Brendan Brazier, Cleanse Meeting, and a Level I Class... What a Week!

It's been quite a week for me, with lots of high points amidst LOTS of work.

Monday night Denise and I attend the Brendan Brazier seminar in Manchester, NH, sponsored by A Market. Wow. I've been dying to meet Brendan ever since my friend (and smoothie partner in crime) Lori turned me on to his book "Thrive Diet" years ago. I've been such a fan, I've even shipped copies of his book overseas to friends and family. I use him as an example almost daily when talking about a raw, vegan lifestyle, and he truly is an inspiration. Can you tell I absolutely love him?

Brendan spoke about how it takes energy (from your body) to gain energy (from the food you eat), and how you want to spend the least to gain the most for a higher net gain. Most Americans are overfed, but undernourished, because of the food they eat!

He also explained the stress/hormone relationship. Stresses including work, environmental toxins, foods we eat, even exercise, cause the hormone cortisol to rise. Excessive cortisol levels prevent the delta phase of deep sleep. This causes adrenal fatigue (I am a sufferer!), and causes many to turn to stimulants such as coffee... Which causes more stress on the body. 40% of stress can be attributed to POOR NUTRITION!

So... Change your diet to a plant-based diet, which is easier for the body to assimilate (use) for a higher net gain. This lowers stress, which lowers cortisol. Eventually you are able to reach the delta level of sleep (2-6 weeks). You'll sleep more efficiently, and require less sleep yet have more energy. The idea is to introduce high net gain foods that are alkalizing (as opposed to acid-forming). Acid forming foods (meats, dairy, sugars, processed, cooked) causes your body to pull calcium from your bones to neutralize your blood. THIS is what causes osteoporosis. Acid forming foods also cause INFLAMMATION.

Introducing nutrient-dense, alkalizing foods such as maca (root from Peru full of nutrient-rich minerals from volcanic ash), and spirulina and chlorella (70% protein and alkalizing) into your diet will improve sleep quality and energy levels.

Remember: CHANGE is stress, even if it's positive change. Make the change to a new diet slowly, and preferably with the assistance of a holistic nurse practitioner (such as Val or Maureen at Londonderry Whole Health).

Tip for athletes: carbs BEFORE a workout, protein AFTER. Learn about Brendan's amazing products on his website http://www.myvega.com/.

It was a true pleasure to meet Brendan, and I hope he is able to come to the grand opening of the coming soon smoothie bar and cafe Lori and I are working on opening.

Then Tuesday night I had my weekly cleanse meeting during my 21-day fall cleanse. I love cleansing with a group, because it makes it so much easier. Only one more week to go...

Saturday was the Level I class (from Alissa Cohen's certification program) that Denise and I teach. We had a fantastic group, who were very sympathetic to the fact that Denise and I couldn't eat most of what we were teaching all of them to prepare (because we're cleansing). It was such a fun day - we really enjoyed our time with this group (in the photo). Apparently they enjoyed our company too, because they're all coming to our Just Desserts class November 5th!

Definitely an action-packed week with lots of wonderful things to sustain me.

Augusta

Who Says You Can't Have a Happy AND Healthy Halloween?

We have a lot of exciting things coming up in October and November... Just in time for the BIG 3: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas/Hanukkah. No need to fear (the holidays)... The answer is here!

Alissa Cohen's Living on Live Food Level I
October 23, 2010, 11am - 3pm
Manchester, NH

Alissa Cohen's Living on Live Food Level II
October 24, 2010, 9am - 5pm
Manchester, NH

Class details are listed on the Humbaba Calendar page, along with a link to email us about registering. Are your living food skills past the basics and ready for sprouting and dehydrating (but not interested in getting certified to teach)? No problem! We offer the sprouting and dehydrating portion of the Level II class separately at a significant discount.

More exciting news for October... We will be holding a Halloween Treats Seminar at Amoskeag Chiropractic in Manchester, NH. We will post the date as soon as we know it... it will be on a Wednesday starting at 6pm. This will be the perfect seminar for parents looking to give their kids delicious and healthy alternatives to the typical toxic Halloween fare. Although, parents may not want to SHARE with their kids, these treats are so delicious!

Think you may want to create desserts to bring to your holiday parties? I do this every year so that I know I'll have a delicious indulgence that's healthy for me too. For this reason, we'll bring back our oh-so-popular Just Desserts class in November. We plan a fabulously fun Friday night filled with decadent specialty drinks to accompany the most amazing raw desserts you've ever tasted!

Looking for one more feather in your living food cap? Add to your repertoire with a Holiday Sides Seminar. All the goodies like stuffing, cranberry relish, and mashed potatoes. If we get enough requests and can fit this one in, we'll DO IT! Let us know what classes/seminars are most exciting to you...

We hope to see you before the snow flies!
Augusta

Just Desserts Night... Recipes

Our Just Desserts class last night, in Londonderry, NH (thank you Maureen!), was amazing fun as always. We had a fabulous group of women, and we ate, and ate, and ATE! Per usual, Denise and I prepared a couple of treats for the class that we do not teach during the class - one of which last night because it's in the experimental stages. Several requests were made for these recipes... Following is the latte recipe...

"Strength" Mocha Latte
- 1/2 C brewed burdock root tea (brew and strain)
- 1 C almond milk
- 1 to 2 t agave (or honey or maple syrup)
- 1/4 t vanilla
- 1/4 t shilajit (optional, but gives you calm energy)
- 1/2 t maca powder (gives it a malt flavor)
- 1 to 2 t cacao powder (or more if you like)

Blend ingredients together to incorporate and make them frothy. Serve chilled in the summer. Or warm in a Vita-Mix. If you make this the moment you brew the burdock root tea, it will be warm already. You can purchase the shilajit and agave at Ultimate Super Foods. I also reference other great places to purchase products online on the Humbaba World website.

Augusta

Aw NUTS!

Just Desserts is right around the corner, and Denise and I are really looking forward to an evening of delicious, healthy desserts shared with a great group of people. It is definitely one of our favorite classes to teach.

Sadly, we had to discourage a couple of people from joining us this coming Friday night. Why? NUTS.

Raw food desserts are notorious for using nuts - nut flours, creams, ice creams - it's practically unavoidable. Well, why? Surely there has to be other ingredients we can use as substitutes. Coconut meat, of course, is one such ingredient... but truth be told, Denise and I have not cracked that one so-to-speak. Our next task is to get over the fear of opening coconuts. Silly, I know. It's not, for example, like having to get over the fear of public speaking!

Because of all this, we are working on creating nut-free alternatives to as many of the recipes we teach as possible. Nuts are a wonderful source of protein and good fats in the raw food world, but there are plenty of other sources of these such as sprouted quinoa and avocado.

We don't want to have to turn people away again because of a nut allergy, so keep your eyes open for a nut-free raw food class sometime this year... Including desserts!

Augusta

Spring/Summer Classes Added!

This past Sunday Denise and I got together to "play" in the kitchen, in preparation for our next Just Desserts class. You wouldn't BELIEVE the craziness that ensued! We're talking chocolate splatters on the ceiling and my head covered in chocolate mousse... Not kidding. We even have the pictures to prove it, which I may post one day.

Needless to say, we had a tremendous amount of fun like we always do when we get to messing around with raw food creations. And we did actually accomplish some things in and amongst all the "play", such as setting more class dates:

April 29th - FREE Smoothie Seminar
June 5th - Level I Certification
June 6th - Level II Certification

Keep your eyes peeled for more summer events as we add them to the calendar... Do I hear "pot-luck" anyone??? And of course, if there are any classes you'd like us to offer that you don't see on the schedule, put in a request for it!

Augusta

March Classes at Affordable Prices

I've noticed lately that several raw food classes are being offered on a sliding scale to accommodate everyone's wallet. For example, Rawbert's classes (of Organic Garden Cafe in Beverly, MA). Also Alissa Cohen recently offered her 4-day training this spring at a discount for the remaining open seats.

Denise and I understand what it feels like to really want to learn about how to prepare raw food, but just not being able to stomach paying the class fees to do so. It was a significant investment for us to take Alissa's 4-day training, and we almost didn't do it because of the financial hurdle. But, oh, was it worth it! Doing something wonderful for yourself always is.

We certainly don't want people to miss out on learning as much as they can about how to live and eat healthy in a sustainable way, so we decided to follow suit by offering our spring classes on a sliding scale as well... Just pay what you honestly can afford! This offer includes our Just Desserts class March 19th, and our Level I & II classes March 27th and 28th.

Now, if only Whole Foods would take on this philosophy...

Augusta

The Myth of Agave as a "Healthy" Sugar Subtitute?

Oh boy. Just when you think you're doing the healthy thing... There's new evidence to the contrary! I know it can certainly feel like this sometimes, and with what I've recently learned about agave (the sweetener I use for EVERYTHING)... Well, let's just say I've been momentarily derailed.

What I belived about raw agave is that it was a healthy sugar substitute - better than sugar, artificial sweeteners, corn syrup, maple syrup, or even raw honey - and a low glycemic food. I was very careful only to buy raw (very, very light in color - unlike the brown syrups you typically see). However...

I very recently read a piece on Mercola.com that was educational, if not discouraging. In this article, it is explained that agave is mostly all fructose, not low calorie (same as table sugar), and may not have a low glycemic index. No clinical studies have been done on its safety for diabetics, so presently the claim that agave is a safe alternative is purely speculative. The less heat used to process the agave, the lower percentage of fructose - but still at least 50%. This makes agave an illogical choice if you're hoping to avoid the high levels of fructose in high fructose corn syrup.

Glucose in sugars are converted to blood glucose. Fructose is converted to fat and cholesterol by your liver. A danger is that fructose does not stimulate your insulin secretion, nor enhance leptin production, which is thought to be involved in appetite regulation. Therefore, dietary fructose can contribute to increased food intake and weight gain.

This information just goes to show, no matter your nutritional type, we should all try to remember that sugar is not good for us!

So, what to do? My personal plan is to experiment with stevia - a natural, sweet herb. It is much sweeter than sugar, so very little is needed. I asked Alissa Cohen her opinion on stevia vs agave, and she is using whole leaf stevia whenever possible - avoiding agave. You can grow it fresh in the summer, like any herb, or buy it dried at Mountain Rose Herbs.

- Eliminate all artificial sweeteners
- Avoid high fructose corn syrup
- Limit sugar
- Limit raw, organic agave (avoid all other forms of agave)
- Use raw, organic honey in moderation
- Use whole leaf stevia in moderation (but avoid stevia-based sweeteners like Truvia and PureVia)

As I experiment with stevia as a sweetener, I'll post ratios and comparison amounts to help all of us transition away from the liberal use of agave I know I was enjoying. And Denise and I will incorporate more stevia (or other sweet things like dates) into our class recipes.

Augusta

Pineapple Crumble Cake

Denise and I have been perfecting our dessert-making skills, as you all know, for our appearance on "Cooking in Season" on MMTV and our Just Desserts class Nov 13th. Both went really well, and everyone will be able to see our first ever TV appearance as soon as it gets posted on YouTube.

I have to say, the most popular dessert across the board has been the Pineapple Crumble Cake. We found this recipe in "Ani's Raw Food Desserts" book by Ani Phyo that was published this fall. In her book it's titled Pineapple Icebox Dessert, but Denise and I decided that this name didn't hold any meaning for us and therefore wouldn't for many others as well -- so we re-named it. But, it is her recipe! No changes.

CRUST
2 cups cashews
1 tablespoon alcohol-free vanilla extract
2 tablespoons agave

FILLING
1 1/2 cups cashews
1/3 cup agave
1/4 cup liquid coconut oil
1/4 cup filtered water, as needed
2 1/2 cups chopped pineapple

To make the crust, combine the cashews and vanilla in the food processor and chop to a crushed wafer texture [as fine or chunky as you like]. Add the agave syrup and process to mix well. Sprinkle half of the crust onto the bottom of a small loaf pan.

To make the filling, combine the cashews, agave, and coconut oil in the high speed blender and blend until smooth, adding water as needed to create a creamy texture. Spoon the mixture into a mixing bowl, add the pineapple, and stir to mix well. Spoon the filling into the loaf pan and sprinkle the remaining crust on top. Pat lightly. Freeze for 2 hours or until chilled.

Will keep for 4-6 days in the fridge or for several weeks in the freezer.

People who love pineapple LOVE this recipe. People who aren't crazy about pineapple LOVE this recipe! It's filling, healthy, and DELICIOUS. If you're feeling a little unsure about making this one yourself, watch our video on YouTube for the demonstration. I'll post the link in this blog as soon as it's available.

Augusta

Experimenting with Raw Food

Denise and I spent the day preparing for our guest appearance on a local cable TV show, where we'll be demonstrating how to prepare easy, delicious, raw food desserts for everyone to enjoy throughout the holidays... Completely GUILT FREE. We made quite a mess. We had quite a lot of fun. It was quite a day!

Denise likes to follow recipes to a "T", whereas I am fairly comfortable adding a little of this and a little of that and "feeling" my way through a recipe. We didn't have enough of some of the ingredients, like cashews, so we had to do some improvising anyway. One valuable lesson we learned: do NOT substitute cashews with macadamias!!! Unless maybe you're looking for cheesier flavor, like ricotta.

For anyone new to raw food preparation, I think experimenting in the kitchen is a truly important part of the process. It helps you become familiar with each ingredient, and how it performs for achieving different textures and flavors. Don't be afraid to make mistakes... Some of my biggest "mistakes" have turned into staple dishes I can't live without!

So, grab a girlfriend or two and make a play date of it!

Augusta