Tag Archives: raw foods

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

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/

Interview with Wanakhavi: The Man With a One Year Raw Plan

how to go raw

Committing to raw foods is tough for many people. Most of us need to ease into it, break long-term addictions, and may slowly but surely find our way into committing to eating raw for longer and longer periods of time. Now, Wanakhavi Wakhisi, a self-described photographer, editor, and healthy eater, decided at the beginning of 2010 to live on a raw food diet for an entire year. Pretty ballsy if you ask me, but he seems calm about it. Now in his fifth month, he has already become inspired enough to host a Raw Food Festival.

The festival will be on Sunday, June 6th, in Hyattsville, Maryland, and is free and open to the public. Check out the flyer below for more information. Besides getting to see some awesome raw food preparations, and hear about the benefits of raw foods, you will be able to taste test some yummy organic raw creations, including my world-famous (in my house) raw carrot cake. Come one, come all (skeptics especially), and bring your appetite! -XoXo Raw Girl

What made you decide to commit to one year raw and why one year?  For the past few years, I have tried to take a full year to let go of something, and to learn how to not be so attached to things in my life. This year I wanted to see if I could go a year cutting out cooked food.  I told myself if I could go 6 months I would be happy. On June 1st, I will have reached that 6 month mark, but now I know for sure I can finish out the entire year. Another reason for taking on the challenge was that I wanted to get serious about being healthy. In the past I’ve tried so many diets and programs and each time I never really committed because it’s so easy to be tempted to not eat the right thing. With RAW foods, my reasoning was that temptation would be lessened because all I would have in my kitchen is raw food.

Did you have any fears or concerns before you started? I had no fears at all, my only real concern was “Can I actually do this?”  But now being in it almost 6 months i see that there really is a shift that takes place on all levels (physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally).

What was your diet prior to going raw? Did you ease into it/detox or just jump in? I was a pescatarian (vegetarian that eats fish) for about 8 years–and no, I did not detox prior, figuring that the raw food diet would be one big detox in itself. So what was funny is that the week before I went raw I ate the most junk in a week’s time, it was my way of saying good-bye. I probably gained a few pounds that week.
 
What were some immediate physical, mental, spiritual benefits you felt after changing your diet? Anything unexpected? I always tell people that adopting a raw diet expands one’s “raw potentional”–do you feel that way and if so what has opened up for you? I started loosing weight immediately because i was also exercising and drinking lots of water, but the majority of the weight fell off during the second month,  guessing my body started to realize it wasnt going to get some of its favorite foods (carbs) and started to let go of the stored fat. In terms of spiritual benefits I was able to meditate better and also I felt clearer in terms of practicing Reiki. My dreams became a bit more vivid at the beginning as well.
 
What are some challenges you have faced thus far? Have you found it easy or difficult to maintain a raw diet while dealing with your normal work load, traveling on-the-go, and also in interaction with peers?
Well, what’s funny is that as you change your diet you change your life, so that was new to me, we never realize how much of our lives are really shaped around the food we eat. My morning routine has changed because I have to prep for lunch (which I bring to work each day). My weekends have changed a bit because I have to figure out what fancy dish I want to work on next, and lastly my overall work week is much more consistent which allows me to be more present.  I will say that I have more interactions with my friends in my house rather than going out to a lounge or a restaurant, but when I do go out I try to  eat a raw meal or some heavy raw snacks before I leave. So far I have not been tempted to eat anything cooked while out, sometimes I get a salad.
 
Are you taking any supplements, if so what? And are you incorporating any sort of regular detoxing/colon cleansing? I noticed a lot of men have an issue with the idea of cleaning their colons…I’m a huge proponent of getting colonics, and luckily I know a few hydrotherapists.  I am taking two multi-vitamins a day and at times I may take a B-vitamin and sometimes some fish oil (for the brain). I also take flax seed pills at times. There’s probably more I could do but for now I am keeping it simple. Sometimes when we start something  a diet or lifestyle change…we can get overwhelmed by the amount of work it takes to really be optimal, however, since this is just really a “challenge” I am not trying to make it too harsh on myself.
 
What advice or perhaps resources would you suggest to someone looking to dive into the raw lifestyle? Wow, well here you go…
1. Have some clear reasons why you want to go raw
2. Dont beat yourself up if you slip up (there’s no raw food police)
3. Many raw meals take a lot of time to prepare so if you are trying to make a fancy meal each day you will find your whole life is in the kitchen, so perhaps use the weekends to make the fancier meals and the week to eat simple salads, smoothies, etc.
4. Make sure you get some fats in your diet and nuts but not too much, if so you will find yourself gaining weight
5. Utilize the web before investing in too many raw food books, pretty much any recipe you want to try can be found online or even a demonstration on you tube
6. If you can do it with a partner it will make things cheaper: you will find yourself at the beginning buying all of the tools and spices which can get expensive, if you can split the costs that would be better for both your pockets.
7. Figure out if you want to be 100%  raw, mostly raw, or seasonally raw, the main point to going raw is to live a healthier life overall.
8.  Make sure you invest in a GOOD BLENDER, GOOD KNIFE (ceramic ones), and a DEHYDRATOR. These three things will save you!
 
You haven’t even finished out that whole year and already you are organizing a raw food festival–what motivated you to organize the festival and what do you hope people will take away from the experience? Well I’ve actually been organizing fairs, festivals, meetings, etc. since my college days. I’ve always loved bringing people together for a good cause, something my mother used to do all the time. Also, the DC area is really starting to catch up to other cities in terms of the Raw food movement with a few cafe’s offering raw items on their menus. This festival I hope can be the first of many that will really bring the DMV raw food community together as well as expose the beauty and the benefits of eating raw to people who normally don’t indulge.

What are your favorite raw meals to prepare?
Raw Tacos and Smoothies!
 
Last but not least, you gotta give me one of your little sayings full of wisdom… Each day we put things in our bodies of which come from our mother earth. She spent years even decades preparing our foods, nurturing the soil, watering it, growing it, and making it accessible to us. By eating foods in their raw state you are sending her a message that you really appreciate all her hard work. 

Love it! Hope there will be a nice turn out at the festival, and wishing you the best with your one year raw journey.

5 Principles of Yoga: Living the Life of a Yoga Warrior

five yoga principles

Beginning in February, to show myself some love, I started my 30 day Yoga Challenge, and practiced 1.5 hours of hot yoga three times a week for the month. Check out the post via the link below.

It was definitely a challenge, I was VERY sore for most of the month, but of course inspired, and to make a long story short by the time the challenge was over I was already hooked. I still go at least two times a week and LOVE how it makes me feel. My mind is clearer, moods are even more even kilter, and also I am more productive in general! So, no more challenges, now I am just living la vida yoga. I always thought of yoga as a way of life, and was committed to being a “yogi” in my own way, following a spiritual path. I started doing yoga almost everyday but fell of the wagon, got into raw foods to further purify my diet, and began regularly meditating. Not until recently has it all come together again that my diet, exercise, and meditation have  aligned in regular practice. I’ve been falling off the meditation wagon lately, because things are getting busy, but it shows… it’s usually when we are the busiest that contacting stillness does a whole lot of good for us in our daily lives. So, I’m working on carving out time!

Below are the Five Principles of Yoga. They are so simply summed up, but at the end of the day it takes a long-term commitment and consistent effort in all of these areas to attain the goal of true self-realization. Good news is, living La Vida Raw definitely puts you in the game. – XoXo Raw Girl

Proper Breathing

Most of us go through life not really breathing. In fact a lot of people look like they are holding their breath. Breathing in yoga is deep abdominal breathing which supplies the body with a flood of oxygen, and brings air to the deepest part of the lungs. Yogic breathing or pranyama is a lesson to us on how to recharge our life force using just our breath, and also helps us to calm and control our minds.

Proper Relaxation

Our crazy, toxic, and hurried world, definitely lends itself to being stressed out. The sad thing is the majorities of people are stressed out ALL THE TIME, and have to be taught how to relax. When we try, sometimes we find our minds are racing and we cannot truly be at peace.  All of the tension created from bad moods, worry, anger etc. can lead to lethargy, headaches, and even terminal illnesses. In yoga, when your body becomes completely relaxed, no energy is being dissipated. This state of relaxation revitalizes the nervous system and brings an overall feeling of “inner peace” which carries over into your daily activities and helps you easily relinquish worries and fears.

Proper Exercise


If you’ve ever practiced yoga, you should be able to attest to the fact that it differs from other physical exercises which focus on developing the body through mechanical movements. During yoga, because the body is completely relaxed, there is practically no energy consumed or expended. This means that the body has a chance to recharge on the spiritual, mental and physical level, which in turn leads to more vitality in our daily lives.

Proper Diet

The proper diet according to yogic principles is a vegetarian diet consisting of pure, simple, and natural foods which can be digested easily. This diet aligns one with the true purpose of eating, which is to supply the body with the cosmic energy “Prana” or life-force. Eating this highly alkaline diet and avoiding over stimulating and acidic foods like: meat, eggs, fish, coffee, refined sugar and carbohydrates, and free of alcohol and drugs, also assists the yogi in maintaining stellar health. An acidic environment in the body is the root of all disease, so adopting this alkaline diet, minimizes or virtually eliminates toxicity in the body and keeps one dis-ease and ailment-free.

Meditation


The gift of meditation allows us to easily see through the fog of problems and mental chatter that creates agitation and reactivity. The act of stilling the mind, which in this state has no thoughts or desires, we contact the true Source which is us, and where all answers lie. When the surface of a lake (the mind) is agitated by waves (thoughts) we can’t see the bottom clearly. But when the surface of a lake is still, we can see the bottom easily and all things become clear. Meditation shows us that we all have the inherent ability to contact this stillness,  shut out thoughts, and control our minds.

Check out the previous post on my 30 Day Challenge:http://rawgirltoxicworld.com/2010/02/14/raw-girls-30-day-warrior-challenge/

Need inspiration to get started? I was inspired by Tonya Zavasta, one of my anti-aging she-roes (who has fake titatium hips!) and healed herself with raw foods and hot yoga:

http://rawgirltoxicworld.com/2010/02/09/anti-aging-she-ro-5/

Diary of My 7 Day Spring Cleaning

fasting

maids-express.com

I feel like I’m a little late on my annual spring cleaning, but better late than never, as they say. The best way to gauge whether or not you need to detox or cleanse is really to listen to your body, and last week my body was screaming “STOP EATING FOR A MINUTE.” So, I listened. Another factor that always plays a huge part in my personal desire to fast is what is happening  in my life at the time. If I feel like things are in transition, or new projects and opportunities are in  a very important incubation phase, sometimes I use fasting like a form of prayer. It keeps my thoughts still and positive, vibration high, and allows me to hear clearer guidance from the universe.

Fasting, as I have mentioned in previous posts, is a sure way to increase longevity, rid the body of stored toxins, and  awaken a deeper spiritual connection.  In Dr. Gabriel Cousen’s book, Spiritual Nutrition, he discusses fasting as, “the ultimate way to reactivate the youthing gene expression.”  he goes on to elaborate that research has proven that fasting actually allowed a “youthing gene” to be turned on, and people were literally “reverting to an earlier stage of their gene expression.” They were getting younger! If none of those reasons appeal to you, then perhaps you would just like to have a natural glow–after and sometimes even during every fast–my skin always gets just a little bit more radiant and people often comment on it. Below is the regimen I followed on my own Spring Cleaning. I didn’t really plan it out, just kind of went with the flow.

Usually it is best to ease into it, having less and less solids and more liquids, then do liquids alone all day, and then transition back out of the fast easily. In total my spring cleaning was 7 days, 2 days transitioning into it, 3 days of liquid only fasting, and 2 days to transition off of the fast. Fasting for up to seven to ten days is generally considered safe by many fasting experts, but if one has an acute disease it would be wise to fast in conjunction with a health professional.

For more info on Juice fasting check out this previous post/article I wrote: http://rawgirltoxicworld.com/2009/11/18/my-article-on-the-benefits-of-juice-fasting/

For tips on how to make your fast stress free check out this previous post: http://rawgirltoxicworld.com/2009/11/18/tips-for-a-stress-free-fast/

Hope you will be  inspired to tailor your own personal spring cleaning and move into to summer glowing and toxin-free. -XoXo Raw Girl

Day 1

Morning: lots of water, Around 12pm: Watermelon (it was a huge piece like 1/3 of a whole watermelon :), Around 3pm: Water & Meat of 1 Thai Coconut, Around 6pm: one large spinach/kale/avocado salad w/ pine nuts and red bell pepper

Day 2

Morning: lots of water, Around 12pm: Water & Meat from Thai coconut, Around 4 pm: Water & meat from Thai Coconut, Around 7pm: Miso Soup with seaweed, carrot, scallions, and ginger

Day 3

Morning: lots of water, Around 12pm 32 oz of fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, Lots of water throughout the day, Around 5:30 pm around 24 oz green juice: kale, celery, apple, ginger, Late evening: green tea

Day 4

Morning: lots of water, Around 12pm Coconut Water, Around 3pm 24 oz of green juice: celery, kale, apple, lemon, ginger, Around 6pm Coconut Water,  Around 7pm Several glasses of Hibiscus Flower tea

Day 5

Morning: lots of water, several glasses of Hibiscus flower tea, Around 12pm: 16 oz of Cleansing Cocktail (Watch video of how to make in this post: http://rawgirltoxicworld.com/2010/03/23/how-to-make-a-cleansing-cocktail/),  Around 3pm Green Coconut Water (coconut water and meat blended with spirulina mixed in), Around 7pm: veggie broth w/seaweed

Day 6

Morning: Lots of water, Around 12 pm coconut water and meat, 3pm: coconut water and meat, Around 7pm: 1 guacamole nori roll with shredded beet, carrots, and a little red quinoa salad w/red onion (tastes like heaven)

Day 7

Morning: water, Around 12pm: green juice, 4pm veggie broth, 7:30pm kale & mixed green salad w/ avocado dressing

Yummy Kale Salad

Wise Ones on The Benefits of Fasting

detox

karmafreecooking.com

Today is the last Day of my Fast/Spring Cleaning, and I went searching for some inspiration. Below are some quotes on fasting and it’s benefits. Next week I will share a blow-by-blow breakdown of my Spring Cleaning. Taking a Raw Girl Vacay weekend  and will be back on Monday, refreshed from Spring Cleaning and ready to add more fuel to your raw fire.

-XoXo Raw Girl

“Fasting is an effective and safe method of detoxifying the body…a technique that wise men have used for centuries to heal the sick. Fast regularly and help the body heal itself and stay well. Give all of your organs a rest. Fasting can help reverse the aging process, and if we use it correctly, we will live longer, happier lives.” ~James Balch, M.D.

“Fasting cleanses the soul, raises the mind, subjects one’s flesh to the spirit, renders the heart contrite and humble, scatters the clouds of concupiscence, quenches the fire of lust, and kindles the true light of chastity. Enter again into yourself.” ~Saint Augustine

“Renew yourselves and fast, for I tell you truly that Satan and his plagues may only be cast out by fasting and by prayer. Go by yourself and fast alone, and show your fasting to no man. The living God shall see it, and great shall be your reward. And fast till Beelzebub and all his evils depart from you, and all the angels of our Earthly Mother come and serve you. For I tell you truly, except you fast, you shall never be freed from the power of Satan and from all diseases that come from Satan. Fast and pray fervently, seeking the power of the living God for your healing. While you fast, eschew the Sons of Men and seek our Earthly Mother’s angels, for he that seeks shall find.” ~Jesus Christ “Essene Gospel of Peace”

“There is both a physical and a spiritual fast. In the physical fast, the body abstains from food and drink. In the spiritual fast, the faster abstains from evil intentions, words and deeds. One who truly fasts abstains from anger, rage, malice, and vengeance. One who truly fasts abstains from idle and foul talk, empty rhetoric, slander, condemnation, flattery, lying and all manner of spiteful talk. In a word, a real faster is one who withdraws from all evil.” – “As much as you subtract from the body, so much will you add to the strength of the soul.” – “By fasting, it is possible both to be delivered from future evils, and to enjoy the good things to come. We fell into disease through sin; let us receive healing through repentance, which is not fruitful without fasting.” ~Saint Basil

“Juice fasting is, without any doubt, the most effective biological method of treatment. It is the ‘operation without surgery.’ It is a cure involving exudation, reattunement, redirection, loosening up and purified relaxation. While fasting, the patient improves her or his physical health and gains much, but he or she will have neglected the most important thing if the hunger for spiritual nourishment that manifests itself during fasting is not satisfied. When the body fasts, the soul is hungry.” ~Otto Buchinger, Sr., M.D.

“If a person makes fasting part of her or his life, s/he’ll experience a heightened spiritual awareness. By taking a long fast or two, and then fasting one day a week, s/he’ll gradually find a growing peace and personal integration. America badly needs to go on a diet. It should do something drastic about excessive, unattractive, life-threatening fat. It should get rid of it in the quickest possible way, and this is by fasting.”~Allan Cott, M.D.

“True happiness is impossible without true health. True health is impossible without the rigid control of the palate.” – “A complete fast is a complete and literal denial of self. It is the truest prayer.” – “A genuine fast cleanses the body, mind and soul. It crucifies the flesh and, to that extent, sets the soul free.” – “What the eyes are for the outer world, fasts are for the inner.” – “My religion teaches me that whenever there is distress which one cannot remove, one must fast and pray.” – Fasting will bring spiritual rebirth to those of you who cleanse and purify your bodies. The light of the world will illuminate within you when you fast and purify yourself.” ~Mahatma Gandhi

How to Master the Necessary Art of Chewing

chewing

www.fotosearch.com

Chewing seems second nature to most of us. We do it so often we don’t think about it. Problem is,  most often without thinking about it we also DON’T CHEW ENOUGH, and it happens to be a necessary part of a healthy lifestyle. A lot of times, people literally swallow their meals whole. Perhaps because rushed, starving, or just absent-minded. If you can still see any of the original formation of your meal after you relieve yourself, it is a glaring sign that you must learn to chew better.  Why is that art of masticating important? For a great deal of reasons:

1. The digestive process begins when you start chewing. The action of chewing is literally a signal to your digestive system to begin the process. Enzymes in our saliva immediately begin to assist in breaking down our food. If you swallow whole pieces, you are missing the step of giving your digestive engine time to warm up. In addition chewing is like the start of the digestion assembly line.

2. Improper chewing can create a toxic internal environment. If your food is not broken down into liquid or tiny particles, then the stomach is left with gigantic pieces that acid alone can’t break down and the whole digestive assembly line can’t function optimally, leading to gas, bacterial overgrowth, indigestion, and a host of other issues. With raw foods, this is especially important when eating a lot of greens which are tough and need to be chewed for longer periods.

3. Chewing relaxes the lower stomach muscle. In order for food to leave your stomach and pass through your lower intestine, your lower stomach must relax. When you chew and enough saliva is built up, this automatically happens and makes movement of food through the digestive tract easier.

4.You loose nutrients when you don’t chew well. The whole point of the divine process of digestion is to extract nutrients and other goodies our bodies need from what we eat and chuck the rest. When we don’t chew properly, we don’t give the body a fair chance to actually recharge from the food we eat.

Become a Chewing Superstar

So how do you know when you’ve chewed enough? Some people go as far as to prescribe a certain number of chews for different types of foods. That’s a little insane, because we’d be counting aloud in our heads all day.  Some tips to ensure  optimal chewing:

  • Don’t swallow until whatever it is you put in your mouth is dissolved in a way that you can’t tell what it originally was. Meaning, if you are chewing on a piece of rough kale and can still taste the roughness and feel the texture in your mouth, you have not chewed enough.
  • Don’t  talk while chewing, this leads to swallowing–which I know all too well. Try to respond to the question after completely chewing whatever is already in your mouth.
  • Avoid eating when in stressful situations, atmospheres, or just stressed in general.
  • Take your time; designate meal times. The majority of us rush through food and literally shove things into our mouths while on-the-go. Gone are some of the rituals of blessing food and taking time to eat. Well just like we raw vegan lovers are bringing sexy back with our all natural glow, we have to bring patience and stillness back into our meal times so we can properly absorb the nutrients and reap the full benefits of our healthy food.
  • Chew foods that are even virtually liquids such as puddings or yogurt. This gets the enzymes going and will help the food to digest better.
  • Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Literally. Make sure that you are not shoving large portions into your mouth at a time that cannot be chewed properly. If you reduce the portions you put it your mouth at a time, it’s more likely you will break it down better. Besides, chewing also allows you to really taste your food, and makes eating all the more enjoyable.

Happy Chewing! -XoXo Raw Girl

COCONUT LOVE: Nutritional Benefits & Why You Shouldn’t Live Without Them

coconut water

Thaitable.com

If it wasn’t too nutty, I think I would seriously consider composing a love song with a lot of bass about coconuts, and how I can’t live without them. I LOVE COCONUTS, and coconut water. I am very often seen with a giant cleaver in hand hacking open coconuts and then sipping the fresh water through a straw with a contented smirk on my face. It really makes my day. And then the next best thing is scooping out the meat from the insides. Yum. On days when I want to get fancier with my coconut love, I put it all in a blender and add in some tropical fruits of choice, and maybe some spirulina. Double Yum.

In the past when I’ve been caught in the middle of my coconut bliss, people frequently ask me, what the benefits are of drinking coconut water and eating coconuts in general. When I bring up facts, sometimes people find them hard to believe, so I am writing this post to defend my coconut love, and also to hopefully inspire you to get down with a coconut sometime soon.  When you drink fresh coconut water, it’s important to consume it immediately or as soon as possible because some nutrients begin to dissipate when exposed to the open air. What I am working on now, because I am so in love with coconuts is finding somewhere that I can buy them wholesale by the crate. Yep, I’m not kidding. If anybody knows a source holler at your girl. If all else fails, I’m gonna have to use my coconut fetish as an excuse to pop over to Jamaica each year. -XoXo Raw Girl

Little Known Facts About My Coconut Love:

  • Coconut water is a naturally isotonic beverage and has the same electrolyte balance as your blood! I say this all the time, that drinking coconut water is like giving yourself a blood transfusion and people literally roll their eyes and laugh. Well people, it’s true. Coconut water is identical to liquid plasma. In fact, coconut water, direct from the nut was used to give emergency blood transfusions to wounded soldiers in the Pacific War of 1941-1945 and Coconut IV’s have been used to save lives in third world countries. Dig that!
  • It takes up to a year for coconuts to mature, but coconut trees bloom up to thirteen times a year, meaning they are available year round!
  • Coconut palm in sanskrit is kalpa vriksha, meaning: “Tree that gives everything necessary for living.” This is definitely appropriate because all parts of a coconut tree can be put to use.
  • It’s the best energy drink around! Coconut water contains more potassium than energy and sports drinks, less sugars (and of course the sugars are natural), less sodium, and hydrates the body better.
  • Coconut water is more nutritious than whole milk, with less fat and no cholesterol.
  • Contains glucose–natural sugars that give the body energy, vitamin B’s which replace tissue and worn out cells, vitamin C,  lauric acid (found in mother’s milk), iron, chloride, and electrolytes: potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium, and phosphorous.
  • Coconut water is a strong detoxifying agent and actually neutralizes poisons in the body. It has literally been administered to poison victims and used to neutralize and completely flush the poisons out of the body!

Health Benefits of Drinking Coconut Water Regularly

  • Naturally Boost Immune System
  • Improves Intestinal Health
  • Increases Metabolism & Weight Loss
  • Balances Body PH
  • Detoxify & Fight Viruses
  • Stops Fatigue
  • Prevents Hypertension
  • Controls Diabetes
  • Boosts Poor Circulation
  • Reduces Cancer Risk
  • Treats Kidney Stones
  • Eases Stomach Pain & Vomiting
  • Helps to heal age spots, acne, and other skin issues

Choosing Your Coconut

I regularly get down with Thai coconuts which can be found at health food stores like Whole Foods, or if I’m in Brooklyn near all the Caribbean transplants in the Crown Heights area I’ll drink the water from green coconuts. If you choose to get a green coconut, see if you can find one with brown spots, apparently that signifies higher water content. The water from Bangladeshi and Indian coconuts is sweeter than Thai and Brazilian, so you can choose by your taste buds or if your like me you’ll love them all.

**Warning: If you are a coconut virgin, perhaps you need to get someone to assist you in opening one for the first time. Take care when hacking it open. We don’t want any finger-less coconut lovers!

Natural Beauty Highlight: Nia Reid

detox

In this Natural Beauty Highlight I chose to feature model Nia Reid, a colleague  who could almost be one of my anti-aging she-roes, but she’s too young. If you knew her real age, you would understand where I’m coming from because you probably guessed she was in her early twenties, maybe younger. Sorry, think again. I thought of Nia because in the past we have had extensive conversations about health, and she does regularly incorporate raw foods and cleansing to optimize her beauty and well-being. – XoXo Raw Girl

Are you raw and/or vegan &  if so what made you transition into eating raw/vegan? No, I am not 100% raw or vegan. I try to do about 40% raw 60% cooked and if I have cooked food and nothing raw with it, I take vegan enzyme supplements that break the cooked food down and send it to the right places in my body.

What kind of regular detox or cleansing do you do if any? Every once and a while, I will either do the master cleanse for a couple of days or some form of juicing. Usually the beginning of Spring ( I take spring cleaning literally!) Or when I feel like I have been eating something not good etc… It just depends.

What are some of the most immediate benefits you experienced: mental, physical, and/or spiritual you have received from changing your lifestyle to a healthier one?

The benefits I feel from changing my lifestyle to a healthier one or rather just living a healthier lifestyle are: My skin is nice, beautiful, and supple. I heal a lot faster, my hair is healthy and grows faster. I don’t really feel weighed down by what I eat cause I make a conscious decision to eat only what’s good for my body. Even if I must have something sweet, I make sure that its real chocolate or healthier sweets (if there is such a thing!) that won’t do damage and I will eat it in moderation. Also, just in general, I feel ALIVE, like my cells are being fed by eating healthier.

 

Do you supplement? And if so, what supplements do you take?
I have protein/fruit shakes in the morning and I take folic acid vitamins, natural enzymes, and liquid chlorophyll.

What do you believe defines true beauty?….And how do you personally maintain a positive self-image and concept of beauty while working in the modeling industry?
Not to sound like an after school special but what I define as true beauty is how you feel within. If you truly tap into the beauty inside, it has no other escape but out. True beauty radiates outward coming from the source of something beautiful within. I choose to maintain this concept dealing in the modeling industry, where surface is everything; but it’s only possible because I know who Nia is. Meaning I am concerned with being the best Nia I can be. There is no competition, even if there are like fifty or more girls at a casting. If they want me, then they want me and I am hired for the job. It has nothing to do with the other girls there. I look at them as company to speak to while I am auditioning!

What is your skin care regimen like?
My skin care regimen consists of me using a natural astringent, then washing my face with a natural soap and heavy moisturizer. Especially at night because as we age, we tend to lose the fatty lipids in our skin that help keep our skin supple and hydrated when we are young, which gives off that natural glow look. So as we age, it’s important to pack on the moisture at night where our skin can absorb it and keep hydrated.

How important is your spiritual life & do you think that it has anything to do with your natural beauty & staying young?
I definitely feel like having a spiritual foundation adds years on your life and keeps you youthful as you age. Feeling full of love, life, God, etc… whatever or whomever you want to salute keeps you focused on the inside instead of the outside. And if you focus on spreading love and happiness to others and being spiritually grounded within, there is no way that it will not radiate outward as unbelievably beautiful. I guess that’s the feeling people get when they sometimes meet people who have that inner glow–it’s almost like an aura  follows them and other people  pick up on that vibration.

What do you do for a living and what drives you? I am currently a working model and enjoy spreading my love and knowledge of the industry. What I offer to aspiring models is an inside look at a working models life,  and tips on how to break in and make a successful career. I’m also in the process of writing my first book about my experiences as a model to help others as they build their careers, and will soon have my own blog on word press. In addition, I am conscious of the environment, preserving the planet, and choose to use natural beauty products–hair and skin care–that I make myself at home.  Last but not least, I have also started a clothing line with the mantra “Fashion made simple.” Any woman could wear my clothes and go from day to evening simply and always be fashionably chic! Look and feel good.

Paul Nison: The 100% Raw Debate

100% raw

Today when I was looking through some you tube videos, I stumbled upon these videos featuring raw food chef and author Paul Nison. I thought it was very interesting that after 15 years of being a raw vegan, Paul decided to incorporate raw dairy into his diet. I personally would never go from raw to eating dairy (I was always lactose intolerant), but I’m not 100% raw, so I would easily incorporate cooked vegan foods before I went to eating foods from the animal kingdom. The biggest point that struck home for me in watching this video is that so many people are caught up on being 100% raw and champion their diet like a religion.  They are obsessed with being able to say that they are 100% raw and keep this up, even if it may not be the best thing for them personally. Paul confesses to the fact that he was shoving himself with dehydrated foods and nuts to overcompensate and stay raw in the winter. I mean really, you can’t have a little veggie broth??

I was 100% raw in the first year I started on this path, and got caught up in the feeling that I needed to stay that way even though I really wanted to get down with some miso soup or veggie broths in the winter. So, by my second year I decided to stop trying to force myself into 100% and go with the flow, while of course, eating as much raw as possible. My personal philosophy now is the more raw the better, (I stay in the 90% raw range and higher in the summer), but I will eat some things cooked like quinoa, steamed veggies, even brown rice in moderation (kills parasites), and  light veggie broths from time to time. That said you will NEVER EVER see me getting down with processed foods or animal products.

If you are going to eat animal products, it would definitely be in your best interest to find the most organic source available. We all need to make sure that as we embark on our personal journeys to health, we don’t get caught up in sticking to something just for the sake of our egos and at the expense of our health.  Paul makes another great point that regardless of our diet, we should all be monitoring our blood work and checking for possible nutrient deficiencies. At the end of the day, most of the food in this world is toxic because of the additives, chemicals, hormones etc., and organic raw fruits and veggies give us access to optimal nutrition and healing–especially when our bodies are already are in a disease state—even when we combine them with cooked foods. So please, get down with the veggie, but get down in a way that makes perfect sense to you and no one else. At the end of the day, I know  that my diet has given me a way to stay ageless, acne-free, and have the energy I need to pursue my dreams, so this Raw Girl is staying on the raw vegan path. – XoXo Raw Girl

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFN3wLPoqZw&feature=related]

Heres an interview with Paul Nison many years before:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHCiU41jq-U&feature=related]