Happy Mother's day! How my weekend went...

First off, I'd just like to wish all you moms out there a very "Happy Mother's Day"!

Well, I have been having a great time using my work friend's Vitamix 5200. "Boy does that blender rawk! The smoothies, the sauces, all the goodies made in that thing are smooth and delicious!" I really need to save up for one of my own!

Speaking of sauces, I made my Sweet Cheesy Kale Chips this weekend using the Vitamix. I was so into making the stuff, I forgot to put in the nutritional yeast that helps add the nutty flavor. Oh well, they still came out pretty darned good! Check out the recipe for yourself! I also made some raw ice cream - vanilla, and chocolate-carob. The Vitamix really made a difference in the consistency of the ice cream mix that I placed in the freezer. This batch is super creamy and delish! Still no need for an ice cream maker. Check my recipe blog later for the recipe and the pics.

Oh, you know what else? I don't know if I mentioned this previously, but my other good friend from work has an herb garden. His wife and him have been giving me fresh herbs right from the garden. I mean big bag fulls. They have given me basil, dill, cilantro, parsley, mint, and tomatoes (not an herb, but still from the garden). I've been feeling rather blessed. Well anyway, they gave me tons more. So this weekend I decided to dehydrate some of it to make dried herbs for my food prep. While I was dehydrating them, the dehydrator kept shutting off. It must have done that 6 times before it finally stayed on long enough to dry them. You see, I'm still using an old Nesco dehydrator (the round kind with no temp control). Another item for the wish list is an Excalibur dehydrator. I would love to own one of those things too! I use the heck out of my Nesco, and it shows.

Well, I was beginning to worry that I wouldn't be able to dehydrate my kale chips...but luckily the Nesco turned back on and stayed on overnight. The chips came out fine. I hope to make a few more things today with it, so hopefully it will hang in there a little while longer. Just knowing how I feel about the Vitamix, I'm sure I'd feel the same way about the Excalibur. I know that one day I will have these items for my very own! Patience...

Yesterday I also managed to take time out an watch my copy of "Simply Raw, Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days". Wow! This documentary was so "rawsome"! It was so well done, so heart-felt, I actually cried a few times out of happiness for the people who made the transition, and found hope in their health again! It's definitely a movie to see! Whether you suffer from diabetes or not, this movie will make an impact on you and how you think about your health, your diet, the medical industry, and raw food.

After watching that, I decided to take out my "Food Matters" video and watch that again. Another brilliant documentary to watch! Watching these two movies really empower you to want to go out and spread the word on using raw food to heal and feel well! "Hey, that's what I want to do!"

As for my daily raw, and the 100-day challenge through Raw Fu, I've been doing good overall. I have been eating a little more organic corn chips than I should, but everything else has been high raw! As you know, I was eating a lot of raw chocolate too...but I have cut way back on that too! For the most part, my daily diet consists a tall glass of water with MSM and freshly squeezed lemon juice, then later a small morning fruit smoothie (antioxidant rich), maybe a raw bar or mostly raw apple with raw almond butter to dip. Then for lunch I'll have a big salad of greens, seaweed, tomatoe, cucumber, and maybe avocado, hemp seed, and a little bragg's and kelp flakes. I'll also have a Kombucha with it or just plain water. Then for a late afternoon snack I'll have fruit (unless I'm still full). Then for my early dinner I have a huge green smoothie! That's it! The only thing that's not included is the occasional corn chip binge, and the two weeks of raw chocolate I consumed...

Well, that's it for today. I need to get back to working on my site, and hopefully making my first web video. We'll see. Till' next time, have a great day, and a blessed week!

Peace! :)

- Debbie

"Food Matters" and smoothie recipes

Wow! I just watched the most incredible documentary, "Food Matters". I'm sure you have already heard about it, seen the trailer, or hopefully you've seen it too! I really was impressed by it. It kept my attention the entire time, and I watched it on my computer with a standard sized flat screen (small)...so you know it's good. I can't wait to watch it on our big screen!

Anyway, when I first saw the trailer I knew it had to be good, so I went ahead and bought it. I'm so glad I did. I definately want to encourage everyone I know to watch this. Especially those individuals who are not real familiar or hip on "good nutrition" as it really is. You know, raw fresh foods, nutrients, fresh air, good vibes...and all that. I have a lot of S.A.D. friends and family members that are very near and dear to my heart. They definately need to see this, at least so that they are informed. What they do with the information, obviously, will be there choice.

I took a few notes while watching the documentary. It gives a rough idea of what you will learn about from the film. The documentary talks about "Ortho molecular medicine", in other words "high dosage nutrition therapy". I believe I'm stating that right. The film definately impresses upon the importance of incorporating raw food, raw juices, vitamins, super foods, purified water, clean oxygen (through exercise), and sunshine, to encourage ultimun health and well being, and to protect against disease and chronic illness. It also encourages body cleansing through detoxification, colonics, and enimas to remove the toxins that have built up in our bodies from the way we eat, and from the way our food is preserved.

I liked what David Wolfe said about how weight loss shouldn't be done through our skin (from sweating through exercise, and such). We need to lose the weight through our bowels, because it's safer, and actually easier to pass it through our bowels and out of our cells by doing things such as colonics, juicing, etc. I truly agree with that since the older I get strenuous exercise only hurts me. I love to exercise, but I don't like to hurt. You should be able to exercise without hurting yourself, and still obtain the results you seek. More proof that what you eat does matter!

It talks about the drug and medical industry, and how our society has just gotten so far away from the basics of good health. And how taking charge of your own health by incorporating good nutrition through raw fresh foods and juices, mega doses of vitamins, super foods, water, and exercise, can make it so that health insurance won't have to be such a necessity. Afterall, encompassing raw fresh food, water and exercise, is "cheap, simple, safe and effective." That was also another one of my favorite liens from the documentary. Some of my favorite lines in the film are, "Teach them how to be healthy. Educate them instead of medicating them."

I can't remember the name of the gentleman off hand that talked about high dosages of vitamins for disease control. In fact he's the one that said most of the lines in the documentary that I remembered the most. I'll have to watch again to get his name. Anyway, I learned some things form him that I never knew about. Like the fact that high doses of Vitamin C therapy for removing cancer cells (up to 11,500 mg with no side effects); and that you can use Niacin therapy for depression (3,000 mg or more of Niacin/Vitamin B3, a day). I find it fascinating, since I'm all for natural means first to cure disease and illness, and pharmaceuticals as a last resort.

I'd like to learn more about ortho molecular medicine and how it can relate to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Oesteo Arthritis, and possibly Scleroderma. My son and I, and my husband all suffer from OCD. My son's OCD is severe. My mother suffers from Scleroderma, but has lived 20 years longer than expected (nutrition, environment, stress management had a lot to do with it). Both my husband and I suffer from Oesteo Arthritis, and have severe back damage. Pain management is a very big part of our life. However, I have managed to find other methods besides drugs and exercise to help my pain - massage and chiropractic methods are very big on my list for releaving pain. And now, raw food. "Yes," raw food has definately helped me feel better. Gee, I think I'm slightly digressing here...sorry.

So, the point I'm trying to make is, you need to watch this documentary, "Food Matters". It will well be worth your investment!

Now for some more smoothie recipes...enjoy!

Strawberry Tropic Green Smoothie:

2 peaches, stoned and cut
1 banana, peeled
2 kiwis, peeled and sliced
1 scoop raw vanilla ice cream
1 scoop raw protein
½ cup frozen or fresh mango
2 handfuls spinach
2 handfuls strawberries, stemmed and cut
1 handful sliced raw almonds
enough water to cover
4-6 ice cubes

Place in blender and puree until green and smooth. Makes about 2 full servings.

Thai Coconut Island Green Smoothie:

1 young Thai coconut (meat and water)
2 kiwis ( peeled and cut)
1 ½ - 2 cups mango chunks (fresh or frozen)
½ - 1 slice pineapple (fresh or frozen)
2 small bananas (peeled and cut)
2 handfuls sliced raw almonds
2 handfuls spinach
1 scoop raw protein
Juice from one large orange
4 – 6 purified ice cubes
Purified water (enough to cover ingredients)

Place all ingredients in a blender, and puree until smooth and creamy. Makes about 2-4 full servings. This is a very smooth and filling drink.

Tangy Carrot Zinger Slushy:

1 cup carrots (about 2 carrots, peeled, stemmed and chopped)
1-2 slices pineapple rings
Juice from ½ a lemon
1 T raw honey
1 bunch (about 1 cup) stemmed, chopped fresh cilantro
4-6 cubes purified ice
Purified water to cover

Place all ingredients in a blender, and puree until smooth and well blended. The consistency is a like a nutty slushy. Serve over ice or as is. Makes about 1-2 servings.

Sorry, it's the only picture I have to post today. Thanks for reading, and enjoy the smoothies!

Till next time!

- Debbie