietary fiber. Bitter melon can usually be found at your local Asian supermarket, or bought as a supplement from a health food store. It can also be made into teas, tinctures, and soups.
         The mother of a friend of mine a few years ago was suffering from intense symptoms, and was later diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. She started juicing bitter melon with lemon every morning, and in a matter of months the doctor was flabbergasted at the fact that she was no longer in need of any insulin. Moral of the story? Mother Nature has always provided us what we need and our bodies can heal if we choose to give it the right fuel.  I encourage you to try bitter melon out for yourself and recommend it to others who are battling diabetes. As the name suggests, it may be an acquired taste, but in order to live optimally we need balance. We need the bitter and the sweet, and sometimes the bitter may hold the key to our healing. – XoXo Nicola, signing in for Raw Girl 
**Be sure to take precautions; consuming a large amount of bitter melon juice may cause diarrhea or abdominal pain. If you have diabetes or other terminal diseases please consult with your doctor or holistic health practitioner.**

Raw Girl’s 40 Day Soul Fast

40 Day Soul Fast

“Fasting confirms our utter dependence upon God by finding in Him a source of sustenance beyond food.” ~Dallas Willard 

About two months ago, I kept getting a “hunch” that I needed to do a fast. Not a fast for health reasons. A fast to confirm and deepen my relationship with God, the ultimate force.  Right at that time, a friend of mine who is actually a meat-eater, was doing the Daniel fast for 40 Days. The Daniel fast is based on the prophet Daniel’s diet  that consisted of only fruits, vegetables, and drinking only water for a period of 21 days. Additional restrictions include no wine, no breads, meat or sweeteners.

I knew my soul was craving a 40 Day fast and  after speaking to my friend I thought that was it, I would do a Daniel fast for 40 Days too! But in the weeks after my encounter with her, I allowed myself to get lazy about it. It’s too long I thought. Then a couple of weeks later God made it pretty clear that I was not going to get away with avoiding a 40 Day fast. I was in New York at the beginning of May, and another friend  who knew nothing about my desire to fast and subsequent laziness, gave me a Christian book called The 40 Day Soul Fast. I almost laughed out loud. AHA! Here was another sign, and this time I knew that I could not ignore it. The next day, May 7, 2012, I began my 40 Day journey. During the 40 Days I chose to be 100% raw and read excerpts from the book, as each chapter was dedicated to a day of the fast. Funnily enough, at the exact same time by happenstance, my mother and father decided to embark on a vegan fast together for 40 Days.

During the fast, at times I would feel like I was going through the motions. Probably because I was. I ate raw food, focused on prayer, meditation once a day, attended Bible study, read the book, listened to an awesome CD of gospel tunes made for me by a friend. Nothing seemed to be HAPPENING. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I continued to go day by day and eventually my impatience was replaced with devotion to being present and engaged. The fast ended on June 15th and it seemed to happen so suddenly I was left wondering what I had gained although I had noticed the immediate effects of meditating. Now a week following I have been inundated with daily blessings, miracles, and a deep sense of peace. It’s an amazing sense of grace that has emerged from feeling an intimate connection with THE SOURCE. Post-fast, I am continuing to cultivate that relationship with continued daily practice of meditation. Health is beyond just the body, it’s the soul/spirit, body, mind. All must be nourished in order to create optimal wellness, so it’s important to find what mindfulness practice works for you an incorporate it.

I happen to be Christian, and in the Bible the power of fasting is advertised regularly through the struggles and triumphs of many biblical figures. Across all religions examples can be found of how fasting unleashes extraordinary power and connection with THE FORCE. The great news for veggie lovers is that the way we eat already connects us with the divine flow. My mother, who after fasting for 40 Days on a vegan diet has now become a vegan, said that she is amazed by how at peace a vegetable diet has made her feel. Yes, we are what we eat, and when we eat plants we become one with the stillness of nature. A raw food lifestyle can accelerate your spiritual journey even further, intentionally or unintentionally. Years ago when I went raw and also happened to begin meditation simultaneously, I experienced an increase in synchronicity, heightened energy, and noticed that things I desired or thought about seemed to be drawn effortlessly to me. All that said, fasting is not for the faint of heart. Listen to your body, mind, and soul. If you are feeling cluttered, overwhelmed, disconnected, want to break bad habits, or just want to discover or renew your relationship with the Divine source, I highly recommend a spiritual fast. -XoXo Raw Girl

For more insights on fasting, check out this past post Wise Ones on Fasting.

Veggie Love: Watercress & Juice! Cucumber Watercress Delight

green juice

This weekend I tossed in some watercress to my green juice and it made for a delightful addition. If you know nothing about watercress, it’s a green herb aptly named due to its high moisture content that has been used for food and medicinal purposes since ancient times.  Having an almost peppery taste somewhat similar to mustard greens, watercress can be added to salads or juiced. One bowl of watercress salad greens contains a high level of antioxidants, and almost 1/2 the daily recommended intake of Vitamin A. In addition eating watercress will give you a nice dose of Vitamin C, beta carotene, B vitamins, Vitamin E, folate, iodine, calcium and more. Just 100 grams of watercress will also give you 200% of the daily recommended value for Vitamin K which can strengthen bones and prevent osteoporosis.

Incorporating watercress in your diet can also help to prevent several kinds of cancer including skin and breast cancers. Some of the uses of watercress as a medicine or natural remedy include: purifying the blood, healing colds and coughs, asthma, anemia, and much more. Because of its high sulphur content, watercress is also a beauty vegetable that will assist in clearing and improving your complexion. The juice of watercress has been applied directly to the skin to aid in getting rid of acne, blackheads, dark spots etc.  I chose to juice my watercress, but you can also toss it in salads, nori rolls, or veggie wraps. Check out the recipe for my juice below, and if you’re looking for a new green to add some spice to your veggie life, give watercress a try. -XoXo Raw Girl

Cucumber Watercress Delight

 2-3 long English cucumbers or 4 large regular cucumbers

4-5 leaves of Lacinato Kale

large handful of Watercress

1-2 apples

1 lemon

Juice all ingredients, strain and serve. Enjoy!

Surviving a Healing Crisis During Detox

detox

botanicawest.com

Dearest Veggie Lovers: This is an article written by Nicola, a lovely new addition to the Raw Girl team. I think this is an important topic to discuss. If you’ve ever done a cleanse you should know all about healing crises. If you have not, I recommend you read this article and also check out a past post on How to Conduct a Stress-Free Fast to give you tips on minimizing intense reactions during cleansing. Hope you enjoy it, summer is here and it’s a great season to eat light and cleanse. Happy detoxing! -XoXo Raw Girl

Detoxification is a sacred practice which has been used by many people all over the world since the dawn of time. From a 10 day juice fast to 10 day water fast with cayenne pepper, lemon, and maple syrup (master cleanse) , to a 100% raw foods diet, cleansing is dynamic and diverse in its methods. Taking the time and exercising the discipline needed to cleanse can be a wildly rewarding experience for anyone willing to take on the challenge and can sometimes offer major spiritual transformation and discovery.
                     This article is not geared towards convincing you to embark on a fast or adopt a particular eating habit. This is intended as a tool for those who have taken up the challenge of cleansing and may have had trouble seeing it through. Or you may just be ready to take it to the next level. In all modes of detoxification, the cleanser will experience what is called a healing crisis. A healing crisis can be described as a variety of symptoms from migraines, irritable moods, intense cravings, strong emotional outbursts, reliving unpleasant memories, skin breakouts, frequent trips to the bathroom, etc. For many, this part of cleansing is a roadblock, because they may not be emotionally ready to deal with the many feelings that arise during this part of the cleansing process. This however, is a very important part of the process of purification and a great opportunity to bravely face many of the challenges that are buried deep within.
               What is taking place physiologically, is the body, efficient organism that it is, is taking full advantage of its fasting state and quickly dumping toxins that have been tucked away in the cells into the blood stream for excretion. These toxins have been in places that the body did not have the time to cleanse or excrete previously because of preoccupation digesting heavily cooked or other food. It is important that anyone that embarks on any extended fast or cleanse is made aware of the challenges that will arise because it will better equip them to be ready to deal with them instead of being surprised and more likely to retreat to old ways of living, thinking, and eating. The other side of the coin is, once the healing crisis is over its usually met with an increased sense of well-being, relief, and energy levels.
                  Some ways to manage the healing crisis when it is upon you, is to have positive affirmations on hand which speak to and magnify the experience you wish to have. For example : “I am strong enough, abundant enough, wise enough, to journey into the unknown.” Repeating this to yourself until you start to feel it can change your whole mind set.  A nice sea salt bath with aromatherapy oils, an emergency home enema, colon hydrotherapy, massaging yourself, getting a professional massage, doing light yoga, or just simply sitting with your feelings and breathing through them are all great methods for coping with the healing crisis. Once you are  in the throes of a crisis, whatever you do to aid the rate of your detoxification will help reduce the symptoms sooner. If you get a sudden craving for something you know you should not be eating, flooding the system with lots of water or freshly prepared juice can often offset the craving. Each person will have a unique way in which they deal with a healing crisis, its best to experiment and find out what works best for you. Sometimes it may be as simple as allowing yourself to cry and release old pent-up feelings that you never before were brave enough to allow through. Seeing the detoxification process through is a sacred process with the power to heal and change your life!
               We must remember that cleansing is a holistic practice which involves not only body, but mind AND spirit. As we are in the summer season, now is the best time to consider undergoing some sort of cleanse that is custom to your needs. This could be increasing your raw food consumption, and definitely increase your physical exercise. We must remember that we are the creators of our own life, and that every step we take to invest in our holistic wellness is a win-win situation for ourselves and for our world. Ultimately, remembering to be gentle and loving towards ourselves as we undergo our “internal housecleaning” is essential for our success. I can say that it has worked for me on many occasion during healing crises, however its an ongoing process and just as our health improves so must our creativity in maintaining it as well. EMBRACE YOUR PROCESS!  ~Nicola, Signing in for Raw Girl

Juice!:Cucumber Lime Cocktail

cucumber

Had fun last weekend using ingredients left in the kitchen and mint from the garden to create this very refreshing summer juice. -XoXo Raw Girl

Ingredients: 2 limes, 2 large cucumbers, 1 carrot, 3 baby apples or 1 1/2 -2 regular sized apples, a couple mint leaves.

Juice everything but the mint. Strain juice into blender and blend juice with mint leaves. Serve & Enjoy!