Author Archives: rawgirl

Smoothie of the Day: Acai Mango Rush!

acia berry smoothie

Today’s smoothie was exceptionally exciting  and of course tasted divine. I wanted to make use of this brand of organic Acai juice that my cousin found at Walmart of all places—-it is actually Whole Foods quality (all natural fruit puree and acai) and it only costs like five bucks. Great deal if you ask me. So I whipped up this smoothie which was a major energy and immune booster thanks to the spirulina, and got a little antioxidants to boot.  -XoXo Raw Girl

Ingredients:

1 banana

1 cup acai berry juice

1 mango

1 Tablespoon Spirulina

Blend & enjoy 🙂 Makes one serving.

The copyright of this recipe is owned by Esosa Edosomwan AKA  Raw Girl AKA Chef Eazy E. Permission to republish this recipe in  any format must be granted by the author in writing.

Natural Cures: Dr. Yew’s Wholistic Tips for Accident Recovery

accident recovery

Hey gang: I know, I know. I’ve been M.I.A. again. This past two weeks, in addition to starting physical therapy on my neck & back, I managed to multi-task and was teaching fashion design to young teenage girls at a two week summer camp. Was rewarding, but in order to make it through, my back needed some serious TLC. I received two raindrop therapy sessions, and a prescription for natural pain killers from Dr. Yew, a Naturopath and co-founder of Yew-360 Wholistic Health & Wellness, which saved me from popping any of the high dosage, blood thinning meds prescribed by my regular doctor. Dr. Yew graciously agreed to share this info with you all, so check out his informative post below and visit his website: www.Yew360.com  –XoXo Raw Girl

Peace, fam!  I’m known as “Dr. Yew”, Naturopath and co-founder of Yew-360 Wholistic Health & Wellness.  I’d like to offer some input on the herbal approach to the mundane but underserved topic of injury recovery, particularly from accidents.

Now if you are from or in the “DMV” area, you know our roads are NO strangers to reckless drivers and car accidents.  For those of us who are trying to live as close to a healthy, natural lifestyle as our environment allows, one of the most disruptive forces is that of unpredictability.  Car accident victims become subject to emotional and physical trauma, and most often, to the same medical system we work so diligently to avoid!  In these instances, however, awareness is our greatest ally in our battle to do what’s best for our bodies, minds, and spirits.  In conjunction with that previous statement, there are many natural alternatives to the treatments given for the common aftereffects of a crash.  These effects can include pain, swelling, bruising, insomnia, and damaged tissue to name a few.  So don’t worry; here’s a few wholistic suggestions I’ve found to be useful in helping the recovery process:

  1. One of the primary post-accidental issues is preventing an internal clot that may cause a serious health threat such as a stroke.  This is administered via blood thinning drugs which can have a detrimental effect on the kidneys.  Many times, however, we’re not told to avoid the blood thickening fried foods, meats, dairy products, processed salts, etc., which may even be given to you by the hospital!   Aspirin is made from a constituent found in white willow bark, so prescription aspirins can be substituted by a strong white willow bark extract.  A good natural combination to help keep the blood fluid is garlic, hawthorne (leaves, flowers, and berries combined), and cayenne.  These are generally safe and effective plants that work to clear obstructions from the arteries and support the circulatory system.  They can also help to lower blood pressure as well.  Make sure you drink plenty of water!
  2. There are also herbs to help reduce pain and swelling that are much safer than the standard Vicadin, morphine, and other narcotic drugs offered.  Firstly, let me say it’s always useful to get a spinal evaluation from a chiropractor to help deal with pain that may especially be in the back, neck, head, or extremities.  This can save lots of money, time, and energy if something is out of place.  Along with the regular physical therapy, other remedies that may be useful are a strong homeopathic arnica supplement (to reduce general pain/bruising), a valerian and/or kava kava root extract (to help nerve/muscle pain & insomnia), and anti-inflammatory herbs such as goldenrod, mugwort, dandelion, gravel root or chickweed (to reduce acid that causes inflammation and bring down swelling).  Again, make sure you drink plenty of water!
  3.   Lastly, you want your body to be able to regenerate from any physical harm done by the force of the impact.  Most commonly, back and spinal injuries tend to be the culprit.  As my rebuttal, I turn to a Caribbean favorite – Irish moss!  Yes, a drink made from this works wonders because of its high nutritional content.  It provides a flurry of minerals the body needs to regain its power.  The recipe for “Raw Irish Moss” can be found on my website, www.yew360.com, and you can also add strengthening foods or herbs to this gel in making shakes, smoothies, or other foods to enhance its effect.  Some favorites include chia seeds, hemp seeds, avocado, aloe vera juice (promotes healing and inflammation reduction), African mahogany bark (excellent fortifying tea for the spine), moringa, spirulina, berries of all kinds, and bananas.

Raw Girl’s Guide to Avoiding Medical Injections…Part One

Natural Cures

This past week, I’ve been nursing whiplash from my recent car accident. Not so fun. But I had an amazing treatment this week that I promise to tell you about in more detail called Raindrop Therapy. This involves massage with pure essential oils, and realignment of the spine.  In addition to the treatment, the practitioner who performed the therapy gave me a gallon of Kangen water (highly alkaline water) to drink and to help flush out toxins and relieve inflammation. To make a long story short, it worked wonders! Literally, THE next day I did not need to take pain killers. It was amazing and I plan on doing it again this week. 

Now on the subject of my recent doctor’s visit… I really am so over it people!!! Not that doctors are not useful–because they are–especially in cases of major trauma.  But I must say it really is very unnerving that what they primarily do is prescribe or inject some sort of remedy for any ailment you may have, which in turn may of course cause additional ailments in the long run.

The doctor checked my range of motion in my neck and for pain spots in my back, and then recommended physical therapy–as I thought would happen. Then a series of things happened that I was not expecting. One, he asked what meds I was taking, I explained I was prescribed a higher dose of Ibuprofen (which I had switched out for natural pill sources because I hate aspirin–but I didn’t tell him that), and he immediately frowned and shook his head with disbelief and muttered “No, muscle relaxer?”  I told him no. He immediately went on to say he would prescribe a much higher dose pain-killer and muscle relaxer. He said worst case scenario if those didn’t stop the pain they could always INJECT me with steroids in my neck. WHAT? REALLY?? I just sat there trying not to give him the crazy eye, and then just for the heck of it I asked if he thought that the essential oil massage I was planning for the next day would help. He smirked, and said, “What the heck, I guess it couldn’t hurt?” And then he whisked off to send the order for my prescriptions to the pharmacy.

SIGH. I got in the car after being coaxed into buying these meds by concerned family members, and read over the ingredients and side effects. Both of them said things like may cause dizziness, nausea, constipation, and pretty much the whole gamut of other uncomfortable things that sounded pretty much like synonyms for DEATH to me. In addition, I did not know what any of the ingredients were–although I knew of course they were all chemical based. Right then and there I decided I was not taking those drugs. I immediately called a holistic doctor and asked his advice ( I will share what he said with you all shortly in another post) which saved me, and then later in the week I stuck to my plan and got my Raindrop Therapy. At least now, I have confidence that by the end of the month I will be feeling much stronger and as a bonus, I won’t have to worry about the side effects of some crazy blood-thinning meds that may do me a great deal harm in the long run. -XoXo Raw Girl

Planting 101 Cont’d: Organic Farming in a Toxic World

farming without pesticides

Sadly, this is the last of the planting 101 series… In this video, my mother discusses the difficulties that come with organic farming. I found this very interesting, because I had no clue how much our toxic environment can hinder organic farming. Since my planting 101 session, I haven’t been back in the garden. Nevertheless, I have seen and chowed down on  some of the fruits of our labor! I have to say I do feel a little guilty for being a lazy raw foodie, but the the scars from the bites on my legs remind me that the joy of planting may for me, be accompanied by another mosquito-make-out-sesh. We have some very cute cucumbers that have grown, and I’m still raiding the backyard for greens and scallions whenever I need them. Soon and very soon, I’ll upload another  video to show you some of these lovely veggies. For now, check this out! – XoXo Raw Girl

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-VrQgULFvc]

Surviving the Heat Wave: Serious & Silly Sun Safety Tips

Living la Vida Raw

It was so hot in DC today you probably could fry an egg on the sidewalk. I don’t eat eggs or like the smell of them frying or else perhaps it would be an interesting experiment. And of course–on the day that it is 101 degrees, and I am feeling some serious whiplash pain–my old school Mercedes decides that it’s the perfect time to run out of anti-freeze.  So this afternoon I drove home and then to the gas station sweating bullets in a very HOT car with leather interior. Not so fun. So my girl Kenzie  wrote a few serious  tips for keeping it cool in this almost dangerously hot weather which I have posted below. My slightly silly two-sense on the issue:

1) Stay inside especially at the peak of the afternoon heat and find modifications of outdoor sports–visualize a lot. Or play Nintendo Wii.  🙂

2) Drink a lot of water and eat a lot of watermelon. I love watermelon when its hot as heck! Lots of juice and liquids in general is always a plus!

3) Sun protection is imperative unless you want to end up looking or feeling like burnt toast. Who knew that Shea butter actually protects from UV rays… Probably not strong enough for this crazy heat. Use whatever you got and get down with it seriously.

4) Fashion tips: Do not wear synthetic fabrics. Or all black. I know, I love vintage too, but there’s a real reason polyester was a passing fad. This IS the time to be that annoying person who never removes their shades when they are speaking to you. Find your best paparazzi proof glasses and rock them.

5) Avoid getting trapped in any social situations that may lead you to hang outdoors midday. Divert the conversation and insert air-conditioned settings. For example someone asks: “Would you like to go for a walk?” And you respond: “I’d love to go for a walk, why don’t we stop by my gym, the treadmills are great!”

6) If you are trying to save some change and think a window fan is going to do you justice, please cut it out immediately! I had a roommate post-college in Brooklyn who didn’t want to pay for AC. I ignored her and installed a unit in my room, because that is just insanity. I know Suze Orman told you that you can’t afford it, but there are plenty of other ways to cut back when it’s over 100 degrees outside.

– XoXo Raw Girl

As the weather gets warmer and the sun gets stronger, it’s important to be knowledgeable about sun safety. The Environmental Working Group has been researching the Do’s and Don’ts of summertime fun and here’s what you need to know.

  1. Cover up. T-Shirts and Hats are important. Find shade or use umbrellas.
  2. Avoid being outside midday when the sun in strongest. Opt for outdoor activates in the early morning and late afternoon.
  3. Look for cream sunscreens with broad-spectrum protection, meaning they block UVA and UVB rays, that are water-resistant for sweat or pools.
  4. Reapply sunscreen every hour
  5. Use sunscreens with Zinc, Titanium dioxide, Avobenzone or Mexoryl SX in the ingredient list.
  6. Avoid sunscreens with Oxybenzone, Vitamin A (retinyl palmitate), added insect repellent, and sunscreens that are sprays or powders.
  7. Use a sunscreen between SPF 30 and 50. Anything less wont give you the protection you need. SPF 50 or higher isn’t that much more protective and you may forget to reapply or think you have protection when you don’t.
  8. Wear sunglasses: Sunglasses protect eyes from UV radiation, which can cause cataracts.
  9. Boycott tanning salons: Tanning beds have 15 times the UV radiation of the sun and are increase cases of melanoma.
  10. Avoid burning. It increases your risk for skin cancer. If you do burn, treat with all-natural aloe vera gel from plant or bottle.

The importance of sun safety can be hard given the beautiful summer weather! I can be a big culprit myself, especially in my earlier years, but now I make sure I’m wearing the right SPF with the right ingredients and making other good decisions when I can.

Check out the Environmental Working Group’s list for the best sunscreens for 2010 and enjoy your summer in the know: http://www.ewg.org/2010sunscreen/best-beach-sport-sunscreens/

-Kenzie, signing in for Raw Girl

Don’t Microwave Your Health Away: The Perils of Americas Favorite Appliance

BPA

What ever happened to the hunter gatherer days where we sought our food and gathered sticks and wood and lit a flame to heat it? We are living in a world of fast fixes, and the microwave has become the replacement for the stove in many American homes and the answer to eating warm food in office settings. It’s always hard for me to fathom that a large portion of Americans microwave most of the food they eat, until those random moments when I’m standing in line at a conventional grocery store behind someone who has eight different versions of microwaveable Lean Cuisines in a cart. What is wrong with this picture?

Most people are not hip to the fact that when you microwave, you are not eating food perse; microwaves have the power to mutate the cells in food. I hate to break it to you, but what you put in is not what you get out. In addition to this, even if you are microwaving some fresh organic veggies, what you get out will not only have dead nutrients, but it may be carcinogenic! One of the first things I did when I got seriously raw and vegan was give away my microwave. It really is  best to just not have it around. Even if you yourself do not use the microwave, and others do, the bad news is the radiation from the microwave can still have adverse affects on your health. A friend passed along an extensive article written by Dr. Mercola on the hazards of microwaving, which you can access via a link below. Just to drive it home if you can’t read the whole thing, here are some of the main points you need to grasp concerning this dangerous appliance. -XoXo Raw Girl

  1. Microwaves change the molecular structure of your food! Meaning, what you put in is not what you are getting out.
  2. When you microwave in plastic and paper containers carcinogens can leach out of them into your food. Some common toxins include BPA (found in plastic), beneze, toluene, xylene, etc.
  3. Microwave radiation leakage—-or waves that leak out while your appliance is in use can cause long-term health damage to the heart, and the eyes (cataracts), and also general sickness including: insomnia, swollen lymph nodes, nausea, depression, vision problems, and dehydration to name a few.
  4. When you microwave your food, you kill the nutrients, or in the worst cases make your food carcinogenic.
  5. Radiolytic compounds, which are not found anywhere in nature or in food are created when food is microwaved, and it has yet to be determined how exactly this adversely affects one’s health.

To read the full article visit the link below:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/05/18/microwave-hazards.aspx?aid=CD945

Raw Girl in Ford Fiesta Campaign & M.I.A. for BET Awards

Living la Vida Raw

Hey Gang:  Guess who was at the 2010 BET Awards? That’s right, yours truly, Raw Girl has been in L.A. starting last Friday; hence I have been M.I.A. Leading up to the trip, I was getting down with my best natural beauty enhancers: lots of green juice & daily clay masks. Feeling groovy, despite the need to pop natural  pain killers like Arnica (works like a charm) due to the massive kink still in my neck from my recent car accident. How did this all come about? Well…I was a finalist in the Ford Fiesta “Inspired By Color” Casting Call, which was also a competition where they chose ONE grand prize winner to win an all expense paid trip to L.A. for BET Awards, in addition to being featured in the commercial.

Right now there’s an E-zine up on the Ford website:

http://www.fordurban.com/fiestacolor/#/issue_2/3

…and some articles floating around highlighting the car with me posing in front of it:

http://bossip.com/260914/smart-and-sexy-the-2011-ford%C2%A0fiesta/#more-260914

I’m enjoying the West Coast thus far, and I’m scoping out the plethora of raw vegan options over here. Will be sure to report back with some highlights by weeks end 🙂 -XoXo Raw Girl

Raw Girl’s OWN Audition & Impromptu Ambulance Ride

ambulance

Hey there raw vegan lovers. I have had a CRAZY past couple of days, and so I have been M.I.A. First off, I was trying to get my video together in time for yesterday’s deadline for the Oprah Winfrey Network, and secondly I was in a car accident that could have been fatal but thankfully I emerged with all of my raw self in tact and fully functioning. I am sure you may have heard by now, that Oprah is looking for new shows, and she had in-person, and on-line open calls for people to submit ideas. My idea was an extension of this here lovely blog. Basically Raw Girl In a Toxic World, but live and in-color. You know you want to see it!  Please check out my video via the link below, and if you likes what you see, VOTE for me!  YOU CAN VOTE MULTIPLE TIMES. (PS I had an enormous amount of technical difficulties in the making and delivering of this audition video! It was crazy! Hope you will forgive anything noticeable and vote for me anyway 😉

http://myown.oprah.com/audition/index.html?request=video_details&response_id=882&promo_id=1 

Now…back to the accident. All you DMVers may have heard about slugging? It’s an organized system where you can park your car in a commuter lot and hitch a ride on HOV with drivers so that you can all get into DC faster. I love it, it’s saved me a ridiculous amount of time and energy getting into Georgetown on a regular basis. Well on Tuesday, as I was doing my regular slug-a-lug— and the driver of the car I was in was not very focused. She’s chatting away with the passenger in the front seat, and talking to her like she’s chatting with a girlfriend at Starbucks over a frappucino, eye contact and everything. In my head, I’m thinking: “Watch the ROAD woman!”

Anywhoo, we are on 395 in the HOV lane, and she, not paying any attention steps hard on the brakes, just before hitting another car. The car behind us, misses the signals and slams right into us! Mind you, I AM IN THE BACKSEAT. All I remember was feeling a very HARD thrust in my back, jerking forward, calling out to God and grabbing my head before it hit the seat in front of me. Luckily, I did have my seat belt on. Next thing I know my lower back is throbbing, and my neck feels really odd. Tears were streaming down my face and the ambulance workers arrived and began firing questions at me. What’s my name? Where does it hurt? On a scale of 1 to 10 how bad is the pain? etc. Long story short this Raw Girl ended up with a neck brace on, strapped to a board and staring into the sea of unrecognizable faces and then the blue sky as I was lifted into the ambulance. Destination: INOVA hospital in Fairfax, Virginia.

We reached the hospital and my tail bone was burning. I couldn’t tell if it was from the board, or if somehow the crash broke my sitting bones!  I was laying there and I hear this loud, almost sexual sounding moaning around me. Mind you, I was still strapped to the board and couldn’t move my neck at this point even if I wasn’t to see what it was. The moaning was getting louder and louder, and started to make me uncomfortable. Finally a doctor arrived and started asking the son of the wailing woman some questions. Apparently her knee was swollen and filled with liquid. Doctors confirmed with her son that she did have high blood pressure, and perhaps some history with diabetes. In that moment I was thankful that although I may have something broken, at least I was not in the severe pain that woman seemed to be in.

 After a while and two examinations from different doctors, I got an X-ray of my neck. It was really funny because the woman who X-rayed it was so excited about how “nice” my neck was that I had to see it. So she showed me what the bones looked like on the monitor. That was cool. She also asked me how my hair was attached! Not so cool. Even though I was a little peeved, I flashed a smile and explained that I had dreadlocks, and that my hair was attached at the root. Back on the gurney I’m rolled back to wherever I was to begin with and my mother is there. The doctor approaches us and says my neck may be broken, they saw a line that may be some sort of breakage in the x-ray. My mother gasps, but in my mind at that very moment, I was repeating the mantra: “I am well, there’s nothing wrong with my neck, I am well…” So, I am off to get a cat scan. More waiting, and we find out…it’s normal. All is well, I just have cervical whiplash. Finally I left the hospital, wearing a neck brace just for stability, thanking God that the only thing that would bring me to the hospital is a severe out of the ordinary accident.  I thought of the wailing woman, and wondered what became of her. At least at the end of the day, I know that I step up and take responsibility for my well-being so that I will not contract a terminal DIS-EASE, and  I am grateful to know that I have some guardian angels that take care of the rest. So thankful to be living and have my spine in tact! ~ XoXo Raw Girl

Planting 101 Cont’d: How to Transplant

gardening

We are back to planting 101… here’s more highlights from my Memorial Day rendezvous in the garden. In this video, my mother broke down how to transplant, or move one plant from the location where it was planted elsewhere, to avoid crowding and suffocation of the roots. I thought I got a workout from this planting session, only to find out, it’s only the beginning. The weeding is where the real back-breaking fun begins, apparently. Looking forward to it? I guess I should be since I plan to seriously chow down on the harvest. Now I am thoroughly convinced that if we all only ate what we sowed, there would be no obesity in this country. Luckily Big Macs don’t grow on trees!  – XoXo Raw Girl

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njE_Bj30Nzw]

Missed the first planting session? Check it out here:

http://rawgirltoxicworld.com/2010/06/02/raw-girls-planting-101/

The Wonders of Organic Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar: A Parasite Killa’s Best Friend

apple cider vinegar
 
 
 

(scrapetv.com) Do you want to be a Ghostbuster or Parasite Killa? Hint: one of them may still have intestinal worms.

  If you ever catch me on the go you may see me guzzling a 16 oz Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar drink like I’m the loser at a beer pong party. (FYI: I don’t drink alcohol, so I only know about gatherings such as these from movies and programming on MTV, no firsthand beer pongage going on over here.) I drink them in the morning, in my car, while catwalking on M Street in Georgetown, and sometimes when the sun goes down. Why you ask is this Raw Girl so gung-ho about vinegar?  Well, ever since I improved my overall health and well-being by taking on a parasite cleanse, I have grown wary of letting the suckers come back and get the best of me ever again. That means adopting a mostly green diet, limiting sugar intake, and regularly incorporating foods I know they don’t like, just in case.

Remember Ghostbusters?  If you don’t for some odd reason it’s about a trio of misfit parapsychologists start hunting ghosts for a living in this science fiction comedy. Although I wish the existence of parasites was limited to fiction, my first parasite cleanse  proved the opposite, and converted me from an average girl to a bona fide  Parasite Killa. I learned quickly that if you were about to be taken out by parasites, Apple Cider Vinegar is like a Parasite Killa’s best ammo. Although there are many types of parasites and different foods irritate different worms, there are some parasites that will die automatically just with persistent consumption of apple cider vinegar. I can personally attest to this without giving you any wormy details. This should never be the only remedy you use if you do have worms, as additional herbs and cleansing will be needed depending on the types in your body. For prevention, a daily concoction of this diluted in water and drunk straight or mixed with honey definitely gets a gold seal.   

   

Why is this exactly? Apple Cider Vinegar helps restore a proper hydrochloric acid balance in the body, and therefore promotes good bacteria and creates an environment in which parasites cannot thrive. It is a fermented drink, and if you remember my previous post, consumption of fermented foods is essential for great colon health. (Check out link below if you missed it.) In tandem with these benefits that give strength to a budding Parasite Killa, apple cider vinegar also provides a host of other benefits that may appeal to any health enthusiast:   

  •  Aids proper digestion and can cure constipation
  • Can help fight bacterial and fungal infections
  • Can relieve join pain
  • Balance cholesterol
  • Can help heal skin conditions such as acne. age spots, and reduces the appearance of cellulite
  • Protects against food poisoning
  • Increases stamina
  • Boosts metabolism and assists with weight loss
  • Prevents bladder stones and urinary tract infections
  • Known to be helpful with a host of ailments: constipation, headaches, arthritis, weak bones, indigestion, high cholesterol, diarrhea, eczema, sore eyes, chronic fatigue, mild food poisoning, hair loss, high blood pressure, obesity etc.

In addition to these zany health benefits, the nutritional profile of apple cider vinegar is quite impressive. The vinegar contains a host of vitamins, beta-carotene, pectin and vital minerals such as potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, chlorine, sulphur, iron, and fluorine. Pretty gangsta, if you ask me. If you’re ready to start killin’ those worms, or if you just want to incorporate something groovy that’ll enhance your health, get on the apple cider vinegar bandwagon.  Two tablespoons added to a glass of water is sufficent. You can try a little more if you like, but make sure there is a LOT more water than vinegar. Make sure you always dilute the vinegar, as it is highly acidic when not diluted and if consumed straight in large amounts can lead to loss of teeth enamel or a yellowish color on your teeth. Always buy only the ORGANIC and UNFILTERED kind. The others will not give you the same benefits and do not have the same vitamins and minerals in tact.  – XoXo Raw Girl  

P.S. My cheesy Raw Girl Parasite Killa soundtrack:  

When there’s something strange rumbling in ur tummy – Who u gonna call? PARASITE KILLAS! When ur energy’s low & you don’t feel good – Who you gonna call? PARASITE KILLAS! (I ain’t afraid of no worms)  

Want to know other foods that help you keep a balance of good bacteria in your gut? Check out my past post on fermented foods: http://rawgirltoxicworld.com/2010/03/22/new-article-the-benefits-of-fermented-foods/  

To find out about more foods parasites don’t like check this post: http://rawgirltoxicworld.com/2010/03/15/the-anti-parasite-diet-foods-that-make-parasites-run-for-cover/