Cacao / Maca Ice cream

I made raw ice cream for my class on Saturday and wanted to share the recipe as there was RAVE reviews about it!! :)
The ice cream consistency is almost that of a gelatto, so smooth and creamy!! As well there is no toxic diary or other fat causing agents. Just delicious fruit and amazing cacao and maca.
Maca is another one of those "super foods" I have discovered after doing a lot research: Here are some of the key points of maca (it's a little lengthy, but really informative)

Maca What is it?
First of all, maca is a cruciferous root found growing in the high regions of Peru and has been cultivated for about two thousand years. It has been traditionally and is currently used as a food. The Peruvians believe it gives strength and endurance, enhances ones fertility, and supports pregnancies.
As maca has been put more in the spotlight in recent years, many studies have been done on it, everything from feeding farmed trout, to treating sexual problems (how’s that for a wide variety of uses!). As I have read about it, I realized that there are many, many different applications that maca could be used for. However, even though there are a lot of studies about maca, most of them center around certain topics, so there are still huge gaps of scientific information. This is frustrating because how I got interested in maca was it’s traditional use to support a pregnancy, and it’s claimed ability to balance hormones, and these two uses of maca have not been addressed at all, or at least, as thoroughly as some of the other uses.
So, for some of the uses, people are still relying on tradition and clinical results. Keep that in mind as you research maca yourself. But let me share what I have found out about maca.

Note Different Varieties of Maca
 There are at least three common types (yellow, red and black), and these different varieties do have slightly different results. In fact some of the studies actually compared the effect of more than one type, to see which one would be effective for a certain application. Because of that, when a study I site used a particular variety of maca, I will make sure to list it. If you are interested in maca for a certain use, make sure that you get the right type of maca.
Maca is a High Nutrient Root
First things first, maca is a high nutrient vegetable. It is full of calcium, magnesium, some b vitamins, vitamin c, as well as zinc and many other important minerals, protein and fiber. For a detailed list of what maca contains, I found that macamagic.com has thorough information.
You could consider maca a superfood from looking at how nutrient dense it is.

Maca could help prevent Osteoporosis caused by lack of estrogen
In fact, one study tested the ability of maca to reduce bone loss in estrogen deprived rats. The conclusion? It was ” indicated that higher dose of ethanol extract of Maca was effective in the prevention of estrogen deficient bone loss.”

Maca Supports Fertility
Unfortunately, infertility has become more and more of an issue for many of us. I think that overcoming infertility can and should be multifaceted. But as I have researched maca, I have wondered if maca could be helpful for many people dealing with infertility, especially if it was taken while making other healthy changes. Maca is unique in that is helps both men and women’s fertility.
Maca Increases Men’s Fertility
Maca was once thought to increase men’s sexual hormones which would account for it’s ability to increase one’s sex drive and increased fertility, but while recent studies confirm that maca has the powerful ability to increase male fertility, it doesn’t change men’s hormone levels. In one four month study using black maca, it was found to increase sperm count, motile sperm count and sperm motility and increase seminal volume, all without making any changes in the men’s hormones. I should mention that this was one study, among many, all showing similar results.
It was also shown that maca reversed infertility caused by lead poisoning in rats.

Maca Increases Women’s Fertility
In another study, they tested the traditional use of maca to increase women’s fertility, using mice. It seems mice also find maca helpful, as those receiving maca did indeed have increased fertility! This test used yellow maca.
I also found these threads on Mothering’s forum of a whole group of women using maca to try to achieve pregnancy. It was very interesting reading everyone’s results with it (and yes, there were a lot of pregnancies in the group!). Thread One, Thread Two Thread Three

Maca Could Help Depression and Black Maca could Increase Learning and Memory Abilities
In one study, they studied the effect of the three different types of maca in decreasing depression and increasing learning abilities in mice. They found that all three had anti-depressant effects, but only black maca had the ability to increase learning and memory abilities. In a follow up study on black maca, they found that it helped improve scopolamine-induced memory impairment in mice.
Maca Could Help Prevent UV Skin Damage
Maca was found to have UV protection abilities. I wondered if this is because of the antioxidants in contains. In a Food Chemistry 1 article, although maca was found to have lower levels than green tea, they did find it to have the capacity to scavenge free radicals and protect cells from oxidative stress. Antioxidants are supposed to keep prevent skin damage as well.

Maca Could Help Glucose Control
Maca could be very useful for those struggling with blood sugar issues. Researchers found that maca “significantly” increased glucose tolerance and decreased blood sugar. I have personally found that maca seems to be helping me keep my blood sugar much more stable. This could be significant to those with diabetes or hypoglycemia.
Maca Helps Menopausal Women
In a study designed to examine the effects of maca on hormones and the symptoms of postmenopausal women, it was found that that maca didn’t change their hormonal balance at all! But that it did help significantly aid in the symptoms of menopause, including depression, sexual dysfunction, and anxiety.
There is not a lot of scientific studies (at least, that I have found) specifically studying the effect maca has on the hormonal balance of women. Clinical and personal observations claim that maca has proven helpful in this area, but it is yet to be proven scientifically. This study seems to support the idea that it doesn’t touch actual hormones, but instead works independently of them to relieve certain female issues.
This is one of the uses of maca that I personally hope researchers will put more research into. In fact, there ends most of the most helpful research I found. There are still a lot of traditional uses of maca that many people have found true for themselves, but are not yet studied.
But I would remiss if I didn’t mention one other well documented use of maca.
Maca Can Help With Sexual Problems (for both men and women)
Maca is used to treat certain sexual problems in both men and women with very good results. Feel free to research this if you, or a loved one, deals with this very personal issue. It could be very useful for you.
Here is a list of other important uses for maca:

Maca could help those with Thyroid and Adrenal problems or Chronic Fatigue
While I have not been able to find any official studies on the effect maca has on thyroid health, it doesn’t take long to find testimonies of those helped by maca in this area. I have personally found that I do seem warmer while taking maca (temperature control is related to thyroid function) and I do have better energy (adrenal). For further reading, here are just a few links for you.

Dr. Muller answer Questions about Maca

A forum discussion about maca and thyroid function
Article on Maca
While reading about about maca, since there are no hard facts about how it works, some doctors consider it an adrenal stimulate (and therefore not the best choice), and others don’t think that it’s the best for some thyroid conditions. Others think it’s the best choice available, so do your own homework before using. It seems to be working for me, but that’s just my personal experinece.
Maca Can Give Endurance and Energy
One of the traditional uses of maca is for energy and endurance, for that reason some athletes are now using maca with good results. But who needs to be an athlete to want more energy and endurance!
Maca can help with PMS and other hormonal issues
While the “why” of how maca works in this area has not been answered for me, many people find maca to be very helpful in these areas.
Like I mentioned before, Maca was traditionally used not only to help one get pregnant, but to stay pregnant as well. This has not been tested for safety or effectiveness, but is a traditional use of it.
While there are many other claimed uses for maca, I think that covers most of the main points. As I read more and hopefully find more information, I will do updates.
Who Shouldn’t Take it?
While maca is not considered to be toxic, because of the lack of information, different sites did caution against using maca if you have a high risk of breast or prostate cancer. This was probably because it is still widely thought of as increasing certain hormones (which could be bad for certain cancers), which recent research doesn’t seem to back. But do take note.
Those with a high risk of goiters should also be careful, though there have been no reported cases.
Those pregnant or nursing are not officially advised to take maca from any company because it is not tested yet.
Some advise those with a hyperthyroidism not to take it.
In one study, those taking a large amount of maca every day, did have slight elevations of blood pressure. Keep this in mind if you have blood pressure issues.
If you are interested in taking maca, I encourage you to do your own research and talk it over with a qualified health care provider (some love it, some aren’t so sure about it). Maca appears like it could indeed be helpful for many, and while it is, after all a FOOD in Peru, it doesn’t hurt to err in caution.

I now try to incorporate Maca into much of my smoothie recipes as I little extra "power" food. As I incorporate more I am sure I will see results with my energy levels as well as mood swings during the time of month.


Here is the recipe:


3 Frozen Bananas
5 ice cubes to start you can add more to make the consistency you want
2Tbs Maca
2 Tbs Cacao powder
6 pitted mejdol dates
2 Tbs raw tahini


(You can substitute organic frozen fruit for the ice cubes as well)
Place all ingredients in you Vita-Mix and mix and then enjoy!!

Raw Almonds

I had some questions in regards to raw Almonds at my class on Saturday, so wanted to post an article here in reference to the fight going on to have truly RAW almonds for us to purchase.

Raw Almond Fight Continues Despite Legal SetbackBy Mark A. Kastel
Senior Farm Policy Analyst, The Cornucopia InstituteWhat many consumers and retailers find most repugnant about the mandatory almond pasteurization law is that despite the mandated toxic fumigation or steam treatment, almonds are still labeled in the marketplace as "raw."
Oddly, imports into the U.S. of foreign nuts are exempt from the rule, as are exports shipped from the U.S. to other countries.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009--The dismissal, on technical grounds, by a federal court judge on Monday of a lawsuit challenging the USDA’s raw almond pasteurization mandate will likely not end the controversy.
“The court’s decision sidestepped the merits and substance of the lawsuit,” said Will Fantle of The Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based family farm research group and organizer of the almond lawsuit.
The USDA’s lack of legal authority to enact the controversial raw almond regulation and its fumbling of the rule’s implementation were among major substantive claims detailed in the lawsuit—none of which the court has yet to rule on. Eighteen California almond farmers and wholesale nut handlers had filed the suit against the USDA last September.
“Instead,” said Fantle, “the judge decided on procedural grounds that almond farmers, just like consumers and retailers, have no right to have their concerns about the illegal nature of the almond treatment scheme heard in court.”
Pasteurized Almonds Can Be ToxicImplemented in September 2007, the almond pasteurization rule requires treatment with a toxic gas (propylene oxide) or steam heat for all raw almonds produced by American growers and sold commercially to domestic consumers. Oddly, imports into the U.S. of foreign nuts are exempt from the rule, as are exports shipped from the U.S. to other countries. These imported nuts, generally of lesser quality, are now destroying the livelihood of organic, family-scale almond farmers in California.
Almond farmers and handlers engaged in the sale of raw and/or organic almonds have watched their operations disintegrate as a result of the treatment mandate. Consumers and retailers have turned to foreign suppliers, taking advantage of the regulatory loophole, for untreated raw and organic almonds.
Cornucopia Exploring Legal Options Moving Forward“Cornucopia and our attorneys are carefully exploring legal options, including appeals and other strategies,” Fantle said. “We are not abandoning the fight to return to grocer’s shelves an American-grown, highly nutritional raw food that has been eaten with confidence and enjoyment for decades. We believe the fundamental points of our lawsuit are valid and need to be tested.”
Bush Administration Sold Out Interests of Organic Consumers and Farmers"This issue clearly illustrates how the Bush administration, at the USDA, sold out the interests of organic consumers and farmers in deference to those of corporate agribusiness, said Mark A. Kastel, who is Cornucopia's Senior Farm Policy Analyst.
When the almond pasteurization mandate was first proposed, the USDA notified 200 industry representatives who submitted, nationally, a total of only 18 formal responses during the legally mandated public comment period.
When The Cornucopia Institute alerted almond growers, consumers, and retailers, well over 10,000 comments came into the USDA, asking the department to re-open comments and take their concerns into consideration.What many consumers and retailers found most repugnant was that despite the mandated fumigation or steam treatment, almonds would still be labeled in the marketplace as "raw."
Bush administration officials, who first entertained the idea of a "compromise" whereby organic and other high-quality smaller growers could continue to sell truly raw almonds, including a notice telling consumers that they had not been pasteurized, later informed Cornucopia that they had rejected the alternative proposal and decided to "side with the industry."
Cornucopia's Campaign Asking Obama to Clean House at USDAIn addition to their court case, The Cornucopia Institute last month launched a campaign asking President Obama and the newly appointed USDA secretary, Tom Vilsack, to clean house at the USDA's National Organic Program and appoint officials who will promote a fair shake for family-scale farmers and consumers who are demanding authentic food in the marketplace.

Raw classes

We had an amazing class last night!! I had a woman who told me she "came with a headache and stomach ache but left headache and stomachache free and hadn't felt that good in a long time" with tears in her eyes!! That made my day!! I so sincerely what to help people feel better and am so glad when I see results

Thanks to another raw foodist I found this great recipe - yummm

Did you know that one cup of chopped kale contains 307% of your daily value (DV) of Vitamin A, 200% of your DV of Vitamin C, and 13% of your DV of calcium?

Kale is a great source of calcium, manganese, potassium and iron. It also contains a whopping 1361% of your DV of Vitamin K–in just one chopped cup! It’s loaded with antioxidants, and is high in lutein and zeaxanthin which help prevent macular degeneration (vision loss associated with old age).

Crispy Kale Chips:

1 or 2 bunches of kale, washed

3/4 C Thai coconut water
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 C fresh lemon juice
2 tsp sea salt
1 1/4 C raw macadamia nuts, cashews, and/or pine nuts (or any combination)
1/4 C stone-ground mustard (we’ve also used dijon and it worked well)

2+ TBS nutritional yeast

After washing the kale, take the large stems out by running a knife along the edges of the stems. Tear the kale into bite size pieces and place in a large bowl. Add enough fresh water to the bowl to cover the kale and sprinkle a tablespoon or two of salt in the water. Allowing the kale to soak with help soften the texture (though this is not necessary) Allow the kale to soak for half of an hour and then drain.

In the mean time, combine the coconut water, garlic, lemon juice, salt, nuts and mustard in a Vita-mix or high speed blender and blend until smooth.

Pour this dressing over the drained kale chips. Add the nutritional yeast to taste. Massage the dressing into the kale to make sure that everything is evenly coated. Place the kale chips onto mesh dehydrator screens and dehydrate at 110 degrees for 6-8 hours or until crispy. Enjoy. And eat lots of kale!

The Living Link Missing From Our Diets

Here's a great article I found on benefits of probiotics in our diets and wanted to share with you.

For millions of years, our ancestors hunted for meat and gathered fruits, nuts and other plant foods. They followed the food supply, so there was no kitchen sink to wash it in.

Instead, they brushed the dirt off the foods they gathered. Or rinsed it in a nearby stream.

Today, factory farms add thousands of tons of pesticides and herbicides to our food. Even if we wash our fruits and vegetables thoroughly, we run the risk of slowly poisoning ourselves.

This modern dilemma means that our ancestors received a benefit from their food that we don’t. I think of that benefit as “living foods” — the good bacteria that inhabit our guts.

Living foods aid digestion. They hold dangerous bacteria in check. And recent research has revealed an amazing variety of other benefits. Here are just a few of the health benefits connected to these living foods:

• They support normal growth in infants¹
• They help protect against early childhood infections²
• They improve your body’s defenses against food-borne toxins³
• They may be useful in the treatment of ulcers⁴
• They can reduce the discomfort of diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome⁵
• They can reduce the damaging effects of alcoholism⁶

We have these healthy bacteria growing in our guts, too. But many of us have far fewer than we need.

I’ll show you why you need living foods. How an entire industry has misled consumers about them. And how you can enjoy the healthy benefits living foods offer.

Protection from Disease-Causing Bacteria

There wasn’t much interest in the good bacteria in our guts until the early 20th century. Then a Russian scientist named Metchnikoff had an idea. He believed that replacing the “bad” bacteria in our systems with “good” bacteria could slow aging.

Mechnikoff’s early theories were a little off. But his work led to many discoveries about the bacteria living in our digestive systems. In the 1970s, these living foods were named “probiotics.”

I like that term. It directly counters modern medicine’s dependency on “anti” biotics, which focuses on killing biological organisms rather than on supplying them.

The word “bacteria” makes most people think of germs and infection. But trillions of good bacteria live in our digestive systems. These good bacteria promote better health in several ways.

Your intestinal wall is like a parking lot with billions and billions of individual “parking spaces.” Many disease-causing bacteria can only make you sick if they find an open space on the intestinal lining.

If good bacteria have taken up all the available parking spots, the bad bacteria can’t adhere to the intestinal lining. Instead they pass through the gut. And you don’t get sick.

If bad bacteria take over, the bacteria can migrate throughout your body and cause a host of diseases that you would never associate with your gut.

There’s a good reason bacteria thrive in our intestines. There’s plenty of food. Probiotic bacteria compete against bad bacteria for this food supply.

Your digestion works a lot like natural decomposition. And that’s a perfect environment for bacteria. Bacteria don’t have complex digestive systems. So they take advantage of the free meals available in our intestines.

But probiotics give us plenty in return. Because they’re more efficient feeders than many harmful bacteria, they can crowd bad bacteria out.⁷ And a UK study found that probiotics lower the toxin levels of a bacteria that causes a form of colitis.⁸

Add these to the benefits I mentioned earlier, and you can see how probiotics promote good health.

But don’t run out and fill your fridge with cultured yogurt products. That’s because most of the so-called probiotic foods on your grocer’s shelf aren’t that useful. In fact, neither are most of the probiotic supplements I’ve seen.

And a pair of product tests help explain why.

Make Sure Your Probiotic Gets Past These Two Obstacles to be Effective

In 2003, ConsumerLab.com tested 25 probiotic products. Some were supplements. Others were foods with bacteria added. Nine products failed their tests. Almost a third contained “too few live bacteria to be effective.”

ConsumerLab.com’s second round of tests didn’t do much better. In their 2006 study, five of the 13 products they tested flunked.

But there’s still a problem. Even if a product contains “enough” bacteria, those bacteria still have to survive two attacks in your body.

First, they have to survive your stomach acid. Then, they have to face the bile salts in your upper intestine. Up until now, survival rates have been less than exciting.

The food industry has spent a fortune on special coatings to protect probiotics from stomach acid. But a research paper presented at the Israel Institute of Technology found they’re not having great success.

They tested three of the most common coating processes and found the coating process itself killed up to 60% of the bacteria.⁹ So, even if the bacteria make it through your stomach, most of them could already be dead.

Getting through your stomach is a challenge. But even the latest double-coating process is no match for bile salts. The new process worked well with stomach acid. But researchers found the double-coated capsules didn’t provide any extra protection against bile salts.¹⁰

What this all boils down to is that most probiotic products simply don’t deliver on their promises. And even those promises are being called into question.

Yogurt giant, Dannon Corp., recently agreed to settle a $300 million class-action lawsuit out of court. The reason for the suit? Evidence that health claims for Dannon’s probiotic yogurt products may not be true.

Dannon says it stands behind its claims. But the fact they’re settling the suit seems to say something else. And this isn’t the first time they’ve been called out on probiotic claims.

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) asked Danone, Dannon’s parent company, to pull “misleading” ads in both 2006 and 2008. Danone also ran afoul of the ASA in 2003. Then it was for ads for its “Shape” yogurt product.

Danone isn’t alone. The U.S. National Advertising Division claimed General Mills was running misleading ads for its Yoplait “Yo-Plus” product. General Mills pulled the ads in December 2008.

So you’re faced with a dilemma. Probiotics are good for you. But getting enough of them can be a challenge. And you may not be getting what you think you are anyway.

What do you do?

Getting Probiotics’ Benefits

There are several ways to get more of these healthy living foods into your diet.

The first is to grow your own organic fruits and vegetables. Fresh, organic produce from your own garden doesn’t require the scrubbing that factory-farmed veggies do. And you’ll have the bonus of tastier meals.

I’ve been growing my own organic garden for years, and I rarely get sick. In fact, I’ve been known to just pluck a tomato off the vine, dust if off, slice it up and eat it. No washing required.

If you don’t have room or time for your own organic garden, buy organic when you shop. Your local farmer’s market is a great place to find organic fruits and veggies. You should still wash this produce. But, like homegrown, it doesn’t need the kind of thorough cleaning commercial produce does.

Plus you can give the healthy bacteria in your gut a better chance of surviving. Simply cut out the foods that bad bacteria thrive on.

Sugar and refined carbohydrates are bad bacteria’s favorite meal. These “foods” aren’t natural to your body anyway. So giving them up — or even cutting down — offers a whole range of health benefits, including weight loss.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears is Chairman of the Board of Total Health Breakthroughs. He has written over 500 articles and 7 books in the fields of alternative medicine, anti-aging, and nutritional supplementation.]

References

1. Scalabrin DM, et. al. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2009 Mar 4.
2. Rautava S, et. al. Br J Nutr. 2008 Nov 6:1-5. [Epub ahead of print].
3. Gratz S, et. al. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2007 Jun;73(12):3958-64.
4. Lam EK, et. al. Probiotic Eur J Pharmacol. 2007 Jun 22;565(1-3):171-9.
5. Gawronska A, et. al. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2007 Jan 15;25(2):177-84.
6. Forsyth CB, et. al. Alcohol. 2009 Mar;43(2):163-72.
7. Wilson KH, Perini F. Infect Immun. 1988 Oct;56(10):2610-4.
8. Plummer S, et. al. Int Microbiol. 2004 Mar;7(1):59-62.
9. Semyonov D. Dry Microencapsulation and Enteric Coating of Probiotic Bacteria. M.Sc Thesis, Department of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Israel Institute of Technology.
10. Ding WK, Shah NP. J Food Sci. 2009 Mar;74(2):M53-61.

This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs which offers alternative health solutions for mind, body and soul.

Wow I was shocked when I read this

Latest Government Report Shows More than 50 Pesticides on Peaches

* Pesticides in your peaches
Tribune and USDA studies find pesticides, some in excess of EPA rules, in the fragrant fruit
By Monica Eng
Chicago Tribune - IL, Aug 12, 2009
Straight to the Source

As we munch into the fragrant core of peach season, shoppers face an array of choices for the same fuzzy fruit but little guidance on which type to pick. Expensive organic? Pricey farmers market? Cheap peaches from the grocery store?

Cost is certainly important. But there are essential numbers that go beyond the price tag of a peach, or any other item from the produce aisle.

Which contain the highest levels of pesticides?

Preliminary 2008 U.S. Department of Agriculture tests obtained by the Chicago Tribune show that more than 50 pesticide compounds showed up on domestic and imported peaches headed for U.S. stores. Five of the compounds exceeded the limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency, and six of the pesticide compounds present are not approved for use on peaches in the United States.

These are the types of findings that have landed peaches on one environmental group's "Dirty Dozen" list -- 12 fruits and vegetables that retain the highest levels of pesticide residues -- and give many consumers pause as they shop grocery aisles. It seems that peaches' delicate constitutions, fuzzy skins and susceptibility to mold and pests cause them to both need and retain pesticides at impressive rates.

Although most pesticides in peaches were found at levels well below EPA tolerances, some scientists and activists remain concerned about even low-level exposure, especially to pregnant women and children. They point to studies, for example, that show cognitive impairment in rats after dietary exposure to chlorpyfiros, a pesticide that showed up in 17 percent of conventional peaches tested by the USDA.

For assurance, some shoppers turn to farmers markets, which don't guarantee reduced pesticide use but do allow shoppers to discuss pesticide practices with the farmer. Organic, meanwhile, does come with the expectation that the fruit will be free of synthetic pesticides. Yet no government agency ever tested that promise until this year -- and so far those tests have been limited to lettuce, with no published results.

To get some hard facts and new insights, the Tribune paid for lab tests on California organic peaches bought here and local farmers market peaches from Illinois and Michigan.

The newspaper sent these samples to the same federal lab where the USDA does its pesticide testing and found promising results. Of the 50 compounds the Tribune had tested for, one showed up on the organic peaches and three or fewer pesticides were detected on the Michigan and Illinois peaches.

"Our growers [in southwest Michigan] pride themselves on being very careful," said William Shane, district fruit educator for Michigan State University, when he learned how Michigan peaches fared in the test. "We also tend to have smaller operations and it's easier to keep track of pesticide use."

The better results in the Tribune's small sample may also be attributable to the fact that the wider 2008 USDA conventional tests included peaches imported from Chile.

We really need to be talking to the farmers at the markets and seeing what they are using on their fruits and produce!! Sad to think we have to take these measures just to eat healthy

Cacao seedlings

Just found a place where you can buy cacao seedlings!!! yeah and kelp noodles -
check it out!
http://storesense1.carrierzone.com/oasis-pa_com/StoreFront.bok

Raw food and your tots

I am going to be doing some raw food classes for parents and their tots coming up in September, so have been doing a lot of research and came across this article by David Wolfe and wanted to share it with you.

As well wanted to let you know the critical element with children is making sure they get enough minerals and green-leafy foods.

• Coconut oil - It is one of the best things for a child's immune system. It is also great food for breast-feeding mothers.

• Green smoothies and green juices - Fabulous for chlorophyll, minerals, photonutrients, and vitamins.

Here is an awesome green smoothie I use on a daily basis: (as well as teach at all my classes)

Kale Shake

½ Bunch of Kale

1 Banana

¼ cup red grapes

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1 dash of cayenne pepper (to taste)

½ cup of ice

½ cup water or until consistency is reached

Blend all ingredients together (Vita mix Recommended)

of course remember in Raw prep, you can modify the amounts to your liking. I very rarely ever measure anything. It is all about how it tastes to you!! :)
Enjoy

David Wolfe was asked: Is a raw food diet safe and beneficial for children? Older adults?

He answered: "Yes. A carefully chosen raw-food diet containing organic fruits, vegetables, sprouts, nuts, seeds, superfoods, and herbs with appropriate supplements works beautifully for both children and older adults.

"A more specific question is: Is a Standard American Diet (SAD) safe and beneficial for children? Or older adults?

"98.5% of the U.S. population has teeth problems. Most of these are due to demineralization (poor nutrition) and too much sugar (poor nutrition).

"50% of the US population dies of heart disease which is caused by poor diet and is thus preventable and even reversible with proper diet as tens of thousands of cases have shown.

"Experts are predicting that 100% of the male population will develop prostate cancer if they live long enough! I have counseled dozens of men who have completely reversed prostate cancer and high PSA counts with raw-food nutrition, fresh juices, and herbs.

"In the next 10 years, cancer will surpass heart disease as the number one killer in the United States. We know that the best way to prevent cancer is to limit our exposure to carcinogens. The number one way of exposing ourselves to carcinogens is through cooked commercial food. Raw plant food actually contains anti-carcinogenic nutrients."

View www.davidwolfe.com for full article.

Weekend

Ahhhh, so good to be home. I was away for the last few days, traveling with my husband on business. It was nice to go to warm Orlando (95+ degrees there - yikes) but it is so nice to be home.
As you all should know it is fresh fruit season and one of my favorites is peaches. I found this delicious recipe and wanted to share it with everyone and encourage you to try it out!! It is amazing. What a great way to use your farmers market peaches than in an amazing raw food desert? :)

Summer Peach Cobbler

1 fresh summer peach, halved and sliced thinly
½-teaspoon agave
¼-teaspoon cinnamon
Mix together in bowl and set aside to let juices fuse.

Cobbler:
¼-cup raw cashews
1 Medjool date, pitted and chopped
¼- teaspoon vanilla powder
A pinch of salt
Place all the ingredients in a food processor fitted with an S blade. Process for approximately 1 minute, or until the dates and cashew begin to stick together.

Place the peaches in serving dish, ramekin, or ring mold, laying down the layers of peaches one on top of another. Crumble the nut and date mixture on top of the peaches, while lightly pressing the mixture with your fingers to form a firm topping. Compress lightly, and serve. If using ring mold, compress the mixture down slightly and gently remove the ring mold.

Ingredients:

½-teaspoon agave
¼-teaspoon cinnamon
¼-cup raw cashews

1 Medjool date, pitted and chopped
¼- teaspoon vanilla powder
A pinch of salt

Also wanted you to know that I took several more hours of intensive nutrition training so I can better provide you with the latest and most current information and resources to help make your bodies the most amazing that they can be. I will blog further about this tomorrow as I am so tired right now and just want to get in to my big cozy bed.

Sweet dreams and till tomorrow......