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Simple Healthy Rituals to Ring in 2015 with a Bang!
As we approach the end of year holiday season many of us are thinking about our health. What goals did you set this year? How much have you accomplished for yourself in the realms of mental, spiritual, and physical wellness? If you have fallen short, don’t worry, now is the time to start dreaming about your new vision for a healthier you in 2015. Below are some simple rituals that may help you close out this current year and start next year off with a bang.
- End the year with a juice cleanse or fast
- Create a vision board for 2015 that includes goals in all areas of your life work, family, spirit, health, and finances
- Clean House and remove clutter in your home or work environment
- Write a letter to yourself that you will read at the end of 2015 seal it and do not open it until next year
- Write a gratitude journal for as many things you can think of that you are grateful for in 2014
- Make a list of healthy milestones or progress made physically or spiritually in 2014, then write goals in those areas for 2015
- Dance it out! You made it to year’s end so you deserve to shake your groove thang on whatever kind of dance floor suits your fancy
- Commit now to your #MoveThatBody regimen for 2015. Whether it be hot yoga, pilates, or the gym, start your fitness routine now so you don’t have to jumpstart in the first week of January.
No matter what rituals you choose, make sure to take a moment to celebrate all you accomplished in 2014. Celebrate the experiences that brought you to where you are now, and the baby steps you have taken to ensure that you are living into your vision of optimal health. Hope you have an incredible holiday full of love, laughter, and healthy eats!
~Xo Raw Girl
Give the Gift of Health!
20% off All E-Books and Detox Plans until January 1st!
To help you ring in the new year right, all E-Books & Detox Plans in the Raw Girl Store are 20% off until January 1st!!! Discount will be applied at checkout. Visit The Raw Girl Store for details.
New Release Date: Thrive on VEG!
Veggie Lovers,
I regret that the release date for my next book Thrive on VEG! is going to be pushed back one additional month, a new release date is coming soon. Extra time is needed to hone all of the recipes that will be included. For all who have pre-ordered thank you; you will be receiving a bonus for your patience and will receive an email shortly. Very excited about sharing this book with you, which will include some recipes that will be great to use for the upcoming holiday season. Below are a few images of dishes I have been working on to include in the book which will feature raw and cooked vegan recipes. As always, appreciate your patience and support!
-XoXo Raw Girl
Apple Crisp
Roasted Root Veggies
Whipped Sweet Potatoes & String Beans w/ Shallots
Nutritional Benefits of Millet
Have you noticed that there is a whole new crop of health enthusiasts that have just said no to grains? Not only has the gluten-free craze become all the rage, carb-free, and grain-free diets are becoming more common. If you’re scratching your head wondering how in the heck eating grain-free is possible, I’ll break it down further for you. To get rid of grains you must eliminate all grains including wheat, rice, corn, millet, barley and oats. This type of diet can be helpful and provide relief for some chronic conditions such as Crohn’s disease, chronic fatigue, or just the overall feeling of being weighed down by your diet. Quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat are exceptions because they are not technically considered grains. All that said, my policy is listen to your body. Perhaps certain grains need to go on your do not touch with a ten foot pole list, and others can be regular staples in your diet.
If you are living la vida 100% raw I’m sure you crossed most grains off your grocery list, with the exception of those that you can soak or sprout in their unprocessed form. After years of avoiding processed foods and carbs, my body generally has a strong aversion to grains especially in large quantities. So when I received a packet of millet in the mail from my Master’s program, I was excited to try it but worried it may aggravate my system. The good news is, it didn’t, which I consider a good sign. Millet looks similar to cous cous and has a nutty grainy texture like quinoa but takes much longer to cook than the latter. It is an ancient food that has been a staple for thousands of years in India and Africa and was even mentioned in the Bible as a primary ingredient for bread. Millet was the world’s first cereal grain and can be used in some sweet breakfast recipes like muffins, or simply as a rice substitute for more savory dishes.
If you do eat grains and want something you can add to dishes that packs a mean nutritional punch, millet is a great option. Not only is it comprised of around 15% protein, it is a great source of fiber, B-complex vitamins like niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, and vitamin E. Add to that iron, copper, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium, and you’ll have an excellent side dish or entree that adds more nutrients than your rice ever will. -XoXo Raw Girl
4 Natural Sweeteners That Don’t Affect Blood Sugar Levels
cuteas.com.au
Did you know that the average American eats an average of 142 pounds of sugar per year? Keeping this in mind makes it easy to understand why diabetes has become such an epidemic. Living with pre-diabetes and diabetes is a delicate issue and much care has to be taken to change lifestyle choices and consume sugars that have little to no effect on the blood sugar level to avoid aggravating the condition. The great news is there are a decent variety of natural sweeteners that do not aggravate blood sugar, and in some cases actually prevent tooth decay or repair tooth enamel. Within the natural sweetener world some substitutes have a lower glycemic index than refined sugar, such as agave nectar or birch syrup, but still may not be suitable for pre-diabetics or diabetics. The best course of action is to use sweeteners that have no effect on the blood sugar. Here’s a list of four sweeteners you can try that fit that criteria:
- Stevia. Not so long ago this leafy herb was completely unheard of. Now you can find it in most grocery stores in powdered or liquid form. Stevia has no calories, will not spike blood sugar levels, and its’ extract is considered 100-300 times sweeter than white sugar.
- Birch Sugar or Xylitol. This sugar substitute is a naturally occurring alcohol made from tree fibers and occurs naturally in fruits and mushrooms. Xylitol is sweet to the taste like sugar but it does not cause tooth decay. In fact, it actually reduces levels of decay-causing bacteria in saliva.
- Chicory Root. This natural sweetener is the root of a perennial herb, and has no calories. Not only will consuming chicory not spike your blood sugar levels; it decreases levels of LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream, contains vitamin C a powerful antioxidant, supports detoxification of the body via the liver and kidneys, and serves as a prebiotic which feeds and promotes growth of good bacteria in the gut.
- Erythritol. This sugar alcohol is made by fermenting the natural sugar found in corn. It has no calories, will not raise blood sugar, and no carcinogenic properties. In addition erythritol is very easy to digest and is considered an antioxidant, which helps the body to fight freed radicals and reduce the signs of aging.
Sugar alcohols should not be confused with artificial sweeteners. Part of their structure resembles sugar and the other looks like an alcohol. They are used are sugar substitutes because they do not cause tooth decay, feed candida or fungal infections, and convert to glucose more slowly in the body and do not require much insulin to metabolize. When consuming sugar alcohols some people may experience uncomfortable symptoms like gas, bloating or diarrhea, so it’s important to not consume in excess. Hopefully these options give you a few places to begin finding the best sugar substitute for you. If you do not have diabetes or any related conditions, there are many other natural sweeteners you can try including indulging on good, plain old fruit. If you or anyone you know is dealing with diabetes I also highly recommend you watch “Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days,” for inspiration. It’s a documentary that chronicles the treatment and reversal of diabetes over the span of 30 days using a 100% organic raw vegan diet. –XoXo Raw Girl
For more on diabetes check out this past post: Natural Cures: Bitter Melon for Diabetes
The Healing Benefits of Water Fasting
During the month of August my fasting regimen went to another level. If you follow this blog by now you know I am a big fan of fasting on fresh vegetable juices which immediately boosts your complexion, rids the body of excess toxins, and can in general give you your groove back. Well, last month was the first time I tried water fasting. Which consists of drinking, you got it, only water all day. I actually chose to drink both coconut water and water and conducted the fasts for no more than three days at a time. Water fasting to me always seemed too extreme, as it does require more of a slow down in your normal activities. With any fast you should slow down if not eliminate all of your hectic schedule so that you actually have time to go within and rest. This need increases tenfold with a water fast, because the healing reactions can be more aggressive, or you may feel fatigued as the body goes into fasting mode. Water fasting for longer periods like 14-40 Days should never be conducted alone; there are facilities that you can enter to go through those longer term fasts in which doctors will monitor your levels throughout and you will be in an atmosphere of complete rest. Many ailments have been reversed with these longer water fasts, simple because they body got an opportunity to reset. For more on this check out the interview at the end of this post, which features two doctors who promote water fasting for health and have healed numerous conditions in their facilities. Some benefits of water fasting include:
- Physical and spiritual healing
- Detox, eliminates toxins from organs, skin, glands
- Strengthens immune system because of break from food; restores stronger immune response
- Scientifically proven to increase lifespan; studies have shown that restricted diets lead to a longer life
- Prevents the onset of degenerative mental diseases
- Improves brain f(x), mental clarity, and ability to focus
- Induces an anti-inflammatory response that helps to heal arthritis in muscles, joints
- Ancient tradition that has healing minor health issues along with more serious chronic ailments
- Increases metabolism; promotes weight loss
- Drastically improves mind over body will power; and portion control
- Increases energy in some cases as energy is diverted from digestive process
- Deepens connection with spirit and nature
Pre-Order Your Copy of Thrive on VEG!
After working diligently for the past few months, a release date has been set for my third e-book Thrive on VEG! The book will be available on October 15, 2014. I’m ecstatic to share it with you, because it is the resource that I wish I had when I was embarking on a plant-based lifestyle. The goal of the book is to give a simple overview of the many variations of a plant-based diet, discuss the health benefits going VEG can offer, key nutrients needed to stay optimal, tips and tools for transitioning, how to set up your plant based kitchen, and recipes so that you can begin your journey immediately. Thank you so much to all of the readers who have asked questions that prompted the idea for this book! Below I’ve included the Table of Contents so you can get a sneak peak at what topics are covered. My most recent draft of Thrive on VEG! is currently 75 pages, but I anticipate the final draft may end up being somewhere around 100 pages packed full of great information, delicious vegan and raw recipes (will be printable), and inspiring insights for anyone interested or curious about a plant-based lifestyle.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
i. What is a Plant-Based Diet?
ii. Levels of Plant Based Diet
iii. How to Thrive on a Plant Based Diet
iv. 7 Habits of Highly Effective Plant Eaters
v. Benefits of Plant Based Diet
vi. How to Transition
vii. Setting Up a Plant Based Kitchen
viii. Plant Cuisine Seasoning & Substitution Tips
ix. Recipes
x. Resources
To pre-order your copy click the button below. The first ten people to order their copy in advance will receive a Free 15 Minute Health Consultation via phone with yours truly! All buyers will receive their e-book via the email provided on October 15th, 2014.
What are Hybrid Foods?
Hybrid foods are foods that would not occur in nature, are unnaturally high in sugar and low in minerals. They would not occur in nature because they have no seeds or are cross-bred to create an altered plant with new perhaps “better” qualities. Plants that evolved in nature, wildly grown, have a built-in capacity to withstand environmental conditions, fungi, and other things that compete for their life force whereas hybrid foods do not. For instance did you know that bananas are supposed to have seeds? So are grapes and watermelons. That is the way nature designed them. There are now so many variations of hybrid foods it’s hard to know what is real food and what is not. When you consume too much hybridized fruit sugar or sugar from seedless hybrid fruits such as bananas, grapes, oranges, pineapple, watermelon the excess sugar can over stimulate the endocrine system, cause constipation, and start the process of leeching essential minerals like calcium from the body. This is of even greater concern when you combine large amounts of hybrid fruit sugars with a diet that consists of lots of starchy cooked vegetables. Common hybrid vegetables include beets, carrots, corn, tomatoes, and potatoes. If you think you may be guilty of eating a lot of starch and sweet hybrid foods, to find a balance be sure to rotate your food choices, and incorporate non-starchy vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower etc.
Although I have heard many health conscious individuals preach about avoiding hybrids, I’ve never been too keen on it myself. Why? Sometimes it really does get exhausting adding to the long list of foods you CANNOT eat. So if you are reading this and having a mini-freak out about another toxic thing to cross of your list, take a beep breath. At the end of the day it’s just useful information to consider and there is always a way to strike a balance between cautious choices and fanaticism. When you can find access to non-hybrid versions of the food you love take full advantage of it, but if not always take care to find the best quality food possible. -XoXo Raw Girl
Juice! Cucumber Pear Zinger
Cucumber Pear Zinger
1 Head of Celery
1 Large Cucumber
2-3 Pears
Ginger Root (as much as you like)
Juice, strain, enjoy! 🙂
-XoXo Raw Girl
7 Habits of Highly Effective Health Enthusiasts
coachcalorie.com
1. Embrace Moderation. We all have our vices. For some it may be sugars, refined carbs and flours, or salt. If you’re a raw foodist, you may need to chill on the nuts. Moderation is about overcoming the urge to binge eat or overeat any one thing, no matter how great it is for you. Our bodies desperately need diversity in our diets in order to function optimally and our digestive systems always work better when we know and listen to the voice that says: “Put the fork down.”
2. Don’t Preach to the Choir. I know you are super excited about your new raw, vegan, or macrobiotic lifestyle but that doesn’t mean you have to go around proselytizing it like an evangelist. One size doesn’t necessarily fit all; our bodies are so varied and so it’s always more attractive and better for your blood pressure levels if you avoid debating whose diet is the best over dinner. The best persuasion: gracing others with your energetic presence and letting them come to you with questions about how you get your all-natural glow on.
3. Be a DIVA. Generally we can be discouraged from having standards because it makes us look like, well, DIVAS. But if your mission is to be energized most of the time, there are certain things you should not except as acceptable food. Drink lots of pure or energized water. Find the freshest organic produce available. Just say no to GMOs. If you eat non-organic fruit from time to time it won’t kill you, but if you minimize this or at least avoid the fruits and vegetables in the “dirty dozen,” it’ll keep your body from being loaded with yet another toxin in the form of pesticides.
4. Practice Adequate Additional Supplementation. B vitamins, magnesium, manganese, iron, sulfur, and biotin are all extremely important in bodies’ process of converting our food to energy. It’s important to consume whole food sources and super foods that contain these nutrients and also find high quality supplements you can take to ensure daily optimal nutrition.
5. Live La Vida Toxin-Free. Nowadays, there are a million and one ways to “cleanse.” Heavy metal cleanses, parasite cleanses, colon cleanses, liver flushes, you name it and you can find it in your local health food store. These are all great from time to time if your body is out of balance or you need to address a pressing health concern. But a veteran health enthusiast knows that having daily lifestyle practices really can boost his or her health that extra mile like: shower filters, regular juicing or fasting, avoiding products with chemicals. Engaging in regular cleansing of the colon, the bodies’ sewage system, is a must for staying healthy and avoiding chronic diseases. There is so much toxicity in our world today so it’s important to stay well informed and then take whatever little steps you are comfortable with that keep you toxin-free. Even if it’s just biting the bullet and throwing out any toxic cleaning and beauty supplies in your bathroom.
6. Get Off The Couch. Just in case you missed the memo, research has show that those who love to move their bodies are around nine years younger than their non-exercising counterparts. Fitness King, Jack LaLanne, who stayed active into his nineties once said: “Exercise is king. Nutrition is queen. Put them together and you’ve got a kingdom.” If you are a highly effective health enthusiast you know that staying at the top of your game means that you must refuse to neglect your workout regimen. Worse case scenario you fall off every now and then, but you always find yourself back in the gym, at the yoga studio, or on the trail with renewed commitment because you love the payoff in vitality.
7. Insist on Beauty Sleep. Sleep is another precious commodity we undervalue in our culture. We are obsessed with “grinding” to get ahead and often sacrifice much needed R&R for promotions. Effective health enthusiasts are willing to get a little gangsta about their sleep. Lights off, phone off, and do not disturb signs will be used if necessary. Adequate amounts of rest and relaxation always lead to a more productive, happier version of you. Not only does sleep affect performance, learning retention, and brain functioning, sleep plays a major role in boosting our immunity, weight loss, and preventing the onset of many diseases. The best way to get adequate sleep is to attempt as much as possible to stick to a sleep schedule and go to bed and wake up around the same time daily.
-XoXo Raw Girl
7 Natural Remedies That Kill Internal Parasites
diy-home-remedies.com
Although it sounds crazy and a little scary to think about WORMS in our bodies, the fact is that 99.8% of people will be exposed to or experience health issues related to parasitic infection. You can get parasites from your pets, other people’s pets, from kissing or having intercourse with a person who has parasites, from contaminated drinking water (and a lot of drinking water is infected, especially tap water), from walking barefoot on contaminated soil, from improperly cooked or handled meat, improper hygiene, infected fruits or vegetables, and the list goes on. If you are a loyal reader of this blog you know that I’ve explored this topic before, but because of the overwhelming response, I want to address it again. -XoXo Raw Girl
So, what are parasites? Parasites are organisms that live in our bodies and feed off of our life force. They are worms that suck us dry by preventing nutrients from our food from nourishing our bodies, can cause damage internally to organs, and can cause a host of other symptoms that you and your doctor will most likely mistake for something else entirely. These can be anything from stomach and intestinal complications like constipation, irritable bowel syndrome or leaky gut, mood and anxiety issues, sleep disturbances, weight issues either via excessive hunger, or excessive weight loss, skin disorders like acne or rashes, food allergies, and excessive fatigue or lack of energy. Essentially, parasites can slowly but surely erode your quality of life. Below are a few key herbs and foods that can help you rid your body of parasites. If you choose to conduct an over the counter parasite cleanse, ensure that it at the very least includes cloves, black walnut, and wormwood in the list of ingredients.
Cloves destroy parasitic eggs before they have a chance to develop. They are more powerful when purchased whole and ground up for consumption as they tend to lose their anti-parasitic properties rather quickly. Cloves contain powerful antimicrobial agents that travel through the bloodstream, killing microscopic parasites and parasitic larvae and eggs. Cloves are tremendously effective in killing malaria, tuberculosis, cholera, scabies and other parasites, viruses, bacteria and fungi, including Candida.
Black walnut hull is very effective at removing dead parasites and other parasitic wastes from the body. It is available in a powdered form, in capsules, as well as in tinctures. Black walnut hull has been used for centuries to expel various types of worms, including parasites that cause skin irritations such as ringworm. It also oxygenates the blood, which also helps kill parasites. Black Walnut hull is very effective against tapeworms, pinworms, Candida albicans, and malaria. It is also effective in reducing blood sugar levels, and facilitating the bodies’ natural detoxification process.
Wormwood is one of the most powerful weapons in the parasite killer arsenal. It is an extremely bitter herb that is quite difficult to down, but the effects are well worth it. It acts as an anesthetic that numbs the parasites, thus forcing them to release their grip on the body. The herb is most effective against roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and pinworms. Wormwood is the second most bitter herb known to man and has been proven a powerful herbal remedy for malaria. The herb is now being used by locals in Malaria ridden countries and has proven even more effective than drugs without the danger of side effects.
Consuming Raw or Aged Garlic is one of the most effective ways to kill parasites. Garlic is an effective remedy for many types of parasites, from one-celled species to larger varieties such as hookworms and pinworms. Garlic is known to slow and kill more than sixty types of fungi and twenty types of bacteria, as well as some of the most potent viruses known to humans. All effective parasite cleanses always include garlic. It can be hard to consume large amounts of raw garlic, so another way to successfully include large amounts of garlic in your diet is to consume aged, odorless garlic pills.
Apple Cider Vinegar increases stomach acid if taken prior to your meals. This will keep the stomach free of parasites and will also ensure that you will kill off any larvae you inadvertently eat with your meals. A great way to incorporate apple cider vinegar is to add it to salad dressings or prepare a simple “apple cider vinegar tonic” which is apple cider vinegar diluted in pure filtered water and drink this concoction first thing in the morning and several times throughout the day.
Coconut Oil has an abundance of medium chain fatty acids, which after converted by the body, create a substance that efficiently kills parasites, yeasts, viruses, and pathogenic bacteria in the gut.
Pungent Spices such as: turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, chilies, horseradish, and cayenne, all make parasites run for cover. While conducting your cleanse you can use all or some of these spices freely to add flavor and aid you in kicking some parasite but.
Want to learn more about parasites and natural remedies? Check out my latest book Parasites, Be Gone! which includes in depth research, personal antidotes, and a two week cleanse to get you started on the path to becoming parasite-free.