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Author Archives: rawgirl
New Article: “The Wonders of Spirulina”
About two years ago, I was introduced to spirulina, when offered a green shake at a vegan spot in Brooklyn. I thought it was good but I knew nothing about this strange-sounding food, so I never really started regularly incorporating it into my diet until a couple of months ago. For now, I generally add it in powder form to my morning post-workout smoothies, and my delectable raw “Green Yogurt” dessert (a recipe I will share), and find that it gives me an incredible amount of energy that lasts throughout the day.
As I did some research for this article, I was excited to learn more in-depth about the incredible amount of nutrients this algae provides. In this age of biggest losers, obsessive dieting, and fad health frenzies, heavens knows we need to teach people to start incorporating more nutrients in their diets. I was upset last night when I heard trainer and life coach Jillian Michaels (with the fabulous abs) connected with Biggest Loser inadequately respond to a question about overweight people feeling too hungry to cut their portion sizes. People are frenzied over the incredible portion sizes they eat, but what they forget is that when they ate that giant fast food meal or whatever, they just fed the body a lot of empty food devoid of nutrients, and that’s why they are still hungry!
Of course, there is an emotional component as well that cannot be overlooked, but those who are sexy raw foodies or have tried raw food, know that they feel surprisingly full after meals, mostly because they body is actually being fed food with nutrients and just empty calories. Spirulina is one of the wonder foods that can introduce a great deal of necessary nutrients in your diet and boost your immune system.
To read the full article:
http://nutrition.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_wonders_of_spirulina
Spirulina: A Way to Fight HIV
Recently, I began consuming spirulina in the powder form regularly, mostly because of its incredible nutritional content which makes it superior to heavy vitamin supplementation. For those who have never heard of it, spirulina is a microscopic blue-green algae, that got its name because it has a spiral coil shape. I was in the middle of writing an article on the benefits of spirulina, when I came upon several reports and articles discussing a Harvard scientific study proving that spirulina extract prevented replication of the AIDS virus, even in low concentrations! Why this information is not more readily discussed or available, I do not know. This brief article was published in 1996 on Business Wire, and at the time further study was supposed to be conducted with the extract on AIDS patients…
To read more:
http://www.aegis.com/NEWS/BW/1996/BW960418.html
More on spirulina coming soon…
Ryan B. Anthony Says…
I had the pleasure of meeting this talented makeup and hair artist/ celebrity stylist, when he did my makeup for a film. Not only did he turn the makeup out, he fashioned my locs in styles that were incredible, and gave me some tips on making a natural exfoliator that leaves my skin glowing every time I use it. I modified it a bit, to work with what I had available and onhand in the kitchen.
Ingredients: honey, lemon, sugar, oats
Pour honey into container, squeeze in lemon, and mix in sugar and oats until thick consistency. Apply to face as a scrub and rinse with lukewarm water. Followup with your personal moisturizer. You skin will glow and feel softer than a baby’s bottom!
For more info or to contact him, visit Ryan’s blog: http://ryanbanthony.blogspot.com/
NY Times Article: “More Perils of Ground Meat”
This kid's burger could be contaminated!
Thankfully, I am a sexy vegan and don’t have to worry about these meat crises anymore. Why take the risk nowadays? Apparently a beef company started to inject ammonia as a way to kill harmful bacteria in their products. They sorely overestimated its effectiveness, and their meat, which was distributed to fast food restaurants, school lunches, and made available in groceries stores is now being recalled for contamination.
To read more:
The Dream-Killer Fast
We all know dream-killers. These are the people also known as playa-haters, jealous drama queens and kings, or staunch conventionalists who cling the holy grail of mediocrity and expect that you should too. The dream-killers that come in those forms are loud and ostentatious, but the worst kind are the silent dream-killers. These agents work with stealth, they are your peers, your family members, your close friends sometimes, maybe even your mate who slowly and methodically erode your dream with doubts by allowing their own personal discontent or jealousy to poison your ambition, by discrediting or comparing your brilliant progress to other “more successful artists”, or by responding to your enthusiasm with a shrug. Both kinds of these species are equally dangerous, but the latter, can enter and leave your world in so much of a tailspin that you can’t find the driven, positive person you once were staring back at you in the mirror. Or if you escape in time, like I always do, you may find a startling sense of creativity unleashed by the release of that negative influence in your life.
As important as fasting via food consumption is for the benefits it has on our mind and body, we can’t forget that certain kinds of life crises and stumbling blocks demand a spiritual fast, in this case a dream-killer fast. That means just as you would put that Twinkie down before you ruin your diet, you decide to not pick up the phone and call that “friend” who wallows and whines, makes you feel like a victim when you know you are powerful, or who throws a sarcastic comment your way whenever you mention your “crazy goals.”
In this dream-killer fast, you make a conscious choice to avoid people and situations that you know are spiritually toxic, and you choose to work on the person who is most often your worst dream-killer, you. That’s right. Weren’t you the one who decided you were too old to take that interesting art class, or stopped playing the instrument you loved cause you don’t have time for hobbies? Maybe you once dreamt of taking a leap of faith and starting your own business, or changing careers. Perhaps you have resigned yourself to a life devoid of passion, slaving away each day at a job you despise and have forgotten than once upon a time you had a real zest for life. The good news is, today is a new day. And it just might be the day for you to start fasting.
When embarking on this fast proceed with caution. Dream-killers are known to be ruthless, and have a keen sense for when they are about to be kicked to the curb. So kick hard, fast, and run for cover.
20 Minute Lip Smacking Vegan Pecan Pie
My Holiday Pecan Pie 🙂
My favorite thing in the world next to green juice, is dessert, so I made it a mission to master the art of creating simple, healthy, raw and vegan desserts in record time. Here is another twenty-minute pie, suitable for vegans or anyone who would like to not sacrifice the taste of their pecan pie, but are okay with letting go of the belly bulge that occurs after eating the conventional version. I made this for family, vowing to give them a healthier version that they would still enjoy. The pie disappeared quickly, and the general consensus was that this version tasted better!
Ingredients:
2 cups pecans (soaked) , 6-7 cups dates (soaked briefly), 1 pre-made crust ( I used Whole Foods 365 Whole Wheat pre-made crust), 1/2 cup organic oats, and grade B maple syrup
Put the dates in a bowl and let soak in hot water. While the dates are soaking, put your crust in the oven. During the 15 minutes or so it will take to brown your crust you are going to make your filling and topping for the pie.
Pour soft dates into high-speed blender, with some of the water. Make sure not to add too much water. Blend until a creamy, thick consistency, continuing to add water if needed.
Strain the water from your soaked pecans. Use a frying pan, and with low to medium heat, brown the oats in the pan. When the oats begin to brown, add in pecans and drizzle agave nectar on the mixture. This will be the topping for your pie.
Take our your pie crust from the oven, and pour in date filling. Spread the pecan an oat mixture evenly on the top of the pie. Let it cool, and then serve & enjoy !!!
To make a raw crust as a substitute, use the crust recipe explained in the post for the 20 minute sweet potato pie.
The copyright of this recipe is owned by Esosa Edosomwan (AKA Chef Eazy E.) Permission to republish this recipe in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Chasing a Mirage of Dreams
Most of us go through life chasing things. We chase after money. We chase after fame and recognition, the ideal mate, our dream career. If you live in New York City, you might chase and choose to forcibly push someone out of your way. Or you might be the unlucky receiver of the push, forced to swallow another incident that “made your day.” We chase and chase and at the end of the race we are dead tired, and out of breath. As we stand there frustrated by plans that went awry, panting, and clutching our chests from the rejections we faced, finally we are still. The funny thing is, that right there, in that place of stillness and surrender is usually where the tide begins to turn.
As I began my journey of eating raw foods, I found myself more comfortable in the silence, in stillness. They say we are what we eat, which is probably why the stillness, calm, and vitality of living foods seems to work deeper than just the physical level…it begins to permeate the spirit. We forget as we chase and hunger for things or to get somewhere other than right here and now, that everything originates from silence, everything is born from some form of stillness.
It took awhile getting used to the idea that I didn’t have to chase. I was lead to practice daily meditation because of a series of happenings, one of which was stumbling upon the book by filmmaker David Lynch “Catching the Big Fish.” Immediately, I began to notice, that the act of going within regularly, brought a sense of peace to my everyday, increased my creative output, and let me go with the flow in a way I never had before. Synchronicity, or as I call it the hand of God, became beautifully apparent. I would think of something I wanted to do, or be in need of something to complete a project and the right person, the right form of inspiration, would fall into my path effortlessly. Sometimes we choose to forget that this toxic crazy world we live in, is truly divine underneath it all. We chase our mirage of dreams, only to finally grasp them and discover they are fleeting. All that remains is the silence.
Gourmet Raw Vegan Pizza! – Part Two
Just in case you missed it, in the last post I included the necessary ingredients and step-by-step process of how to make the crust and sauce for the raw pizza featured in the photograph. Now we’ll focus on making the cheese and adding toppings.
Cheese Ingredients:
2 cups cashews ( soak a couple hours or soak night before), miso paste (white), 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup water
Topping Ingredients:
Dice a variety of vegetables that you like. I used: yellow zucchini, mushrooms, shalots, orange bell pepper, black olives, tomatoes, & basil. Then, I seasoned with thyme and hot red pepper.
Again, here is Raw Chef Elaina Love’s video demonstration of the process:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKG9H-k9KYg
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKG9H-k9KYg]
Anti-Aging SHE-RO # 3
I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying. ~Woody Allen
Well, if I have to die, I better look fabulous on my way out. If I were Iman, this would be a given, being that her name alone is synonymous with grace, elegance, style, and striking beauty. I personally believe her name should be written in Webster’s Dictionary as a noun interchangeable with Goddess. When I was younger the best compliment, regardless of if it holds water, I ever received was someone saying I reminded them of Iman. Years later, I had the opportunity to see her in person, and the sight of her took my breath away. Literally, I stood there, dumbfounded. The most beautiful thing about her is that slightly intangible something, call it self-confidence or self acceptance, that lies within and radiates from her. In a 2005 interview on The Paul Gordon show titled The Politics of Beauty, She said in reference to her makeup line: “This country has really moved on to a more multicultural way of thinking… I just want to celebrate the women. Sure this is all about makeup, but it’s also about some other things that are more deeply rooted. I just want to open a dialogue where we can talk about these things, where we can define our own beauty and approve of ourselves. We have to approve of ourselves before anyone else will. Women need to celebrate their God-given beauty instead of always trying to be something else.”
Amen to that. She continues on: “It’s time for grown ups to act like adults. Stop obsessing over what you don’t like about the body you have. Start paying attention to things that really matter. Get educated. Find out what’s going on in the world. Teach your children empathy for the poor instead of feeding them the latest fashion frenzy…And stop blaming the fashion industry for what you don’t like about the false values and over-sexed outfits confusing little and not-so-little girls and boys. Consumers hold the power in the world of fashion, she says, not the advertisers or magazine editors. Use that power.”
Iman defines the true meaning of the label, supermodel, is CEO of IMAN Cosmetics, Fragrances & Skincare, and just recently launched the IMAN GLOBAL CHIC Collection, an affordable accessories line done exclusively for HSN. Author of The Beauty of Color and I am Iman, Iman’s meteoric rise to the top echelon of the fashion world began in 1975 when she left university in Nairobi for New York City. There she began her remarkable 14 year modeling career. In 1994, she launched her business, the IMAN brand now sold around the world. Actively involved in Children’s Defense Fund, For All Kids Foundation, and Action Against Hunger, she has received numerous awards for her humanitarian work. Somalian by birth, Iman is the mother of two and married to musician David Bowie. http://imancosmetics.com/
New Article: B12 an Essential Supplement for Vegans
“Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.” ~ Redd Foxx
True, we are all gonna die, but I am playing my cards so I still have the upper hand when I’m older. I’d rather get taken out by a bus than cancer. Or any disease that degenerates my mental faculties for that matter. My hope is that at least I will be able to play a round without having someone wheel me over to the table, or have to ask someone else hold my hand for me in the game of life.
The thing is, even if you are already a sexy vegan, and eat a wide range of fresh organic produce, if you don’t take your B-12, you may find youself lacking in energy, depressed (which is definitely not sexy), and loosing mental faculties way before your time. I had my own personal experience with B12 deficiency after being a vegan for almost ten years and then transitioning into a diet consisting of mostly raw foods. To say the least, it was not fun. I started to notice I felt tired a lot, my feet and hands were tingling, and my memory was horrible. Let’s not get into the fact that I was pretty sure I was actually loosing my mind! It was a scary experience, but luckily the core issue was remedied in time.
Supplementation of this vitamin is not optional if you are a vegan, it is an absolute necessity. Apparently even though B12 is found in animal products, many meat eaters are deficient as well. David Wolfe, one of the leading authorites on raw food, claims that Spirulina, which is a type of blue green algae, is the best food source of B12. More on Spirulina later…