It's been a HOT June, definitely hotter than we're used to before August. So I whipped up a cooling creation that's healthy and delicious. The best part? Most of the ingredients are stored in the freezer, so you can have them on hand to enjoy this smoothie any time.
Grape Crush
- 1 cup frozen red grapes (organic, seedless)
- 1/2 cup frozen pear (I cut them up and store them in a freezer bag)
- 1/2 cup frozen cucumber (I skin a cucumber, slice it, store in a freezer bag)
- 1 medjool date
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 cup coconut water (add a little more if needed)
Blend all ingredients in a Vita-Mix, using the plunger to help it along. This should turn into the consistency of a frozen slush... Thick enough to eat with a spoon. Need it a little sweeter? Add a spoonful of honey to the blender.
I served this at our last raw food pot-luck, and everyone LOVED it! Cooling, refreshing, very grape-y, and delicious. The best part? Not only is this smoothie delicious for summer, but it is super healthy too! Cucumbers are a natural diuretic, so if you feel like you're retaining water in this heat the cucumbers will help. Grapes are very anti-cancer. Pears are high in fiber. Dates also provide lots of fiber and are packed with fuel for high energy. Coconut water is the very best for re-hydrating.
Enjoy! And join us at our next smoothie seminar for more fabulous creations...
Augusta
Friday, June 25, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Sweat it OUT!
A funny little story... At the end of 7th grade, when we were all signing yearbooks, a cute 8th grader signed "you are a really sweat girl" to mine. Of course he meant "sweet", at least I HOPE he did... Although the "sweat" description would accurately describe me as of late.
In our living food classes, students are very interested in learning about how to cleanse and detox. Breathing and sweating are two of the most basic ways our bodies naturally do this, all on their own! Respiring and perspiring. I mention this, because Denise and I started a hot yoga challenge on June 1st - she's practicing Bikram yoga in Manchester, NH at Bikram Yoga Manchester, and I'm practicing hot core yoga (a Bikram inspired style) in Beverly Farms, MA at Yoga Passion. We are both 4 days in, and LOVING it!
Each day, as my breathing gets deeper, I can feel my body digging deeper into the toxins taking up residence there and expelling them all the way from my toes out my mouth. And the sweat? That's pretty sweet too. If you're looking for some detox in your life, some balance, we both highly recommend giving hot yoga a shot. Most studios have a special offer for newcomers - both these studios offer your first 10 consecutive days for only $20. $2 a session, if you go every day for 10 days, is a sweet (I mean SWEAT) deal! Namaste.
FYI, my Yogi's partner Grace also teaches raw food classes! I can't wait to meet her and talk raw. She has a 3-day class coming up June 18-20 in Beverly Farms, MA. For details, she can be reached at graceventural@gmail.com.
Augusta
In our living food classes, students are very interested in learning about how to cleanse and detox. Breathing and sweating are two of the most basic ways our bodies naturally do this, all on their own! Respiring and perspiring. I mention this, because Denise and I started a hot yoga challenge on June 1st - she's practicing Bikram yoga in Manchester, NH at Bikram Yoga Manchester, and I'm practicing hot core yoga (a Bikram inspired style) in Beverly Farms, MA at Yoga Passion. We are both 4 days in, and LOVING it!
Each day, as my breathing gets deeper, I can feel my body digging deeper into the toxins taking up residence there and expelling them all the way from my toes out my mouth. And the sweat? That's pretty sweet too. If you're looking for some detox in your life, some balance, we both highly recommend giving hot yoga a shot. Most studios have a special offer for newcomers - both these studios offer your first 10 consecutive days for only $20. $2 a session, if you go every day for 10 days, is a sweet (I mean SWEAT) deal! Namaste.
FYI, my Yogi's partner Grace also teaches raw food classes! I can't wait to meet her and talk raw. She has a 3-day class coming up June 18-20 in Beverly Farms, MA. For details, she can be reached at graceventural@gmail.com.
Augusta
Monday, May 17, 2010
Something about a window opening when a door closes...
It is a sad day when your favorite raw food restaurant closes, and I was very sad to learn that Alissa decided to close both Grezzo locations - Newburyport and Boston. Although, I am very happy for Alissa that she has decided to follow her true path: teaching. She's an amazing teacher! Read her blog post about this decision here.
The good news? 'There's good news?' you may ask. Yes! The good news for us raw foodies is that Lori opened Symbielle last week, a fabulous juice and smoothie bar! There are many wonderful menu items to choose from, but the BEST creations are the ones you come up with on the spot with Lori's guidance. She truly has something for everyone, including Richardson's Ice Cream for the non raw foodies to enjoy.
Lori has created a wonderful space to meet up, chill out, get healthy, or hang loose in at Symbielle. And she's supporting local agriculture to boot, by purchasing from local growers and local vendors, like Richardson's.
Symbielle is located at 227 Newbury St, Route 1 NB, Danvers, MA. There's plenty of parking, so bring your friends... ALL of your friends! While things get going, they'll be open until 4pm on week days, and 6pm on weekends. Come early, and come often! I'm sure you'll see me there...
The good news? 'There's good news?' you may ask. Yes! The good news for us raw foodies is that Lori opened Symbielle last week, a fabulous juice and smoothie bar! There are many wonderful menu items to choose from, but the BEST creations are the ones you come up with on the spot with Lori's guidance. She truly has something for everyone, including Richardson's Ice Cream for the non raw foodies to enjoy.
Lori has created a wonderful space to meet up, chill out, get healthy, or hang loose in at Symbielle. And she's supporting local agriculture to boot, by purchasing from local growers and local vendors, like Richardson's.
Symbielle is located at 227 Newbury St, Route 1 NB, Danvers, MA. There's plenty of parking, so bring your friends... ALL of your friends! While things get going, they'll be open until 4pm on week days, and 6pm on weekends. Come early, and come often! I'm sure you'll see me there...
Augusta
Monday, May 3, 2010
The True Fountain of Youth... Water From the Source
I spent an amazing weekend with a wonderful group of people at Kripalu learning how to build super immunity from David Wolfe. I learned so many incredible, truly mind-blowing things, my brain is still humming. It will take some time for all of the information I absorbed to gel.
The last thing we all did together, before leaving Kripalu, was visit a spring in western MA, and drink from the "fountain of youth." Literally, the first bit of "news" I heard upon returning home was the massive run on bottled water because of the "catastrophic break in a pipe" cutting off the water supply from Weston, MA, to dozens of cities and towns north and west of Boston, including my town of Wakefield. The police and fire department have been out for days warning everyone not to drink the water being pumped into homes from alternate sources because none of it has been treated.
WOW. This proves to me once again how the Universe works in mysterious ways! How, you might ask? The moment I learn that the best water to drink on this earth is abundant and FREE, I mean that very moment, there is more reason than ever for me to seek that water out and start drinking it immediately!
The very first thing David taught us about how to build super immunity was to collect and drink water from naturally occurring springs. Not filtered water, not bottled water, not reverse osmosis water, not ionized water... But free, natural, aurous, spring water. Why? As David says "it's called the fountain of youth, not the faucet of youth."
There are plenty of videos and blog posts about why natural spring water is the best water on this earth for us to drink. What I'd like to pass along is Daniel Vitalis' website FindASpring.com, where you can literally find a spring near you anywhere in the world! If there is ONE thing you do for yourself to build immunity, do this. Buy some brown glass bottles from a local brewing supply store or antique shop, fill them with water from the nearest natural spring, and cork them. No need to purchase fancy machinery. No need to hook up fancy equipment. Go straight to the source provided to all of us for free from this great earth. There is no better gift.
I will continue to share snippets from my incredible weekend every now and again in this blog. If you have any questions about finding safe spring water, please leave a comment.
Augusta
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Sunscreen: healthy or hazardous to your skin?
I am a fair-skinned individual, and for that reason overexposure to the sun has always been a concern of mine. In an effort to prevent skin cancer and wrinkles, I've always slathered on the high SPF (50 or higher) before going out into the sun, and have been a big fan of the frequent re-apply.
In the transformation I've been making over the past 4 years into a healthy lifestyle, skin care has been a rather large piece of what I've transformed. I use organic soaps and lotions, I filter my water, I skin brush... Organic sunscreen is one switch I have not been able to make. It seems no matter which brand of organic sunscreen I try, I still burn. And they are expensive! I finally decided I had to switch back to traditional sunscreen, and have stuck to Neutrogena.
Last week on Mercola.com there was an article recycled about the dangers of traditional sunscreens, and Neutrogena is right up there as one of the worst offenders. Dr. Mercola has an organic sunscreen product that he believes in, but I am super skeptical after all of the organic brands I've tried that failed me. What did stand out was one of the comments at the end that diet improves your skins natural SPF and therefore resistance to sun damage; specifically, eating fresh spinach. When I visited the link provided in this comment, here's what I learned...
The following thirteen nutrients are currently known to increase your skin's sun protection factor (SPF) level:
Alpha-carotene
Beta-carotene*
Co-enzyme Q10*
Folate*
Glutathione*
Isoflavones
Lutein*
Lycopene
Omega 3 essential fatty acids*
Polyphenols*
Vitamin C*
Vitamin E*
Zeaxanthin*
The ten SPF enhancing nutrients with an asterisk (*) are all found in spinach. This makes spinach quite possibly the single most potent whole food nutrition source to reduce risk of ultra violet sun damage to skin and thus the risks of sunburn or various skin cancers.
I'm willing to experiment with this! I regularly include green smoothies in my diet now, but I can really beef up the spinach during the months where I'm likely to experience the most sun exposure. I'll include the organic sunscreen in my regimen again, and see how it goes. Stay tuned!
In the meantime, Friday, May 7th Denise and I are hosting our first Raw Food Pot Luck in Wakefield, MA from 6-8pm. Our special guest, Michelle, will be educating us on organic skin care, and I imagine will be the perfect person to ask about organic sunscreen. Everyone is welcome to come join us! Information is posted under Events on HumbabaWorld.com.
Augusta
In the transformation I've been making over the past 4 years into a healthy lifestyle, skin care has been a rather large piece of what I've transformed. I use organic soaps and lotions, I filter my water, I skin brush... Organic sunscreen is one switch I have not been able to make. It seems no matter which brand of organic sunscreen I try, I still burn. And they are expensive! I finally decided I had to switch back to traditional sunscreen, and have stuck to Neutrogena.
Last week on Mercola.com there was an article recycled about the dangers of traditional sunscreens, and Neutrogena is right up there as one of the worst offenders. Dr. Mercola has an organic sunscreen product that he believes in, but I am super skeptical after all of the organic brands I've tried that failed me. What did stand out was one of the comments at the end that diet improves your skins natural SPF and therefore resistance to sun damage; specifically, eating fresh spinach. When I visited the link provided in this comment, here's what I learned...
The following thirteen nutrients are currently known to increase your skin's sun protection factor (SPF) level:
Alpha-carotene
Beta-carotene*
Co-enzyme Q10*
Folate*
Glutathione*
Isoflavones
Lutein*
Lycopene
Omega 3 essential fatty acids*
Polyphenols*
Vitamin C*
Vitamin E*
Zeaxanthin*
The ten SPF enhancing nutrients with an asterisk (*) are all found in spinach. This makes spinach quite possibly the single most potent whole food nutrition source to reduce risk of ultra violet sun damage to skin and thus the risks of sunburn or various skin cancers.
I'm willing to experiment with this! I regularly include green smoothies in my diet now, but I can really beef up the spinach during the months where I'm likely to experience the most sun exposure. I'll include the organic sunscreen in my regimen again, and see how it goes. Stay tuned!
In the meantime, Friday, May 7th Denise and I are hosting our first Raw Food Pot Luck in Wakefield, MA from 6-8pm. Our special guest, Michelle, will be educating us on organic skin care, and I imagine will be the perfect person to ask about organic sunscreen. Everyone is welcome to come join us! Information is posted under Events on HumbabaWorld.com.
Augusta
Thursday, April 22, 2010
More Information About Agave...
We said we'd continue to get to the bottom of the "agave is as bad as HFCS" article, and sure enough, there is a wonderful article by Susan of Rawmazing which helps to clarify and dispel myths and misinformation.
She spoke with Stephen Richards, the founder of BetterBody Foods and Nutrition, asking him to respond to some of the points made in the Mercola article. Mercola's article is in quotations, followed by Stephen's responses in italics.
"In spite of manufacturer's claims, agave "nectar" is not made from the sap of the yucca or agave plant but from the starch of its pineapple-like root bulb. the root is comprised mainly of starch, similar to corn, and a complex carbohydrate called inulin, which is made up of fructose molecules. the process by which agave starch and inulin are converted into "nectar" is VERY similar to the process by which cornstarch is converted to HFCS1."
There is no starch in the agave plant. the agave plant contains fructans which are broken down into sugars by simply applying low heat. the process by which it is broken down is not even close.
"The agave starch is converted into fructose-rich syrup using genetically modified enzymes and a chemically intensive process involving caustic acids, clarifiers, and filtration chemicals."
Xagave is a USDA organic certified product and we have a GMO free certification. Thus the statement that chemicals, genetically modified enzymes and caustic acids are used is incorrect - with respect to Xagave. Again, I cannot speak for other brands.
The fructose content of Xagave is less than sugar (sucrose), about the same as honey, and less than HFCS. In addition, Xagave has less total sugars than the above mentioned sweeteners. Xagave has a glycemic index of 30 (date paste has a GI over 103), and contains inulin, (a prebiotic fiber, promoting the healthy function of your lower intestine that has also been shown to promote regularity, boost the immune system, increase calcium absorption and increase bone density).
Interestingly, onions also promote regularity, boost the immune system, increase calcium absorption and increase bone density... and also contain inulin. When I worked at Stoneyfield Farm Yogurt, I learned that they add inulin to their yogurt. Just a little aside!
I hope this information is helpful to you on your quest to know the truth about agave. Like anything we purchase to feed our bodies with, no two products are created equal... There are good tomatoes and toxic tomatoes, even though they are both called tomatoes. The same is true of agave.
To read Susan's full article on Rawmazing, click here: Agave: Hero or Villain. To learn more about Xagave, including independent lab tests, click here: Xagave.
Augusta
She spoke with Stephen Richards, the founder of BetterBody Foods and Nutrition, asking him to respond to some of the points made in the Mercola article. Mercola's article is in quotations, followed by Stephen's responses in italics.
"In spite of manufacturer's claims, agave "nectar" is not made from the sap of the yucca or agave plant but from the starch of its pineapple-like root bulb. the root is comprised mainly of starch, similar to corn, and a complex carbohydrate called inulin, which is made up of fructose molecules. the process by which agave starch and inulin are converted into "nectar" is VERY similar to the process by which cornstarch is converted to HFCS1."
There is no starch in the agave plant. the agave plant contains fructans which are broken down into sugars by simply applying low heat. the process by which it is broken down is not even close.
"The agave starch is converted into fructose-rich syrup using genetically modified enzymes and a chemically intensive process involving caustic acids, clarifiers, and filtration chemicals."
Xagave is a USDA organic certified product and we have a GMO free certification. Thus the statement that chemicals, genetically modified enzymes and caustic acids are used is incorrect - with respect to Xagave. Again, I cannot speak for other brands.
The fructose content of Xagave is less than sugar (sucrose), about the same as honey, and less than HFCS. In addition, Xagave has less total sugars than the above mentioned sweeteners. Xagave has a glycemic index of 30 (date paste has a GI over 103), and contains inulin, (a prebiotic fiber, promoting the healthy function of your lower intestine that has also been shown to promote regularity, boost the immune system, increase calcium absorption and increase bone density).
Interestingly, onions also promote regularity, boost the immune system, increase calcium absorption and increase bone density... and also contain inulin. When I worked at Stoneyfield Farm Yogurt, I learned that they add inulin to their yogurt. Just a little aside!
I hope this information is helpful to you on your quest to know the truth about agave. Like anything we purchase to feed our bodies with, no two products are created equal... There are good tomatoes and toxic tomatoes, even though they are both called tomatoes. The same is true of agave.
To read Susan's full article on Rawmazing, click here: Agave: Hero or Villain. To learn more about Xagave, including independent lab tests, click here: Xagave.
Augusta
Monday, April 5, 2010
Jamie Oliver: Teach Every Child About Food
I heard rumblings about this video, shocking things I could barely believe, and now I've come across it and finally seen for myself. Jamie Oliver is a chef who has found his mission: to fight obesity in America by educating children about food. Yes! He states his wish as this: "I wish for everyone to help create a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again and empower people everywhere to fight obesity."
I got into a little discussion with the person who sent me this video - he loves the message, as I do, but we disagree on one point. He thinks it's harder than ever to get away from bad foods laden with salt and sugar. I think it's the same answer as it's always been to do so.
When I was growing up in the 80's, we had fast food and chain restaurants, we had ice cream stands and soda, we had poor nutritional school lunch programs... Everything that exists today. However, I grew up in a household that treated all of those foods as a once-in-a-great-while treat. We had ice cream for dessert once a week, on Fridays, during the summer (and we only had dessert once a week). We had soda only for birthdays, so for my sister and I that meant twice a year. Only my grandmother would take us to McDonalds, which was very infrequent. When we had pizza, it was homemade from scratch with whole wheat crust. We ate dinner together as a family almost every night, and we made our dinners together. We made our own school lunches, and didn't buy from the cafeteria.
The point is, the answer hasn't changed even if the food landscape has (adding sugar to elementary school milk cartons??? Yikes!). Families need to re-evaluate the way they treat food in the home, and how often they go out for prepared food instead of eating at home.
I absolutely applaud Jamie Oliver for embarking on this mission. It is very near to my own mission. I encourage everyone to watch the video... And pass it on.
Augusta
I got into a little discussion with the person who sent me this video - he loves the message, as I do, but we disagree on one point. He thinks it's harder than ever to get away from bad foods laden with salt and sugar. I think it's the same answer as it's always been to do so.
When I was growing up in the 80's, we had fast food and chain restaurants, we had ice cream stands and soda, we had poor nutritional school lunch programs... Everything that exists today. However, I grew up in a household that treated all of those foods as a once-in-a-great-while treat. We had ice cream for dessert once a week, on Fridays, during the summer (and we only had dessert once a week). We had soda only for birthdays, so for my sister and I that meant twice a year. Only my grandmother would take us to McDonalds, which was very infrequent. When we had pizza, it was homemade from scratch with whole wheat crust. We ate dinner together as a family almost every night, and we made our dinners together. We made our own school lunches, and didn't buy from the cafeteria.
The point is, the answer hasn't changed even if the food landscape has (adding sugar to elementary school milk cartons??? Yikes!). Families need to re-evaluate the way they treat food in the home, and how often they go out for prepared food instead of eating at home.
I absolutely applaud Jamie Oliver for embarking on this mission. It is very near to my own mission. I encourage everyone to watch the video... And pass it on.
Augusta
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