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Author Archives: rawgirl
Back to One: The End of the Year Cleanse
buckshappening.com
Sometimes it really feels good to reset and revamp. It’s not like setting the clock back, but more so starting from where you are and undergoing a process of renewal. I’ve been feeling like in many areas of my life this process of going “back to one” is happening, and thus, it felt like an awesome time to take on a cleanse. As the end of the year approaches (can you believe how fast it went by) cleansing allows us to rejuvenate our bodies, while letting our minds and spirits reflect on the time that has passed and our next steps.
I chose this time to take on a gentle two-week full body herbal detox in a box that cleanses my skin, liver, lungs, colon, kidneys, blood and lymphatic system. Also combining this with a parasite cleanse and seven-day liquid fast so that I can move into the new year, with my body reset and full of vitality, and mind ready to take on new tasks.
Just as I am resetting my body through fasting and detox, I find that the New Year is a great time to reset my mind. It’s important to me to spend adequate time ruminating on the goals I accomplished, and also look at where I fell short to examine what new approaches or what character flaws may be standing in my way. Most people make resolutions that lose their legs by the second month of the year. In order for us to set goals that stand the test of time, we have to examine our motives and really connect to how our goals will increase the quality of our lives and also touch others.
We also can change the way we look at our goals and ourselves, by not only focusing on where we want to be, but also who is it that we have to become to get there? That shift in thinking alone, made me realize that in order to get to where I am going it won’t be through just daily actions, but also continuous self-evaluation and development of my character. Below is a list of New Year’s back to one actions that may inspire you to get “Back to One.” – XoXo Raw Girl
- Create a vision board for 2011 in all important areas of your life: finances, spiritual, career, relationships, health. Place it in a visible place and look at it daily.
- After you’ve created this vision board or wrote down your goals spend time visualizing how achievement of these goals will enhance the quality of your life and those around you.
- Write a letter to yourself that describes in detail what goals you would like to accomplish in all areas of your life and what kind of person you have become at the end of 2011. Seal it and do not open until the end of 2011. (I did this last year and it was amazing!)
- Take on a Fast or Cleanse. Fasting can be as simple as abstaining from certain foods you are trying to cut out of your diet or going full-out and doing fresh juices only, blended food only, or even raw food only periods.
- Clean House. This one feels really good. I hate going into the New year with too much baggage. Taking a day or however long to reduce the clutter in your life not only make room for more good to come, it frees up more mental space!
For more on juice fasting, check out these previous posts:
Tips for a Stress Free Fast
http://rawgirltoxicworld.com/2009/11/18/tips-for-a-stress-free-fast/
The Benefits of Juice Fasting
http://rawgirltoxicworld.com/2009/11/18/my-article-on-…-juice-fasting/
Making a Green Smoothie!
I am gearing up for my annual fast into the new year! Last year it was 10 days. This year I think I may do 3 days of blended foods, 7 days of liquids/juice only, and 3 days coming off of the fast with blended foods and perhaps veggie broth as well. The target start date is December 23rd, and I will start coming off the fast on January 2nd. Trying to get mentally prepared and incorporating more liquid foods into my diet. Today I made a Tropical Green Smoothie. Ingredients: 2 bananas, 1 date, 1 mango, water from 1 Young Thai Coconut, 3-4 Kale Leaves.
When making green smoothies, it is recommended to use about 60% fresh fruit and 40% green leaves. Take care not to include any starchy vegetables such as: broccoli, cabbage, carrots, beets, cauliflower, pumpkin, corn. These types of vegetables require the body to use different enzymes to break them down, and if mixed improperly can lead to fermentation and gas. Check out the video below and hopefully you’ll be inspired to concoct a green smoothie of your own! -XoXo Raw Girl
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkN59lkTFeY]
VEGGIE LOVE: Okra
A couple of months ago, we were overwhelmed by the large harvest of okra in the garden. I had to get down and dirty in the garden to help pick all of it, and also put my creative cooking skills to work to whip up new uses for it. Below is the video for my delicious Okra Cobb Salad that I shot awhile back and am just now getting around to releasing. Before you check that out, here’s a few fun facts about okra you may not know that’ll make you think twice when you pass it by in the veggie aisle.
Okra also known as gumbo, lady’s finger, bamia, or bindi, is a member of the mallow plant family and is kin to cotton, hibiscus, and cocoa. It was also discovered in Ethiopia during 12th century B.C and cultivated by ancient Egyptians; Cleopatra of Egypt was known to regularly consume okra, possibly because of its beauty enhancing benefits as it protects from pimples and enhances the skin. The seeds in some regions are toasted, ground and served as a substitute for coffee!
Okra is a mucilaginous vegetable, full of natural fiber which regulates blood sugar levels by curbing the amount of sugar absorbed in the intestinal tract. It helps to relieve constipation and can aid with a host of other ailments including diabetes, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcers, and acne.
Besides being fat-free, okra is also low in calories it is packed with nutrients including: vitamin A, Thiamin, B6, C, folic acid, riboflavin, calcium, zinc and dietary fiber. In addition, okra feeds good bacteria/probiotics to flourish in the body. What’s not to love about this gooey veggie? If you need some inspiration, below is the raw okra salad recipe that had everyone in my household talking for days. I was surprised at how good it tasted raw; okra is now a staple for me. Hope you’ll give it a try! -XoXo RawGirl
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDLFWwFVTSQ]
Dear Raw Girl: How to Take On Parasites?
Hey lovely readers: I’m continuing on with my Dear Raw Girl category. Feel free to comment and ask any raw food/health related questions relevant to topics covered in my blog and I will do my best to give you any information I think may help you along your path. Thank you to all of you who have left comments with questions, will do my best to address all of them. -XoXo Raw Girl
Dear Raw Girl,
Hi ! You rock with all this valuable info. Thanks for sharing. Meanwhile, would a 3 week water fast help? I am also considering taking some strong medications if I am not ready for the long water fast? Herbs are good but do they do the whole job…from adult to hatchlings to eggs…lots of the symptoms resurface after a few months due to the eggs getting fed again…And lastly, when you eat the greens, do you wash them thoroughly and/or steam/cook them? I have come to the conclusion that raw doesn’t help and just adds to the risk of prolonged infection…steaming or cooking (Not frying) has a better value…we got to decide parasite v/s nutrition…I would take no parasite over low nutrition (through cooking)…saves a lot more time and headaches…wat you say? -P
Dear P:
Thanks so much for checking out the blog, and especially for taking the time to educate yourself about parasites. It is a serious epidemic that more Americans need to get hip to in order to enjoy optimal health.
As far as water fasting…Water fasting is definitely tricky and should in my opinion be done under supervision of a health professional if done for weeks at a time. It has definitely been known to cure a host of issues, and flush out the body. I am not completely certain about this, but I don’t believe that water fasting alone can rectify a serious parasite problem. Parasites need to be flooded with herbs/substances that weaken them and the body needs to have the right amount of good bacteria to create a parasite hostile environment. Rather than fasting on water, you could do a green juice fast and avoid sugars, and also take a parasite cleanser with the herbs necessary to kill them. In tandem with this, just taking apple cider vinegar everyday diluted in water can kill parasites living in the digestive tract. I personally would NEVER take heavy medications, as they usually kill both the good and bad bacteria. The parasite problem will just come back full force if you are not taking probiotics to replenish your good bacteria. If you choose to go this route, make sure you thoroughly understand the side effects of the medication.
As far as dealing with greens, you are very correct. Eating raw veggies does put us all at great risk for contracting more parasitic infections, but so does a host of other things from kissing, to shaking hands, or dealing with pets. Because it is so easy to contract parasites, it’s recommended that you undertake a parasite cleanse twice a year for regular maintenance. The key to killing parasite eggs is CLOVES. I realized that when doing a cleanse that I needed to take clove capsules in addition to the cloves in the herbal cleanse to ensure I was killing the parasite eggs.
I find that after about six months, some of the symptoms come back, probably due to exposure of various kinds. However, this does not mean you cannot eat your raw greens. I wash all my veggies very thoroughly with a Veggie Wash that removes pesticides and dirt; there is also the option to buy food grade hydrogen peroxide and wash your veggies in that solution. I am totally not opposed to eating steamed veggies from time to time, but I believe its worth the extra step of thoroughly cleaning your veggies to get live nutrition on a regular basis! -XoXo Raw Girl
Black Strap Molasses: An Anemic’s Best Friend
As the winter months approach and the weather in the DMV area yo-yo’s from warm to freezing, you can start to point out the iron deficient from the iron sufficient very easily. On those slightly chilly days, me and my iron deficient posse can be seen shivering, wearing a ridiculous amount of clothing, and complaining about cold hands and feet. To remedy this, I found that taking a liquid iron and herbal supplement has helped me a great deal, and recently I was turned onto to another saving grace, black strap molasses.
I was visiting a friend in New York City and going through my “I’m so freezing I could die symptoms,” and she brought me a cup of tea with black strap molasses in it. Within three minutes, I felt like brand new and was warm from the inside out. Later I learned that black strap molasses, which is a black thick syrupy natural sweetener (that looks like tar), is not only rich in iron (2 teaspoons gives you about 13% of the daily recommended value) but a host of other vitamins such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, and manganese. It’s a lovely addition to anyone’s diet looking to get a nice daily dose of iron but beyond that it has been known to help with a plethora of conditions including constipation, acne, fatigue, lack of hair growth, and restoring loss of hair pigmentation (grey hairs). Say what?
If your thinking that the mineral content sounds groovy and your wondering how it gets packed with all this nutrition, then you should know molasses is the by product or “waste” from processing sugar cane or beet into table sugar. So, those of us who choose to avoid refined white sugar, because it has been stripped of its minerals; molasses is the by-product where all the minerals went in the first place. I’m not going to lie, it is an acquired taste and can overwhelm whatever you put it in, but it isn’t horrible at all. I’ve grown to dig it, especially because it’s preparing me to stay warm & cozy for winter. – XoXo Raw Girl
Heavenly Vegan Blueberry Pie
Yesterday for some was “turkey day,” but for the seasoned vegan you know it’s time to get prepared to compromise. Holidays for raw foodies and vegans can be an uncomfortable and incessant barrage of meat-eater taunts that really take all of the fun out of giving thanks. Rather than compromise your diet, I’ve found the best way to interject a bit of thanks-giving for the time shared with loved ones is to make a few meals yourself that allow you to chow down with no reservation.
Luckily for me, I’ve been vegan so long, my fam is accustomed to my vegan contributions and make accommodations for my diet. In fact I am deemed the ultimate holiday pie maker. Yesterday I made my staple Vegan Pecan Pie (which takes no time at all to prepare) and tried a new and exciting first: Vegan Blueberry Pie. Nobody was disappointed. In fact, I surprised myself, cause it truly was so good you wanna smack somebody; much less get another serving. The best part about this vegan dessert? You won’t feel bad about yourself afterwards, and your waistline will still be in tact, while your mouth has a funky good time. Try the recipe below & share the love! -XoXo Raw Girl
VEGAN BLUEBERRY PIE
Ingredients: 2 Whole Wheat Crusts (I get them from Whole Foods, but if your industrious and have all day, make them from scratch), 3/4 cup organic cane sugar, 3 tbsp Organic Non-GMO Corn Starch, 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tbsp lemon zest, 4-5 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
Preheat your oven to 450°F. Use a fork to Punch holes in your pie crust with a fork and prebake for 10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool.
Find a large bowl and combine the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and lemon zest. If you are using frozen blueberries, let them sit out for 15 minutes or so at the beginning of this process and then strain them. Or you can do what I did which is using a sauce pan on very low heat I defrosted them and strained the juice.
Next step mix in the blueberries with the mixture in your bowl, and pour into pie crust. For the top crust, I used another crust and let it bake in the oven until it was firm enough to not fall apart on me. Then I sliced strips from that crust and laid it over the pie with the filling inside and let it bake for another 25 – 30 minutes.
Make sure you let it sit for an hour or two before you dig in! I know its tempting, but burning your tongue is no fun, so let it chill and serve.
The Buck Stops Here: GMO Salmon Approved by the FDA?
Ever since the gulf oil spill debacle, I have been making a running joke that pescatarians will soon be extinct. To top it off, shortly after the oil spill fish from those waters was deemed as safe for consumption. You got to be kidding me! So you can imagine my outrage when I was riding into Georgetown last week and heard a program on NPR discussing the possibility that the FDA may approve genetically modified Salmon that grows to market size in 16 to 18 months versus the normal cycle of three years. In order to make this happen the fish is inserted with two genes, one of which is a growth hormone. The FDA, who I am now sure is a gang of food science gangsters determined to jeopardize the health of Americans by any means necessary, apparently “gave AquaBounty Technologies a thumbs-up,” and came to the conclusion that eating freakishly grown salmon pumped with growth hormone was safe.
As of this week, AquaBounty Technologies has begun producing this GMO salmon in Panama. My hope is that the salmon will be properly labeled to alert consumers, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the FDA gives the company a loophole to squirm out of that commitment that would at least allow consumers to make a choice as to what kind of salmon they want to consume. Apparently some scientists have adamantly warned against this, and also declared that consumption of this fish could exacerbate allergies present in certain consumers. My sentiments are very clear on this issue, but as I hear news of more and more disruptions of nature’s cycle I keep wondering: where does the buck stop?
To listen to the program on NPR visit this link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129706395
Another article: http://www.fis.com/fis/worldnews/worldnews.asp?l=e&country=0&special=&monthyear=&day=&id=38441&ndb=1&df=0
-XoXo Raw Girl
Dear Raw Girl…How to Stay Acne Free from A to E?
Hey lovely readers: So I’ve been inspired to get off my lazy no-blogging raw behind and add in a new segment called Dear Raw Girl. Feel free to comment and ask any raw food/health related questions relevant to topics covered in my blog and I will do my best to give you any information I think may help you along your path. Thank you to Brian, who inspired me to create this segment. Here is his letter:
Dear Raw Girl: Thanks for the informative article and blog! I’m a new reader, but I have already learned a lot about eating more wholesome and healthy foods. I was just wondering about the best order for getting rid of acne. I have been reading about (a. Juice fasting; b. Drinking Rejuvelac; c. Colon cleanses; d. Drinking Apple Cider Vinegar; e. eating raw foods) but I am confused about the order they should be performed in. And one final question, what is the frequency you would recommend for (the points above I mentioned) a-e? I am looking forward to your more in-depth article and appreciate your help.
Sincerely,
Brian
Dear Brian,
First off thank you for this question. I completely understand where you may be coming from, because in my own experience when I was frustrated with acne and ready to change my lifestyle I was not sure at all where to start, although I knew there were a number of things to start with. So I will break down for you the process I went through, in the hopes that it will assist you on your personal journey. In answer below, I put the points you mentioned in the order that I approached them. As far as the frequency in which you do any of these things, I think you need to listen to your own body as you go along.
First off, I knew that acne needed to be approached from an inside-out method ( cleaning colon and making my body more alkaline) rather than outside-in (creams, lotions, antibiotics etc.), in order to get rid of it for good. My first goal was to CLEAN MY COLON. Now the process of cleaning your colon can be approached through colonics, enemas, colon cleanse powders. In tandem with this, what makes a colon cleanse more successful and helps the body eliminate more waste is JUICE FASTING. I went through a period of a couple of months of on and off fasting and colonics to loosen up and rid my body of old waste. I started with a 3 day green juice fast and eventually worked my way up to 10 days of green juice fasting. If you do juice fast, and do not have any sort of colon cleansing happening during this period you can get sick, dizzy, and very lethargic, because your body is loosening up old waste/toxins, and they need to be flushed out. That said, colonics should only be done if the colon is polyp-free, and should be gravity method (not a machine).
The frequency of the fasting and the juicing will depend on your body, how much waste there is to get rid of and how you feel during the process. If you have never fasted before check out my article on fasting, and think about starting out with only 3 days max. After I had done the colon cleansing and juicing, I started in on making REJUVELAC and drinking it daily (this is totally healthy), and got even heavier with EATING RAW FOODS. In about two months, my skin went from acne covered to completely blemish-free.
Later on, when I had a relapse of breakouts, I realized that there was an additional issue that I needed to address, which I discovered was PARASITE CLEANSING. I figured out that the sugar and starch cravings I had while I was still battling acne, came from parasites and so I agressively started to battle parasites, which inlcuded adding daily consumption of diluted APPLE CIDER VINEGAR. Besides the parasites, the point of the apple cider vinegar is to make your body more alkaline. I am not sure what your diet consists of now, but depending on where you start you will have different challenges. I was already a vegan, but I was consuming too little vegetables, and too much starch and sugar. If you are not vegan, in general to battle acne you will have more success if you cut out mucus forming/acidic foods: junk/processed foods (chips, cookies, sodas, candy), meat, dairy, fried foods, refined starches, and refined sugars.
I really hope this helped you! Feel free to comment if you have any additional questions or concerns. You’re already halfway to living acne free from a-e since you have all the information, you just have to summon up the courage to jump in there and listen to your body as you go along. -XoXo Raw Girl
Invisible Crustaceans in Every Refreshing Glass of NYC Tap Water
So the next time you’re in the Big Apple on a muggy summer day and you head out to eat or over to your friend’s place, and you just happen to down that nice refreshing glass of ice water to quench your thirst, you know what else you’ll be drinking? Shrimp. Seriously, I wish it was a joke. Am I the only one who thinks this is utterly disgusting? I really hope not. Sometimes when I am visiting friends, eating at a restaurant, or on-the-go away from home I get that look of derision when I turn down tap water. It’s that knowing—- “Oh your one of those whose too good for tap water,” look. Sometimes they actually just come out and say just that, (especially in New York). I just shrug, and smile, thinking about all the little critters that I am avoiding.
I know that I am a bit of a clean water Nazi, and I really am okay with that. Why? Because I love to avoid at all costs parasitic infections, trace pharmaceuticals, and now apparently in NYC, tiny shrimp in my glass of H2O. A friend sent me a link and I almost gagged on my glass of reverse osmosis water. Prior to this heads up, you wouldn’t catch me drinking water that was anything but alkaline or distilled in New York anyway, but this just makes my case all the more firm. I hope that all you lovely raw foodies and vegans (really anyone nowadays), but you especially, will get on the clean (truly clean, not just clean in the commercial) water bandwagon very soon.
Too many diseases nowadays are born just from lack of clean water alone. I definitely feel blessed to have such a wide range of choices between tap, glorified tap, bottled water, distilled, alkaline water etc. but I am not ignorant enough to forget the fact that for many people in our world it isn’t even an option. -XoXo Raw Girl
Check out the picture of the Shrimp in your NYC Tap Water:
http://gizmodo.com/5626497/you-swallow-invisible-shrimp-with-every-gulp-of-nyc-tap-water
For previous musings on water options, check out this past article:
The Art of Raw Snacking : Spicy Kale Chips
Hey Gang: A quick side note before I delve into my raw snack. I’m on my third week of physical therapy. My back is still a bit wonky. I thought it was getting better, and then last week had a major relapse. It’s been tough to stay in my raw girl blogging mode, although I am still eating raw of course, and the heat around here has pushed me to eat even closer to 100% raw. So bear with me and forgive me for my absence. Hoping that very soon I will be back to normal. – XoXo Raw Girl
People ask me all the time how I survive on raw foods and what snacks I keep around to keep me going. I’m not too much of a snacker, but I have developed and ongoing arsenal of small meals to grab on-the-go if necessary. Especially for road trips when all that there is to find in convenience stores is fast processed foods of various kinds. To avoid having a raw foodie breakdown and eating something you regret, only to suffer the consequences later, it’s definitely best to have something on hand to stop your tummy from growling. The key to snacking in my opinion is to treat it like a meal and be cognizant if what you are eating needs more time to digest. I do snack on dehydrated nuts from time to time, but you have to remember that depending on what meal you are planning to eat next, your body may need sufficient time to digest the first “snack.” For example: I wouldn’t snack on a bunch of nuts and then eat a huge bowl of fruit afterward. That, my friends is a recipe for gas/indigestion. In that case I would probably eat the fruit first, wait awhile and then eat the nuts. Keeping it simple and eating foods that combine well keep you gas-free and still fill you up. If you are already in tune with your body, it’s good to snack on things that you crave. I find that very often I am craving a particular dried fruit or veggie and it is because my body really needed that at the moment.
My new ultimate favorite crave is SPICY KALE CHIPS. I really can’t get enough. Not only are they crunchy and slightly cheesy, thanks to the nutritional flakes, they also provide the double duty of helping me ward off mosquitoes by providing a healthy serving of Vitamin B1.
I’ve read a bunch of recipes for kale chips, some that profess to be crunchier than others depending on whether or not the kale is coated with a batter prior to dehydrating. I haven’t tried the recipe that professes to produce the crunchiest kale chips ever, but I have modified my own version of the regular kale chip that is crunchy enough for me, and slightly spicy.
Spicy Kale Chips
Ingredients: 2 bunches of kale, organic olive oil, two teaspoons red pepper,teaspoon sea salt
Making kale chips is super easy. First you wash the kale thoroughly and get rid of stems (the stems aren’t fun to chew on when dehydrated). I always use a Veggie Wash to remove unwanted dirt/bacteria/pesticides. Then coat the kale with 2-3 capfuls of organic olive oil and add spices. Add sea salt and red pepper, and 1 capful or two of organic apple cider vinegar. Massage the veggies til everything is worked in.
Once that’s done, I take heaping tablespoons of nutritional flakes and mix into kale. Do this with a spoon because if you use your hands, you’ll get more flakes on your hands than on the kale, which you don’t want. The nutritional flakes give the kale an awesome almost cheesy flavor once dehydrated. Then you pop the kale into the dehydrator for at least 6-8 hours or until crispy enough for you. I usually prepare the kale and let it dehydrate over night. It’s also good to do at least two bunches at a time, or you’ll be left wishing you made more! Remember that it shrinks considerably when you dehydrate it.
Another raw snack I like:
Zucchini “Chips”: I just chop up raw zucchini maybe add a little seasoning and eat with hummus. In this photo I added in some sun dried tomatoes, which were made by dehydrating tomato slices.