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Tag Archives: health
Make Your Health Your Best Accessory – Part 2
When you are on the healthy living path, it can sometimes seem like everything is against you. At the beginning you may experience resistance from friends and family, feel lost in your social circle, and find it hard to find sustenance when you are traveling. It’s important to stay committed, despite the naysayers, despite the fast food on every corner, and despite the extra inconvenience of finding the freshest whole foods. Why? Because your well-being is worth it. You deserve to be energized enough to follow your purpose, look your best, and live disease-free.
As more of us commit fully, the more the world will have to adapt. When enough people get sick and tired of being sick and tired, through with obesity, or just plain over not having access to the best quality foods, the more you will see improvements in the world as a whole. Why shouldn’t healthy nutritious foods be inexpensive? Why shouldn’t salad joints replace fast food chains on every corner? Why shouldn’t there be veg options at most if not all restaurants?
This week again, I challenge you to be the change you want to see. Without dogma, without making your choices a religion and preaching to anyone, just fully commit to your health and you’ll see how quickly others will be running behind you trying to get your secrets. -XoXo Raw Girl
DC Raw/Vegan Options: Founding Farmers
Although it’s usually best to steer clear of restaurants that sell meat dishes if you are a die hard veggie lover, there are definitely some pleasant exceptions to this rule. About a week ago, I had the pleasure of enjoying a meal at Founding Farmers for the second time, and it was again well worth the hype. Founding Farmers is located in the Foggy Bottom area and is known for serving food made from high quality natural ingredients, which in some cases may be local and organic, and in others are just the best quality food that creates the smallest carbon footprint. If you live in DC or are simply visiting and you are vegetarian, this is a wonderful place to meet up with friends so that you have more options than a romaine lettuce salad because they have an entire separate veg-friendly selection.
If you are 100% vegan, raw, or just taking a break from cooked food, it will be harder to enjoy the deliciousness they offer because there are fewer vegan options. I chose the Veggie “Meatloaf” which was listed as vegan on the veg-friendly menu for lunch and would give it two thumbs up. It was savory and very filling. They also had a limited selection of fresh fruit and vegetable juices, which I always appreciate. Unfortunately the majority of the menu involves lots of starch, meat, refined flour, and foods cooked in oils or butter so this is not the place you want to come to treat your sweet tooth if you are avoiding white sugar, white flour, or dairy. However, both of the vegan dishes I have tried on two separate occasions were pretty fantastic, so if you are in the mood for cooked veg fare or hanging out with meat-heads that don’t want to compromise this may be the perfect place in the District to break bread without sacrificing your taste buds. -XoXo Raw Girl
Make Your Health Your Best Accessory – Part 1
Dearest Readers:
Welcome to the all new Raw Girl site! Huge thank you and much love to all of you who supported the campaign to upgrade the site, will be contacting you soon about perks. I am ecstatic about this new phase and all of the wonderful contributors on board to add some additional flavor to the content. To celebrate I’ve taken my juice photo shoots to the next level and partnered with Puree Juice Bar. They are based in Bethesda and also just opened up a new location in DC inside of Mint Health Club at 1724 California Street NW. If you are local to the area, go support them and try their delicious juices or one of their amazing cleanse packages and tell them Raw Girl sent you!
The theme of the shoot is “Make Your Health Your Best Accessory.” So often these days we rely on “stuff” to make us look and feel good. Whether it’s the latest fashion trend or smart phone gadget we are programmed to find the next best thing we must have. This can become a vicious cycle of insatiable consumption unless we learn to stand in a centered and grounded space within ourselves knowing that who we truly are is powerful, whole, spirits, who have everything within us that we truly need to thrive.
I used to be a fashion designer and while I was studying I came to the conclusion that for me, fashion was more than dress. It encompasses your world view, self concept, and goes beyond clothing. Health is an accessory that many people do not have the luxury of flaunting these days. The media has taught us to make things like alcohol and cigarettes our accessories, to up our cool factor. Well, it’s a new day, and the cool kids are wearing their vegan glow and toting their juices on the way to yoga proudly. I hope that this site will inspire you to join the club, and start focusing on creating the healthiest, most gorgeous version of you, starting from the inside out: mind, body, and soul. If true health is wealth, I want to be a billionaire. Who’s with me? -XoXo Raw Girl
How to Make Raw Tacos
If you’ve gone VEG or even if you are 100% raw, sometimes cravings for familiar textures and flavors of S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) or dishes traditionally made with meat may creep up on you. Rather than succumb to your cravings while sacrificing your commitment to health, the great news is that there is always a way to create raw and vegan meals that can satisfy your taste buds. Check out my buddy Aiya of BlackVeganLove.com, on the “Healthy Food, Happy You,” television show demoing how to make delicious raw tacos. -XoXo Raw Girl
DC Raw/Vegan Spot: Elizabeth’s Gone Raw
This past weekend for my birthday extravaganza, I was surprised with a five course decadent meal at Elizabeth’s Gone Raw. If you don’t know, Elizabeth’s is open on Friday’s only, open for reservations from 6pm to 9pm, and is pretty much the only dining experience in the DC area where you can get a gourmet raw meal. The restaurant has been up and running since 2009, and was started by Elizabeth Petty, a breast cancer survivor who parlayed her new lifestyle and love of food into the venture.
Only one word to sum up this experience. INCREDIBLE! If you have the means, I highly recommend you experience this once a week event and be sure to leave sufficient room in your stomach for all the yummy courses. You could even get away with fasting or eating extremely light and then heading over for dinner, because trust, you don’t want to miss eating anything they set in front of you on the table. If you are a foodie, even if you are a meat lover, you’ll feel like you’ve died and gone to tasty eating heaven.
Every single dish had such intricate texture and flavor, and they do an incredible job of pairing wines with the meal if you are a drinker. I don’t drink alcohol, but still had several wonderful virgin drinks including the goji berry tonic, which was wonderful. All of the courses were amazing, but I was borderline obsessed with their kale chips that had just the right amount of spiciness paired with the warm tomato soup, the beet carpaccio, and the decadent maple sassafras cheesecake. The best part about the evening was that we left very full, but not bloated and ready to take a nap in that way you feel after gorging on Standard American Diet foods.
For more info on Elizabeth’s Gone Raw visit their website: http://www.elizabethsonlstreet.com/
-XoXo Raw Girl
The Acne-Free Diet Talk (Excerpt)
Last weekend had a blast speaking at Everlasting Life Cafe in Maryland about my book “The Acne-Free Diet.” For those of you who are not in the DMV and missed this wonderful event, here’s a short excerpt from the talk. Unfortunately you can’t see my slide show with it, but I’m sure you’ll get the gist. Please pass it on especially if you know anyone suffering with skin issues. More people need to get hip to the fact that beating acne is an inside out game. We are what we eat, and one of the beautiful aspects of living is that we have at our fingertips the power to transform our bodies’, our skin, and our health at any moment, just by eating to live. The new version of the book is now available and combines all of the previous information along with a 3 Day Detox, and some extra nuggets of wisdom so that you have simple practical ways to begin your journey. -XoXo Raw Girl
LISTEN TO EXCERPT OF ACNE-FREE DIET TALK HERE
To learn more about the book and purchase the new edition, visit here: http://rawgirltoxicworld.com/the-acne-free-diet/
Raw Spicy Gazpacho & Vegan Eggplant w/ Thyme
This weekend I ate something fried. Don’t judge me! I’ve told you veggie lovers time and time again I am not living la vida raw one hundred percent of the time, and I encourage you to find your bliss and make the healthiest choices for you. That said, after the wonderful food demonstration at VegFest DC I decided to try out Executive Chef Ayinde Howell’s fried eggplant recipe. I did however make some modifications. I’m not a fan of fried food, but I knew my body could handle it without aggravation if I used coconut oil (because the oil is not rancid and has a higher burning/smoke point). There’s no way I could eat it without having a reaction if it was prepared with any other oil but coconut. In the demo Ayinde used earth balance, but I prefer to not add in additional heated oils of any kind that can encourage free radicals in my body. If you are a health enthusiast or concerned about keeping your skin optimal and you ever want to fry anything, I highly recommend you never use “dead” oils and stick to coconut. Anyhow it was delicious, and the eggplant has a natural buttery flavor when cooked this way.
On my first couple of days post-detox I also made a really yummy spicy gazpacho which lasted for a few days. It’s been summer hot in DC the past couple of days so cold soup is where it’s at. If you try the gazpacho know that its much better after sitting in the fridge for a couple of hours because it gets thicker and less runny. By day two, it was a much better consistency and paired well with the eggplant. If you would like to try this entire meal raw, you can marinade your eggplant and dehydrate it. There are some really great recipes out there for eggplant “bacon” which are just dehydrated marinated strips of eggplant. I will plan to revisit this soon and do a raw version of the eggplant. -XoXo Raw Girl
Raw Spicy Gazpacho
Prep time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
1 Cucumber
1 lb cherry tomatoes ( Used two small containers full)
1/2 sweet red pepper
1/2 red onion
small handful cilantro
1/4 cup lime
pinch of cayenne
red pepper flakes to taste
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp sea salt
Put all ingredients in the blender. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately, or for better consistency, let chill in the fridge and then serve. Enjoy!
Vegan Eggplant w/ Thyme
Prep Time: 10 minutes or less
1 eggplant
thyme
sea salt (to taste)
wedge of lime
coconut oil
Slice your eggplant into thin circles, cutting across the width of it. Heat a skillet and add in your coconut oil. As eggplant cooks season with sea salt, and thyme as needed and flip sides. Remove eggplant and away excess oil when slightly brown. garnish with avocado and squeeze a small wedge of lime over the dish. Enjoy!
4 Reasons to Love Collard Greens
Collard greens are dark leafy veggies that are related to kale, broccoli, and cabbage. In fact collards, are actually the descendants of wild cabbage. Most of us may know and love collards as a side dish (that sometimes is cooked to death), and accompanies a larger meal. Although these greens tend to be rough you can cut them finely and steam sautee them easily or enjoy eating them raw with the right preparation in salads and or use them as a tortilla substitute for a wrap filled with veggies. If you grow them or if you can buy baby collards, they tend to be less bitter and really easy to add into salads like any other green. Collard greens are an excellent source of vitamin C, K, A, beta-carotene, manganese, folate, calcium, magnesium, iron, and fiber. Individuals who have pre-existing or untreated kidney or gall bladder issues should avoid collards because of the measurable levels of oxalates. If oxalates become concentrated in bodily fluids, they can crystallize and cause a host of health issues. Below are a few brief reasons why adding some collard greens to your life every now and then is not a bad idea. Whether you steam them, wrap them up, or toss them into a salad, know that these super greens are a great way to boost your nutrition. -XoXo Raw Girl
- Consuming collards protects against cancer. Collard greens provide nutrients and support functioning of the bodies’ detox, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory system, all of which must become compromised for cancer to thrive in the body.
- Collards support weight loss, because like most greens they come with little to no calories and a nice serving of fiber to support digestion and proper elimination.
- These cruciferous veggies have also been show to have very powerful effects on heart related conditions and lowering cholesterol. THey contain niacin, a vitamin which is known to reduce cholesterol and prevent diabetes and heart disease.
- Collards also have anti-inflammatory benefits as they are an excellent source of vitamin K and a good source of omega-3 fatty acids (in the form of alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA), two important anti-inflammatory nutrients. Vitamin K acts as a direct regulator of our inflammatory response, and ALA is the building block for several of the body’s anti-inflammatory messaging molecules.
For a salad recipe using collards, check out this past post: Collard Green Salad w/ Grapefruit Vinaigrette
VEG Transition Recipe: Steam Sauteed Kale w/ Bell Peppers
I really do not mind preparing vegan dishes from time to time, but for whatever reason, it actually pains me to cook the life force out of my greens! Last week my cooking class assignment was to make steam sauteed greens. Because I got to do what I got to do to get my degree I made this simple meal as instructed, and it took no time at all. Although I much prefer to season and massage my greens and eat them raw, this is a really great recipe for anyone looking to add more greens into their life, transition into veggie living, or those who have an aversion (gasp!) to raw greens. The combination of the carmelized onions and the bell pepper adds a sweetness to it, and throwing in some garlic and ginger makes it even yummier. Just make sure NOT to overcook your greens so you still have some of the glorious nutrients available. This is a great side dish to a main course or you could pair it with an additional hefty food like quinoa and call it a meal. If you despise greens give it a try you may find a new easy and simple way to add some more essential veggies into your life. -XoXo Raw Girl
Steam Sauteed Kale w/ Bell Peppers
1 bunch Green Kale roughly chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic diced1/4 ginger root diced
Splash of good olive oil
1/2 Onion chopped
1 organic red bell pepper chopped
Sea Salt
Heat a pan, or wok with a lid. Add a dash of good quality olive oil and then add in your diced onions. Cook the onions until almost translucent and then add in your peppers. Cover the pan and let the peppers and onions steam for a minute. Add your greens on top and add in your garlic and ginger with sea salt to taste. Cover and steam until cooked but not overcooked. Serve and enjoy!
Collard Green Salad w/ Grapefruit Vinaigrette
To kick off my Master’s program this first semester one of the classes I’m enrolled in is a cooking class. Best part so far was receiving a some awesome knives in the mail, a cutting board, apron, and other goodies. I made this salad and vinaigrette last week for one of my first assignments to practice a few of the cutting techniques for that lesson. Eating collard greens as a salad is amazing, but for me the trick is to always use a bit of oil, vinegar (or lemon), and sea salt to massage the greens prior to adding toppings or dressing. This not only make the greens more flavorful, it also just makes it easier for the body to break them down. If collard greens are still too much for you to handle alone, try mixing in spinach or arugula. Below is the recipe for the vinaigrette which amazingly enough has a creamy texture that is really nice. For the salad, dice up your collards whatever way you like them, and add toppings. I used fresh baby tomatoes from the garden, yellow pepper, and avocado. -XoXo Raw Girl
Grapefruit Vinaigrette
2 grapefruits
3 cloves diced garlic
1 Tablespoons Agave Nectar
Pinch of Sea Salt
1/4 cup olive oill
1-2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
Blend, pour onto salad, enjoy!