Tag Archives: healthy living

6 Reasons Why You Should Avoid Pesticides

2013EWGPesticideGuidesml-1On Monday I blogged about the new pesticide guide by the Environmental Working Group that will help you navigate the world of produce and avoid fruits and veg with high amounts of pesticides. Just in case you have no idea why you should care about pesticides, I’ve decided to expand on the subject and pass along some recent research that links food pesticides to specific health issues.

1. Pesticides can boost the growth of dangerous bacteria in the gut. A study published in the journal of Current Microbiology found that the active ingredient in Roundup, one of the most commonly used pesticides, interferes with health bacteria in the guts of animals possibly leading to stronger and more resistant strains of dangerous disease causing organisms. For example three different strains of salmonella were found resistant to the antibiotics used in chickens’ guts, and it is likely that with continued exposure to the pesticides, more dangerous strains will continue develop. What does that have to do with us, the consumers? Well Roundup is used on almost all corn and soy products and then that same corn and soy is used as feed for animals. When we humans then in turn consume this produce or the meat that lived off of the pesticide laden corn and soy, it can expose us to dangerous viruses and bacteria.

2. You can literally, loose a few brain cells or worse contract Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease. In a review published in Critical Reviewers in Toxicology, researchers found that low level exposure to organophosphates, the most widely used pesticides in the world can cause permanent brain damage. This includes permanent effects on memory, information processing and cognitive functioning. Using an overview of research within a twenty year span, researchers concluded that there is a significant correlation between consumption of these kinds of pesticides and brain damage. “Several studies have shown a link between pesticide exposure and the onset of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, as well as other neurological conditions such as epilepsy. The main path of exposure is airborne: breathing pesticides. Recently, UCLA researchers looked at Central Valley residents diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and found that “years of exposure to the combination of these two pesticides [the herbicide paraquat and fungicide maneb] increased the risk of Parkinson’s by 75 percent,” (Science Daily).

3. Pesticides endanger a wide range of wild life. Very recently in Oregon 25,000 bees were found dead or dying. The cause of death is being investigated but the widespread use of pesticides is suspected to be related. Runoff from  pesticides get also gets absorbed into soil and can coat the seeds that many birds and small mammals eat. The more we treat nature with pesticides and insecticides, the more we are in danger of loosing or deleteriously affecting species of insects and animals that depend on plant life to thrive. 

4. Pesticides have been linked to cancer. Research has shown that exposure to pesticides  is linked to breast, and prostate cancer as well as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The Agricultural Health Study monitored over 54,000 people who applied pesticides and within fourteen years over 1,900 of them were diagnosed with prostate cancer, of which 919 cases were aggressive. Of the 48 pesticides involved in the data collection, four showed a significant correlation with the aggressive form of prostate cancer. 

5. Not enough thorough research to support safety. With pesticides, there is very little to no preemptive research before widespread use. Which means that we will not know the full effects that the toxins were are being exposed to now will have on us years from now. For example DDT which is now banned in the U.S. was considered okay for widespread use until research proved otherwise. “One recent study found higher levels of miscarriages among women exposed to DDT (in the 1950s), and reproductive disorders associated with DDT are well documented in animal studies[6,7]. Another recent study found developmental delays among babies and toddlers exposed in the womb[8]. Other studies have linked DDT to reduced breast  milk production, premature delivery and reduced infant birthweights[9,10]. DDT is classified by US and international authorities as a probable human carcinogen[11].” Rather than waiting to feel the effects of the latest pesticides, it’s best to take serious measures to reduce the amount that you are exposed to through food.

6. Pesticides are dangerous for kids.  Children are less capable to metabolise, detoxify and excrete chemicals. In addition because of their low body weight and the fact that their bodies are developing, pesticides are doubly harmful for kids than adults. Check out the video below which elaborates more on this point.

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

How to Avoid Pesticides: The Dirty Dozen 2013

FRUITIf you are a seasoned veggie lover, you know that all produce is not created equal. As beneficial as it is to consume a plant-based diet, the powers that be and our environment are making it harder and harder to access produce that is not somewhat toxic because of the high amounts of pesticides sprayed during the fertilization process. Luckily there are wonderful organizations out there working hard to keep consumers informed and equipped with information so that we can make conscious choices. A few months ago, The Environmental Working Group (EWG) released its annual guide that lists “The Clean Fifteen” and “The Dirty Dozen.” These lists tell us which fruits and veg have the highest amounts of pesticides and also which are the least likely to contain pesticides. What is generally recommended is that you try to buy the produce listed on the Dirty Dozen list organic, whenever possible. If you are on a budget, you may choose to eat other fruits and veg that are not on the Dirty Dozen in conventional form.

At the end of the day, organic is always your best bet, but if you cannot afford organic produce, consuming conventional fruits and vegetables is better than not getting your greens in at all. Below are the 2013 lists compiled by the EWG. Thankfully, the Environmental Working Group has made it easy for you to download the guide or have these lists readily available to you on the go via an app on your phone. I downloaded the app and it’s really easy to use. Visit the EWG website to sign up and get access to the guide. Although corn is on the clean fifteen list  to avoid GMOs you should avoid eating it in conventional form. I know firsthand that it can seem like a full-time job sometimes to make sure you are not eating foods that are toxic, but know that all of the effort you put in to achieve optimal health now will pay dividends later.  -XoXo Raw Girl

The Dirty Dozen for 2013
  1. Apples
  2. Celery
  3. Cherry tomatoes
  4. Cucumbers
  5. Grapes
  6. Hot peppers
  7. Nectarines (imported)
  8. Peaches
  9. Potatoes
  10. Spinach
  11. Strawberries
  12. Sweet bell peppers

Dirty Dozen Plus: Kale/collard greens and Summer squash

The Clean Fifteen for 2013
  1. Asparagus
  2. Avocados
  3. Cabbage
  4. Cantaloupe
  5. Sweet corn
  6. Eggplant
  7. Grapefruit
  8. Kiwi
  9. Mangoes
  10. Mushrooms
  11. Onions
  12. Papayas
  13. Pineapples
  14. Sweet peas (frozen)
  15. Sweet potatoeshttp://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/health/2010/05/31/gupta.produce.pesticides.cnn.html

DC Raw/Vegan Spot: Khepra’s Raw Food Juice Bar

Khepras

Before I left for vacay, I went out to get some raw eats at Khepra’s Raw Food Juice Bar. I try not to blog until after visiting a spot at least twice. This second time stopping in, I stayed there and ate with a friend (not the best idea). As I mentioned in my last review, a great vegan restaurant with decent customer service that also has great dining-in options is hard to come by in DC. Khepra’s is obviously meant to be a stop-in place which is why it’s a “raw food juice bar” and not a restaurant, but a girl can still dream. On this latest visit to Khepra’s I had the nut hempseed Burger, creamy kale, garlic kale, wild rice, seaweed, and curried cauliflower. The options available were the same as when I visited months ago, and sampled the “crab cake.” Of the three selections available I am a big fan of the hempseed burger, it’s flavorful, filling, and has become my favorite thing on the menu. I also love the wild rice and creamy kale. Was not feeling the seaweed, the garlic kale, or the cauliflower. As I sat to eat with a friend I really wished I had taken my food to go.  It was a particularly hot day so the doors were open, a fan was blowing, and in their kitchen fruit flies were in abundance because of some ripe fruit sitting on their shelves. I love that they offer large portions for an affordable price, and enjoy some of the dishes, but not everything has me raving. I really wish that they rotated more entrees into the menu or changed it up a little bit from time to time. Of all of the places I have visited thus far I would say Everlasting Life, which was recently named Best Vegan Restaurant in DC has the most overall package in terms of consistently good flavorful food, decent ambience, and seating. But if you are looking specifically for raw eats and you are in the DMV, a trip to Khepra’s to grab some food to go will always be worth your trip. -XoXo Raw Girl 

P.S. Please forgive me for not posting as frequently this week! Still working to launch the new version of the Raw Girl site. Appreciate your support, stay tuned!

Finding My True North: Wanderlust Vermont

BILL KATHAN

With World Exercise Champion Bill Kathan

Wanderlust Vermont

Last Wednesday I left DC early with yogi friends and a giant duffel bag full to the brim with vegan snacks to-go for the 2013 edition of Wanderlust Vermont at Stratton Mountain. I had no idea exactly what to expect, but came prepared to sweat a lot,  meditate, and go with the flow. It ended up being a truly a soul shifting experience full of aha! moments, dancing, laughter, silence, chanting, and almost too many downward dogs for me to handle. Healthy food was also in abundance and I seriously thought I had landed in healthy living heaven because raw live coconut water, juices, superfoods, kombucha, and gluten-free vegan pizzas were in abundance. On the way to Wanderlust we stopped at a food co-op in Brattelboro Vermont and found Kombucha on tap! While in Brattelboro, I also met a world exercise champion name Bill Kathan who holds the record for the most jumping jacks in an hour and also did over 2 million jumping jacks in one year! Some of my favorite healthy living goodies available at the festival included the cacao lip balm from Navitas Naturals, Coco Libre coconut water, and the kombucha bar from Kombucha Brooklyn. The kombucha saved my life not only because it was amazing, but also because there was no time to eat between classes and it kept me full until dinner time.

STRATTON MOUNTAIN

Climbed Stratton Mountain!

Although I have been practicing regularly for a couple years now, I’m not one of those bendy, I can do-it-all yogis. Parts of my body are still very tight, but with time I’m sure things will continue to loosen up. So part of me had imagined all of these super intense yogis doing headstands, scorpions, and everything in between while I opted to lay in shavasana or take child’s pose. When I got there it was so refreshing to see such a wide range of yogis from beginner to masters each getting on the mat wherever they were and doing the best they could. The real mission of practice was driven home for me on the first day, in my final class called “Unleashing Your Potential” which was taught by Dave Romanelli, who goes by yeahdave. Early on in his class he mentioned that yoga these days can  seem to be about who has the best outfit, the latest gear, or who can bend the farthest, but at the end of the day if you cannot apply your practice in real life, it means nothing. In short, some of the bendiest people can still be some of the biggest a&$holes in real life. It was important for me to remember and hear that and acknowledge myself. Even if I can’t bend the farthest, I do know that yoga has helped to dramatically change how I am in crisis situations or under any kind of pressure, especially over the last five years.

Wanderlust VermontI can’t exactly say one particular class was my favorite, but there were a few standouts. Ayurveda 101 was completely intriguing to me. I am of the mind that every person is unique and that one diet cannot suit everyone, including being raw vegan. Ayurveda is the old school science that really helps to break down the different energy types and also how we can each fall off balance due to environmental, emotional, or dietary stresses. On my second day, the morning began super early with a very challenging class led by Seane Corn which led to a serious emotional breakthrough. After that every class I took on Day 2 was related to kundalini yoga, which was brought to the West by Yogi Bhajan. Although I was not expecting this immersion, I was thoroughly inspired and pleasantly surprised by the day and learned some of the basic chants and meditations involved in Kundalini.  By Day 3, I couldn’t move my arms. I decided to go all out in Gabrielle Berstein’s kundalini class in the AM and then skip any additional challenging asana classes. When I cut class I opted for hiking with friends and climbed up to the top of Stratton Mountain. In the evening we got to dance the night away to one of my favorite musicians, Femi Kuti.

So did I find my true north at wanderlust? I would say, yes, emphatically. The entire experience allowed me to focus and dig deep inwardly, introduced me to new disciplines that I am now yearning to study, and also gave me time to ruminate on whether or not my personal dreams and goals are aligned with my inner compass. “Finding Your True North,” to me is about reassessing your values, and being willing  to get on a new path or readjust your angle if you’ve gone off course. The best thing about the process is that whatever happens you can trust you are being led in every moment to the people and experiences that will take you further along your life path. -XoXo Raw Girl 

To see more photos from my trip find me on Instagram @ TheRawGirl ! 🙂 

DC Raw/Vegan Spot: Everlasting Life

 

DC Raw/Vegan Spot: Everlasting Life CafeLast weekend went with some friends again to Everlasting Life Cafe, which was named Best Vegan Restaurant in DC for 2013. The food is really flavorful and well seasoned;  good enough that you may excuse your customer service experience there which may be less than ideal. Every trip to Everlasting seems comes with its own amusing anecdotes that you can tell your friends about later. For this most recent trip we had checked what time they closed online because our last visit resulted in us squeezing in an order at the last minute. Their website said 9 pm, but when we arrived, friends noted that their sign said 8:30 pm. Determined to still get some grub we headed in the restaurant around 8 pm. Glad we did that because we ended up staying well past 9 pm and they had no signs of closing shop when we finally left. When we arrived to order we were told to wait a bit and then we explained to our friends how to make their plates from the hot or cold bar, which was confusing on the first visit. This was my first time staying in the restaurant to eat the food, and besides the good grub I also enjoyed the playlist of early 90’s R&B which was the soundtrack for our meal.

Despite the fact that you may or may not make it in time to get some food depending on whether or not they choose to close earlier or later, and that there are no signs on the food and so you have to point to things and ask the server (who hopefully knows) for certain dishes, going through the drama of getting food on your plate becomes worth it when you finally can sit down and eat. There aren’t too many raw options, but there are really good salads in the cold bar and they also make juices and smoothies. The vinaigrette kale is to die for, love the artichoke salad, garlic spinach with sesame seeds, cucumber tomato salad, curried chickpeas, and black beans. The hot bar has cooked vegan food and friends tried and gave two thumbs up to their veggie “steak” with mushroom gravy, collards, cornbread (which looked amazing), mac n’ cheese,  and vegan carrot cake. Everything is super affordable and you get large portion sizes; enough sometimes to save a little food for the next day. I enjoy the food, but still yearn for at least one raw or vegan spot in DC that has excellent customer service, sit down dining, and a slightly upscale ambience. Until then, Everlasting Life Cafe is definitely on my list of places to dine occasionally, and if you are in DC I recommend you give them a visit and try it. -XoXo Raw Girl

For more details on the location and menu offerings on their website: http://www.everlastinglifecafe.com/

 

Juice! Carrot Lemon Blast & Benefits of Juicing Lemons

The Power of Juicing Lemon

Carrot Lemon Blast

Carrot Lemon Blast

6-7 carrots

1/2 head of celery

2 Lemons

1 pear

1 apple

Juice all ingredients. Serve, strain, enjoy!

Why is it never a bad idea to O.D. on lemons? Lemons are powerful citrus fruits that are effective as a food and as medicine. Ancient Egyptians believed that consuming lemons and lemon juice protected them from poisons and toxic substances. Although it’s easy to disregard lemons because they are so readily available, like that good old friend from back in the day, you always can call upon a lemon when you need it to combat a virus, a cold, ease digestion, and more. They contain vitamin C, citric acid, and B vitamins. The benefits relevant to clearing your skin include purifying the blood, cleansing the kidneys, and assisting in elimination of toxins. Lemon juice is one of the most highly antioxidant juices so drinking it helps to slow aging and deactivate free radicals. Lemon juice applied directly on the skin (would need to be diluted for sensitive skin) can help to reduce scarring, age spots, and gently exfoliates and removes dead skin cells. Need to get more lemon juice in your diet? Add lemons to your daily vegetable juice, squeeze lemon over your green salad, or start the day with a tonic of filtered water with lemon juice squeezed in. -XoXo Raw Girl

Need a spring cleaning? More awesome recipes with power ingredients and a full regimen in Raw Girl’s 7 Day Detox for Beauty, Weightloss, & Rejuvenation.

Smoothie! Mango Citrus Cooler

Smoothie! Mango Citrus CoolerThe best part of waking up? A fruit smoothie in your cup! A great way to get more fruit in your diet, especially in the spring and summer months is to blend up some yummy concoctions. They don’t have to be fancy to taste amazing, and are way better for you than store bought smoothies which in most cases are pasteurized, contain harmful preservatives, and even indigestible fibers (Naked juice was found guilty of this). It takes no time at all to put some fruit frozen or fresh in the blender add a little water and start a smoothie party at any time of the day. What I love about fruit is that unlike refined sugar, you get sweetness with substance in the form of nutrients and fiber. This weekend my smoothie was all about mangoes. If you need some good reasons to love mangoes, check out this past blog post: 6 Reasons to Get Down With Mangoes, The King of Fruit. -XoXo Raw Girl

Smoothie! Mango Citrus Cooler

Mango Citrus Cooler

Ingredients:

3-4 cups frozen Mango

2 bananas

2 oranges (peel and remove seeds)

1 cup filtered water

Blend all ingredients, serve, enjoy!

Juice! Broccoli Blast

Broccoli Blast

Have you ever tried juicing broccoli? Although I love eating broccoli raw it is also a great addition to your daily dose of greens! Broccoli comes from the gangsta family of cruciferous vegetables with includes cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and the almighty kale. It has an awesome amount of calcium and vitaminK, in addition to vitamin C, vitamin B-complex, manganese, phosphorous, zinc, and iron. Juicing broccoli can be useful for any sort of digestive disorder including indigestion, gastritis, or ulcers. It is also beneficial in preventing breast cancer because it helps to rid the body of excess estrogen, and has a high level of antioxidants which of course slow the aging process and prevent macular degeneration. -XoXo Raw Girl

Broccoli Blast

Ingredients:

2 Large Stalks of Broccoli

1 Head of Celery

3-4 Kale Leaves

1 Apple

Ginger

Run all ingredients through a juicer. Serve, strain, enjoy!

Juice! Broccoli Blast

Sweet n’ Scrumptious Summer Salad w/ Orange-Strawberry Dressing

Sweet n' Scrumptious Summer Salad w/ Orange Strawberry DressingSpring is here, and hopefully summer is around the corner real soon. This weekend in honor of the beautiful weather outside, I decided to whip up a delicious summer salad. If you are a raw foodie or not, it’s always great to lighten up your diet a bit when the weather gets warmer. For those not on the raw bandwagon, spring and summer is a lovely time to incorporate more raw foods into your diet, while also soaking in the wonderful energy of the sun. This salad was AMAZING, took no time at all to prepare, and the dressing was so tasty on it’s own, it doubled as dressing and smoothie. Below is the recipe, feel free to have fun with your versions and add in whatever fruit strikes your fancy. -XoXo Raw Girl

Sweet n’ Scrumptious Summer Salad w/ Orange-Strawberry Dressing

Salad Ingredients: 

Green Kale, Spinach,  & other Mixed Greens

1/ 2 Mango 

8-9 Strawberries

Almonds

Dried Cranberries

Orange Wedge

Sea Salt

Wash and dice all ingredients however you prefer them. Add all greens into salad bowl, add two capfuls of extra virgin olive oil, squeeze wedge of orange onto greens, and add  a few pinches of sea salt to taste. Massage greens. Layer over greens all your toppings.

Orange-Strawberry CocktailDressing Ingredients: 

2 Oranges

4 Basil Leaves

8 Strawberries

2 Tablespoons Agave or 3-4 Pitted Dates

Blend the ingredients together, pour over salad and enjoy!  Remember this by itself makes a pretty awesome smoothie. Will experiment with other versions of this, but adding in a cucumber works well. -XoXo Raw Girl

Smoothie! Cilantro Rejuvenator

Cilantro RejuvenatorCilantro Rejuventor

4-5 Kale Leaves

1/4 Green Melon

1-2 Cucumbers

1 Banana

Organic Pineapple Juice 

(preferable if you run pineapple through the juicer, but you can also use store bought if you like)

Put all ingredients in the blender, blend, serve, enjoy!

-XoXo Raw Girl