Tag Archives: vegan

What the heck is a Pomelo?

chinese grapefruit

Last week in the grocery store as I was grabbing some organic bananas above the citrus fruits, I noticed this giant thing that I thought perhaps was a grapefruit but it was labeled “pummelo.” Being the adventurous raw foodie I am, I grabbed one and put it in my cart. This citrus fruit which is in the family of the orange and the grapefruit, has more aliases than P.Diddy and is also known as pomelo, pummelo, Chinese grapefruit, shaddock, jabong…and the list seems to go on. The color of the pomelo and it’s flesh varies. The one I picked up looked just like a grapefruit but still had a great deal of green, and apparently they can be ripe when green.

This large diva fruit (sometimes can grow to 10″ in diameter) originates from South East Asia and tastes like a sweeter version of a grapefruit. Not only is it more citrus bang for your buck, it also apparently has 193% of DV of Vitamin C, beta carotene, nice amount of soluble fiber, B Vitamins, Vitamin A, calcium, iron, and potassium. Thus, the fruit sometimes known as pomelo is  great for infections, diseases, and has been used to cure fever, treat coughs, relieve sore throats, and my favorite…treat insomnia. Pretty groovy benefits if you ask me, plus add in the fact that it can assist with weight loss and of course helps to keep the body alkaline. I chose to eat it raw for breakfast, and it was definitely enough citrus to get me going in the morning. If you’re into grapefruits and oranges, and want to give the mother of all citrus fruits a try, I highly recommend the fruit sometimes known as pomelo. -XoXo Raw Girl

So you want to GO VEG: Transitioning into Veganism

health

Had a blast today on Newd Radio, and looking forward to the debut of Healthy Living in a Toxic World next week, January 25th, Wednesday at 5pm EST. Hope you all will tune in to www.newdradio.com and listen!

One question asked on air this morning that I didn’t get a chance to answer was: What should one do if interested in trying the vegan lifestyle but currently is a meat-eater?

Ok so, your a meat-eater and your tired, literally all the time, and your also tired of running to fabulous non-meaters who glow, have crazy energy, and attribute all of this to their grass eating tendencies. You think you may want to go vegan, or vegetarian at the very least but it feels so far way. Don’t panic. There are two options, just like when quitting an addiction or making any sort of lifestyle change you can go cold turkey or gradually. I think what option you take really depends on your personality, but I am a big fan of gradual change. By taking your time to ease into it and eliminating certain foods step by step you are more likely to stick with it long-term and not go on eating binges because you feel deprived.

If I was a meat-eater looking to go veg, I would start by eliminating red meats like beef and chicken and perhaps continue eating fish and more vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, grains. If you are the type who eats meat everyday, (that is really a lot for your body to handle by the way), then I would go for cutting down meat intake to only twice a week and then maybe once a week or once every two weeks, and so on. I am not a huge fan of meat substitutes but they can be a great way to transition and if prepared well, you’ll be amazed and may not miss your meat at all. If you want long-lasting health, vibrance, energy, and to live a disease-free life, you have to get out of the general “dieting” or quick-fix mode that is pushed on us daily through advertising and meal plans etc.

Commitment is key, and any positive change is going to have to become an engrained habit. You know yourself best. Some people have to go all the way or else they won’t do it all. Don’t feel rushed, take your time, and allow yourself some room to mess up. I think it took me about four months to wean myself off of bread! Crazy to think about it because now I don’t eat bread at all and if I did I would feel weighed down and generally horrible. But when I was going through the process of eliminating it, sometimes I messed up, gave in and had some, but then physically I would feel horrible. Through this process you retrain your body, and after abstaining and then having negative reactions to things you once ate, you will lose the desire to eat them again. Despite what they say, you can teach an old dog new tricks; you can cultivate your inner vegan, as long as you committed to going the distance. Here’s to going VEG! -XoXo Raw Girl

Dear Raw Girl: Parasites That Won’t Go Away

alkaline


Dear Raw Girl:  The worms seem resistant to the cleanses.  I do believe everything happens for a reason.  We all have more awareness about the food that enters out bodies.  Just a few questions: How much apple cider vinegar daily?  Raw garlic?  Do the worms have a cycle they go through and then finally leave?  How long of a process is this, until we are free from the parasites?   Feel free to use my name, whatever.  I’m shocked that there isn’t more information and pictures up on the web.  We can’t be the only ones with these parasites. Thank you,  Kelli Lofgren Salt Lake City, UT

Dearest Kelli: First off sooo sorry for the delay in response! Just saw your email. Disclaimer–I am not, at least yet 😉 a doctor. For now, since it is an emergency—-you can drink properly diluted apple cider vinegar as much as you want throughout the day with no ill side effects–by adding it to water. You can add garlic to meals, but an easier way to take in garlic that has provided me with relief is to take Kyolic Garlic  pills they are odorless and you can get more garlic for your buck. Read the recommended dosage and take that twice a day. I now take those regularly to prevent parasites altogether. The process of getting rid of a parasite cannot be quantified in terms of length of time—it really depends on how aggressive you are with maintaining an alkaline diet free of sugars/carbs (that help them grow). The amount of time it takes to die can vary; especially if you continue to eat foods that keep them alive. If you are persistent for a straight month and are not getting rid of worms then, you may want to try to go to a doctor to get tested to see if you can find out what kind of worms you have. At times different worms require a different plan of attack. It took me MONTHS the first time around to become parasite-free, probably 3 months to be exact. Now if I’m feeling like I need a cleanse, I can aggressive go at it for 2 weeks to a month and see results. Most over the counter parasite cleanses are 2 week-long cleanses, but if you do those without also keeping your diet alkaline, especially sugar and carb-free, you may have your unwanted guests staying a little longer. I hope this was of some help to you. Check out my past posts on parasites and foods that are useful and stay focused. You will be parasite-free! -XoXo Raw Girl


The Healing Magic of Epsom Salt Baths

bath

Tomorrow is Day 7 of my Kemetic Detox, and I feel insanely groovy. Brief recap….all was going ok until Day 3. Every morning thus far except for Day 3 I have kept up with my meditation and started the day with fresh coconut water. I slacked on yoga, decided to do hot yoga but not necessarily yoga every day, along with my normal workout regimen of weights and running depending on my energy level. On Day 3, all went haywire. I had a cleansing reaction. In the morning I woke up sweating and with almost fever like symptoms. I don’t panic when this happens because I’ve experienced this before and know exactly what to do. I drank coconut water and pure water all day and by the evening I was feeling great. Strangely enough on Day 4 and 5 I hardly ate anything. I had no desire to eat AND never felt hungry–it was uncanny— but I forced myself to get in a juice or coconut water at least during the day. Today was Day 6.

Part of what happened today in particular that helped me get my groove back was soaking for a half hour in a bath. Someone recently posted a question about a salt bath, so here you go! Baths are magical. You can use them for cleansing physically, clearing your aura (the energy field around you), releasing unwanted energies, or just self-rebirth and setting intentions. When I lived full-time in New York I was a bath taking fiend in order to protect myself from all the chaotic energy in the city. In today’s bath I used the essential oil peppermint, and epsom salts mixed with other dead sea salts. Seriously it was divine, and afterwards I felt like a new woman.

Epsom salt is also known as magnesium sulfate. Why is this cool? Because the majority of humans are deficient in magnesium.  Magnesium deficiency can lead to stroke, heart disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, and joint pain.  Taking Epsom salt baths relieves joint pain (helped me today cause I was sore from a long run), inflammation, and sports injuries. Epsom salts can also help to relieve cold and  flu-like symptoms, and migraines. They literally pull out impurities from the skin, naturally exfoliate–leading to softer skin,  and improve your circulation. After an epsom salt bath I literally have to lay down for 15 -20 minutes afterwards, because my heart is pounding; after some time it subsides. If you have a heart condition you should consult a doctor prior to taking an epsom salt bath. They also provide guaranteed relaxation as the magnesium is absorbed through the skin and then binds with serotonin the brain, putting you in a relaxed, tension-free state. Added bonus, they are cheap compared to fancier bath salts and you can find them at almost any drugstore.

In my baths I always include epsom salt for all of these reasons, and then throw in some other bath salts. Among my favorites are: lavender, eucalyptus, and moldavite (these gangster salts are infused with the energy of moldavite the crystal—divinely intense). Then you can put in a few drops of an essential oil of choice, and when you get bath crazy like I am you do groovy things like toss in flower petals or herbs. Whatever you do make it your own process. Light a candle, do your affirmations, play some music, but first and foremost, take a chill pill. Nowadays with our crazy schedules, technology, and overall hustle and bustle, you may find it lovely to incorporate this ancient ritual into your life to give you a little R&R with some healing to boot. -XoXo Raw Girl

Raw Girl’s 40 Day Kemetic Detox

detox

“The body becomes what the foods are, as the spirit becomes what the thoughts are.” ~Ancient Egyptian Proverb

It’s that time of year again! 2012 is swiftly approaching and the season of new resolutions, intentions, and gift-giving is upon us. Why not bring in this new season by giving yourself the gift of a cleanse? About three years ago I started the ritual of fasting in the New Year. One year it was a 10 Day all vegetable juice fast, another it was 3 Day. This year, I am upping the ante and committing to 40 Days of “fasting” or what I will call my Kemetic Detox. Just in case you don’t know what “kemetic” means, Ancient Egypt was also called “Kemet”, “Land of Blackness”, or “Land of the Burnt People” (referring to the dark skin tone of the Ancient Egyptians). The term “kemetic” can be used to describe anything related to that ancient culture/lifestyle. Why 40 Days? First off, because it is exactly the amount of time leading up to my one woman show, Hatshepsut, about the first female pharaoh, and secondly because many people in the Bible fasted for 40 Days. This fast or detox is designed to rigorously impact me mentally, spiritually, and physically.

The ancient Egyptians had a diet that was incredibly pure and complimented that diet with regular yoga, meditation, working with crystals and essential oils to maintain high vibrations. So I am incorporating all of these principles into my detox. Diet-wise I will be juicing some, and eating raw: salads, smoothies etc. For spirit I am going to get my regular meditation on and do hot yoga—which will also help with detoxing the body. To assist the cleansing process will be take weekly enemas and salt baths. Some of you may be reading this and thinking to yourself that it all sounds groovy but you don’t feel you have the time or energy to invest in some sort of cleanse. In my next post, I’ll go in depth about why you should even bother considering a cleanse.

Check out my regimen and today’s shopping list below and feel free to join me for part or all of my detox! Remember that we are all unique human beings and have differing levels of imbalance on the body, mind, and soul level. So, if you chose to do a cleanse, do you and make it your own! -XoXo Raw Girl

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC-7nUXw3r4]

Kemetic Detox Guidlines 

  1. 30 minutes to 1 hour minimum of meditation daily
  2. 2-3 salt water baths per week
  3. Daily yoga, hot yoga 2x per week
  4. High alkaline/raw vegan diet (Organic fruits, vegetables, soaked nuts, sprouted grains)
  5. Enema/colonic as needed at least 1 per week
  6. Bentonite Clay mask once a week, daily use of coconut oil, almond oil, and essential oils on skin
  7. Follow the 42 Precepts of Maat (almost like the 10 commandments)

My Shopping List (what I bought today to get started)

  1. 2 bunches of Lacinato Kale, 1 bunch regular kale
  2. Box of organic baby arugula
  3. 4 young Thai coconuts
  4. 4 apples
  5. bag of organic lemons
  6. 3 stalks of ginger
  7. bag of organic avocados
  8. Kombucha
  9. 6 gallons purified water
  10. organic nori sheets
  11. Bag of Organic Carrots
  12. Celery (2)
  13. dandelion root
  14. 2 cucumbers
  15. Things I have at home that I will use: red and yellow bell peppers, Braggs Amino Acids, Nutritional Yeast, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Dulse Flakes, Sea Salt, Raw Almonds, Raw Pecans, Beets, Garlic

Dear Raw Girl: Caffeine or No Caffeine?

caffeine

Dear Raw Girl,

What’s your take on caffeine? Coffee, green tea etc? I feel like it depletes me and makes me dependent on it for energy...

I still have flashbacks to the caffeine breaking point for me. It was years ago, when I was in college and really into Chai tea. I never really drank coffee but somehow I got hooked on Chai, especially when I was sleep deprived. I remember sitting there in my Physics class trying to concentrate on the law of relativity after downing a 16 oz. cup full of chai and realizing my eye was twitching on its own. That was the last day I got down with caffeine. Now when I am in a bind, I grab a Yerba Matte tea, or drink a smoothie, juice, or kombucha with Spirulina (blue-green algae). Spirulina always energizes me, and least it doesn’t come with the annoying side affects of caffeine (in my case unattractive eye twitching). At the end of the day you have to ask yourself if you want to live a life where you are dependent on a substance to get you through the day. Did you know that caffeine is the most commonly used psychoactive drug, and that 90% of adults consume it daily?

Most of us don’t actually know when their bodies are tired, because we spend our time ignoring our bodies natural rhythms, and over-drugging ourselves to stay awake and stay energized. If you are drinking caffeinated beverages, and need to break your habit, try starting your day with a green juice, a green smoothie, or a Spirulina smoothie. The more you get stuck on that natural high, and honor your bodies needs, which include adequate sleep, the more likely you are to be energized, naturally. Trust me, it works. I have so much energy I don’t know what to do with it sometimes. When I went raw not only did my energy soar, but I found that I needed less sleep to function optimally.

If you decide to break a caffeine habit, you can experience withdrawal symptoms as your body finds balance such as: headaches, tiredness/fatigue, depression/mood swings, or difficulty concentrating. A moderate caffeine intake which may not be too harmful for an adult is 300 mg or less. When you take in 350 mg or more, caffeine has the potential to cause dependency and also nutrient depletion. Not only can it interfere with nutrient absorption of essential minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, and B vitamins, it can cause depletion of vitamin B6. This may be exactly why you feel depleted after having it. No surprise that a grande cup of coffee at Starbucks has over 350 mg, just enough to get people dependent and coming back for more.

The other interesting thing to note is that caffeine has creeped its way into unsuspecting products such as energy drinks, energy water, breath fresheners, ice cream (chocolate/coffee flavored mostly), weight loss pills, and other energy supplements. So, if you are aiming to cut your caffeine intake remember that it’s found in other products beyond coffee, tea, and soda. Surprisingly enough, caffeine is also in decaffeinated products, so you’ll have to avoid those as well. As hard as it may seem to live a caffeine-free existence in our fast paced, sleep deprived world, it is possible. Where there’s a will, there’s a caffeine-free way. -XoXo Raw Girl


7 Natural Remedies for Vegan B$#@* Syndrome

don quai

Women I meet ask me all the time my secret to surviving the looming time of the month called PMS, or as I like to say, vegan b&%$# syndrome. Yesterday when yet again another friend was struggling, it gave me enough fuel to put pen to paper. PMS used to be the bane of my existence. Cramping, bloating, and then of course the lovely mood swings that turn any peace loving vegan into a raging  b&!%$ and then pass leaving you wondering what is wrong with you. Your boyfriend, your family, your friends, and even your work colleagues around this time wonder why you seem to be creating drama from things that would normally not bother you at all. Trust me, I’ve been there, and unless you want to be that girl who turns into Medusa every month, you might want to take control of your hormones!

The good news is, it is possible to take control of your body. Diet has a HUGE affect on how horrible your symptoms are. When I was 100% raw all the time (I’m not now), I had absolutely no PMS. It was this incredible new world. I was completely astounded that IT could just go away like that. However, when a woman’s body is going through her cycle the body goes into a cleansing mode, so I noticed that when raw and eating no unprocessed foods, my body had no junk to cleanse and my hormones remained even kilter. Beyond diet though, there is much that can be done to keep you from experiencing the horrible symptoms, and avoid vegan b&%$# syndrome altogether. -XoXo Raw Girl

1. Don Quai. For any woman seeking to control her hormones, this root is KEY. Don Quai helps to maintain healthy estrogen levels and promotes emotional balance.  This Chinese herb has been used for thousands of years in China, Japan, and Korea and is mostly used to cure female reproductive issues. Besides giving a vegan B%$@ a run for her money, don quai can treat painful menstruation, infrequent periods, PMS, and menopausal symptoms. When I discovered don quai my life changed, every woman should know about this herb and keep it stocked in her medicine cabinet. I like to take it in pill form and also I found a donquai tea that is the bomb.com, that I take as well. Check it out via this link: http://astore.amazon.com/ragiinatowo-20/detail/B0016BA93A

2. Blackstrap Molasses. If you’ve never heard of blackstrap molasses…it’s basically the byproduct of turning cane sugar into table sugar. When white sugar is made it is stripped of it’s nutrients, and the nutrients are left in this brown syrupy concoction that happens to be full of vitamins including manganese, copper, selenium, iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium,  and B6 which ease menstrual cramping almost instantly. I learned this while staying with my friend who is a homeopath. She brought me a cup of tea with molasses. After one cup f tea with molasses I was strong enough to get up and make myself another cup and within twenty minutes the pain had completely dissipated. I never take any over the counter meds, so this is a quick remedy I love. Blackstrap goes into the bloodstream and works fast. Its an acquired taste, but for the benefits, its worth keeping in your home. Make sure to get the kind that is “organic” and “unsulphered.”

3. Arnica. If you’ve got the vegan b$%#* syndrome with a bad dose of cramping, you may feel like you need pain killers. Rather than running to grab some aspirin or tylenol, try arnica. Arnica is an all natural plant based medicine that comes in pill form and you can find it in various strength levels. If the basic homeopathic does you no justice, try the 3x version which is for muscle trauma.

4. Fem Premenstrual by Metagenics. So I’m not into mentioning products unless I use them and they work. My homeopath put me onto this blend which contains vitamins, and an herbal extract blend of various roots including don quai. This stuff works WONDERS. Apparently if you take it long enough, you’ll stop seeing symptoms altogether. I’ve noticed a marked difference since I began taking it. If you are in NYC you can find it at Wilners Chemists on Park Avenue. If you are elsewhere here’s a link: http://astore.amazon.com/ragiinatowo-20/detail/B004GLEUH8.

5. Cut your soy & tofu intake. I generally stay away from processed soy as much as possible. Back in the day before I was more on the raw side, I used to eat a ridiculous amount of tofu and soy. As soon as I cut them out of my diet, it was like a weight had lifted, and some of my hormonal raging calmed down. Check your diet and if you still consume large amounts of soy, give it try one month cutting it out of your diet and seeing what happens to your cycle. To take control of your body you have to experiment and learn what works for you.

6. Young Living Essential Oil: Dragontime.  Young living essential oils are incredible. I got so into them I became a distributor not too long ago, so that I can buy my oils at a discount. The blends are incredibly pure. This particular blend appropriately named Dragontime because it is meant to be a remedy for PMS, has worked miracles for me. All you need is a couple drops of the oil and you can rub it directly on your tummy where cramping pains reside, and  I kid you not, within minutes the pain will dissipate. I was bugged out the first time I tried it, because I was supposed to be up working and felt horrible. A couple of drops of oil and a little rub, and I was able to stay on my feet and get everything I needed to get done for the day.

7. Practice Yoga. Besides the fact that its good for you in general, yoga cleanses, reinvigorates, and balances out the systems of the body. Incorporating regular practice, will no doubt help you take the edge off. It’s really hard to be a vegan b%$#@ after you’ve said namaste.

A Tribute to Dynamic Meat-less Athletes

exercise

It’s been almost two weeks since my brother passed away. He was twenty-five years old. Writing about it still seems somewhat surreal. I fell off of social media and all communication including phone and email for the past two weeks. Still in the process of dealing with this emotionally. The only thing that has kept me afloat and made me feel very close to my brother’s spirit is working out like a maniac. He was an athlete who took training seriously, and who was in the process of transitioning to a vegan diet. In the last days prior to his death I spent time with him and we really moved our bodies: Hot yoga, plyometrics workouts (which consisted of him jumping up and down a huge wall higher than above my knees), stairs, sprints, and hills (which he normally ran with a 30 pound weight vest on). After these workouts he would take Glutamine. I promised to find him a vegan version and found that there is one….Vegan L-Glutamine, which provides the body with an amino acid essential for recovery from extreme workouts and helps the muscles to rebuild and regenerate faster. Apparently large amounts of physical stress on the body can  deplete the natural source of glutamine in the body and therefore supplementation is encouraged for those exercising intensely with little to no rest in between workouts. I’m not going that hard yet, but its nice to know there are vegan options.

My brother believed in beating his body into submission through physical fitness because he knew that all battles are of the mind. As they say, “Mind over matter.” He knew that he could achieve his goals and create anything he wanted in his life if he remained fit and focused. The past week I’ve found myself working out almost everyday. I’ve been making sure to drink power smoothies and eat adequately as well. I’m in the Midwest at the moment, and yesterday after power yoga I found a trail near where I am staying that is six miles long. Just bought some new running shoes and plan to break them in by completing the six-mile run in the morning.

As I thought about my brother and the amazing athlete he was and the awesome vegan would have been (he was a star basketball player and owner/creator of a new cafe with raw and vegan options in Richmond, Virginia, called Higher Ground Wellness Cafe), I started research vegan athletes who have excelled in sport, proving that the human body can in fact handle intense physical training on a vegetable based diet. Check out the cool slide show (link below) via Treehugger which highlights ten exceptional athletes who adopted meat-less diets. There are many more, but I thought this was a nice summary. We only have a short time on this planet. We owe it to ourselves to give our body temple the best fuel and training we can so that we can live the time we have to the fullest. Move your body this week, and if you can, say a prayer for me and my family. -XoXo Raw Girl

http://www.treehugger.com/galleries/2009/05/10-superstar-athletes-who-do-not-eat-meat.php?page=1

Raw Girl’s Garden Tour

garden

The other day I embarked on a tour of the garden! Check out the video below to see all the veggies. Hope you all have a safe and fun-filled holiday weekend!  -XoXo Raw Girl

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

How to Make a Watermelon Mojito

cleanse

Watermelon Mojito

Today is Day 3; the last day of this watermelon fast is finally here! Last night I got creative and concocted a watermelon mojito. This morning I continued to be inspired and whipped up an equally refreshing blend of watermelon, lemon juice, with a hint of cilantro. I feel like this fast is turning me into a watermelon bartender! Feeling good today, glad to be coming down of the fast tomorrow because I have an acting gig and need to keep my energy up on set. As promised here’s the recipe for the mojito. I’m going to try the watermelon soup from my last post tomorrow and see if it’s any good, will report back. Beginning tomorrow, my infatuation with all things watermelon is going to end for a little while. – XoXo Raw Girl

Watermelon Mojito

4-5 cups chopped watermelon

1/2 lime juiced (use the whole thing if you want it tangier)

2 – 3 sprigs of fresh mint

1 teaspoon grated ginger

Blend & enjoy!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN3paRwPpQs]