Flushing the liver seasonally is great for overall health.  The liver is one of the hardest working organs in our body.  It helps maintain and support bodily functions.  It handles all sorts of toxins assisting our body’s natural cleansing mechanism.  And if something else stops functioning, the liver is known to step to the fore and fill in.

The Liver Flush Smoothie

• ¼ tsp whole cloves
• 3-5 sprigs of parsley
• 2 oranges or tangerines, peeled
• ½ lemon, peeled
• ¼ cup filtered water
• 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled.
• ½ grapefruit, peeled
• 1-2 inches of fresh ginger, peeled
• 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

Start with the water and then add ingredients one at a time to optimize the blend.  Add the oil last.  If the smoothie is too thick, add more water.  Drink first thing in the morning.  If you are sensitive to oranges, use 2 grapefruits.  Do the liver flush for three days once a season.  For optimum results, surround your liver flush days with an all vegetarian and whole grain (such as quinoa) diet to facilitate cleansing.  One of the most important ingredients in the liver flush is the parsley:

The Power of Parsley

Parsley is a well-loved herb.  Native to the Mediterranean, parsley has been well cultivated throughout the world.  Parsley is easy to grow and once established in your garden will return year after year.

Parsley is more than a pretty garnish.  Parsley has a huge presence among other herbs in term of nutrition and health. Parsley adds positive nutritional impact when used in small amounts. Parsley is a blood builder and a kidney cleanser.  Parsley eliminates toxins from the body, and therefore it’s the perfect addition to a liver cleanse.

More Reasons to Love Parsley:

Cancer Fighter: parsley has an organic compound called ‘myristicin’ that inhibits tumor formation and helps fight against oxidized molecules (i.e. it’s an antioxidant).  Myristicin can also neutralize carcinogens found in cigarette smoke.  Myristicin’s tumor fighting front is typically the lungs.

Antioxidant Power: parsley contains luteolin whose job it is to search out and destroy free radicals. Luteolin also helps the body metabolize carbohydrates. Parsley contains a nice quantity of Vitamin C and Vitamin A, both of which provide antioxidant support.

Anti-Inflammatory Action: the aforementioned luteolin and Vitamin C also helps to reduce inflammation. When regularly consumed, these two nutrients combat osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Immune Booster: Vitamin C and Vitamin A are immune boosters.  Vitamin C accelerates the body’s ability to repair itself.  Vitamin A fortifies mucous membranes, the lining of the eyes, and the respiratory tract.  Vitamin A also directly feeds our white blood cells, our frontline fighters against infection.

Heart Health: parsley has folate (vitamin B9) which converts the amino acid and homocysteine into harmless molecules. When homocysteine levels are too high, the blood vessels of the body become threatened.  Ward off heart disease with the regular inclusion of parsley in your diet.

Bone Building: Just a two tablespoons serving of parsley provides over 153% of the daily recommended value of Vitamin K.  Vitamin K helps to synthesis osteocalcin which builds our bones.  Vitamin K also prohibits the build-up of calcium deposits assisting us in the fight against atherosclerosis, stroke, and heart disease.  Finally, vitamin K assists in the creation of a healthy nervous system by providing support for the maintenance of the myelin sheath that covers our nerves.

Add parsley to any juice or smoothie recipe to enhance the nutrition.  Eat parsley daily as part of your healthcare regime.  Your body will thank you.

What do you use parsley for? Add a comment, become a friend!

Vacationing at a high altitude destination? Whether you’re going to Santa Fe, New Mexico (altitude 7,000 feet) or hiking in Costa Rica (altitude variance from 3,000-9,000 feet) preparing your body for a thinner atmosphere than you may be used to is the key to a healthy and happy trip.

Prepare for High Altitude

Include the following into your diet at least 3-5 days prior to departure if your trip is a relaxing vacation, or 7-10 days if your trip will include strenuous activity such as mountain biking, hiking, or skiing. These tips will help you adjust with grace and ease when your body feels the reality high altitude.

• Hydrate: Drink more water than you normally would – about twice as much in fact, especially for drier climates. Water will help your body adjust faster.
• Potassium: Eat fruits and vegetables high in potassium such as bananas, broccoli, avocado, cantalope, celery, greens, dates, tomatoes, and almonds.
• Anti-oxidants: Eat fruits rich in anti-oxidant properties such as berries; blueberries, blackberries, and cranberries rank the highest. Don’t forget raspberries and strawberries, too.
• Chlor-Oxygen: Rich, bio-available chlorophyll to increase oxygenation, red blood cell production, and energy levels. Here is some more information on Chlor-Oxygen in case you’re not familiar.

In my trips to high altitude destinations (I now live in one), I embraced the shift by adding to my daily regime, the high altitude smoothie.

The High Altitude Smoothie

• 1 banana
• Handful of blueberries
• Handful of blackberries
• 3 Strawberries
• 21 drops of Chlor-Oxygen
• Optional: 1 teaspoon of Almond Butter
• Mix with pure ice and water

Throw everything in a blender and enjoy!

Notes on this recipe: The banana and almond butter is not only rich in potassium, but will help you maintain a stable blood sugar level too. The berries are an anti-oxidant dream, while the Chlor-Oxygen will oxygenate your blood and get you ready to life in the higher realms.

Once At High Altitude

Continue to drink extra water, consume the recommend high potassium and antioxidant foods, and drink the High Altitude Smoothie daily, all while incorporating the following:

• Relax: Upon arrival, sit back and enjoy your arrival and give your body time to adjust. Exercise is more intense at higher altitudes. Even if you’re an experienced athlete, take it easy on the first day.
• Alcohol: Limit your “I’m on vacation!” celebratory intake. First, alcohol binds oxygen and water which removes them from being effectively used by your body. Second, alcohol is absorbed much quicker into the blood stream at high altitudes. In fact, alcohol will pack 10% more of a wallop at high altitudes than at sea-level.

Vacationing in the mountains is an adventure in beauty and for many, a dream come true. Avoid the nightmare of altitude sickness by giving the gift of preparation to yourself before playing at the top of the world. And have fun!

I like green – it’s a great color. And I love smoothies – they’re delicious. But despite my love for both, I haven’t had much luck with green smoothies. Every rendition I’ve had- self made or store bought- have either left me with bitter smoothie face or sick to my stomach; so to say my luck with green smoothies is less than stellar would be grossly understated. And, truth be told, I have given green smoothies a solid Harvard try- I really wanted to like them.

So what was it about them that I didn’t like, you ask? Honestly they were too green, not just in color but in flavor – they were overwhelmingly green. I mean, I like greens as much as the next guy, but there was far too much green going on; and although I know very well that greens are good for me (thank you Dr.Oz), I have high taste standards and a demand that my food taste good going down. I’ve developed Prima Donna eating habits, honestly.

I digress. Seeing as a healthy juicing and smoothie lifestyle contains greens, I’ve decided to change the definition of “green” smoothie  to “contains green” smoothie. Rules were meant to be broken, right? Right! And to all those green smoothie purists out there, I will have you know there is nothing that kisses a green smoothie with the right touch than, say, raspberries, fresh mint, Greek yogurt and skim milk? Doesn’t that sound good?

Well it should, because it is! The subtle mint flavor blended with the creaminess of the yogurt and the tart sweetness of the raspberries is what I call delicious; and even though there are copious amounts of spinach in this smoothie, you wouldn’t know it – and although that may be gauche to say, I like that!

So don’t be fooled. This smoothie may not be green in color, but it’s chocked full of green goodness, and that’s what really matters.

Contains Green Smoothie

• 1/2 cup spinach
• 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
• 3/4 cup skim milk
• 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
• 5 leaves of mint

In a blender combine all the ingredients and blend until smooth. Enjoy!

I’ve always been a multi-tasker, but recently have found myself forgetting things and muti-tasking has become more difficult.  The other day I walked down two flights of stairs to get something in the basement.  Once down there, I put what I needed on a shelf and started another quick project in the basement.  A few minutes later I walked back up the two flights of stairs and sat at my desk only to discover I had forgotten what I went into the basement for!  The books were still sitting on the shelf in the basement!  Now I understand this could be great exercise, but REALLY?  I spoke with my friend who said she was suffering from the same thing and was starting to get worried about it.  Then we forgot what we were talking about and went on to the next subject.

I’ve written before about some symptoms of menopause and since I’ve started to have a few more myself, thought I’d catch you up on some more natural alternatives.  My hot flashes lasted (so far) a month or so.  Every day and night.  I try to drink some sort of smoothie every day and I always add ground flax.  I feel much better and recently read that flaxseed is a super-food and can help with menopause symptoms.  Women used flaxseed in ancient Babylon 5,000 years ago.  Greek physician Hippocrates recommended it back in 400 B.C.  Flaxseed contains compounds called lignans, which mimic hormones without the harmful side effects.  These lignans may, in fact, prevent both breast cancer and colon cancer.  This seed is commonly used as a laxative. Another benefit!  Flaxseed and flaxseed oil have both been used to reduce total blood cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.  The result? The reduction of the risk of heart disease.  Flaxseed oil is great too.  I sometimes put that in my green smoothies, however it doesn’t have the fiber that the seeds have.  You can buy whole seed in your store and grind it in a coffee grinder or seed grinder.  Be sure to store it in a glass, air tight container in your fridge to extend the life of your seed.  Also, grind only what you need if you can.  It will turn rancid more quickly in its ground form.

Flaxseed can be added to any smoothie; green, chocolate or fruit.  You can add this super food on top of your fresh fruit, in your oatmeal, cereal or on your yogurt.  Be sure to use ground flaxseed.  Nutrition experts agree that ground flaxseed is better.  Whole flaxseed may pass through your intestines undigested.  This means you won’t get all the health benefits. So grind it up girls.  Here’s what Ameriflax says about substituting flax in your recipes:

And then there’s your skin.  Hormones can wreak havoc on your skin.  I’ve started to notice my skin becoming thinner and it feels different on my face.  Sure enough, hormonal deficits associated with menopause, will start to change the skin.  Women, during their 30′s, begin to produce lower hormone levels.  The symptoms of this do not usually begin to appear until her 40′s.  This is the stage called perimenopause.  I wish I started some things before this time.  I’m here telling you this so you can!  At menopause, women experience a drop in three hormones: estrogen, progestin and follicle stimulating hormone.  The loss of estrogen has the most significant effect on the skin.  The amount of collagen and elastin in the subdermis breaks down and gradually declines, blood supply decreases, and the dermis thins.  This has also affected the strength in my wrists.  And the results of all of this please?  Dry dull skin, changes in texture and pore size, and additional lines and wrinkles.  Thanks.

There are also changes in skin tone.  More freckles or patches on the cheeks and/or around the mouth.  Your pigment cells decrease by about 10% every decade after the age of 30 and with menopause, women begin to see irregular pigmentation.  Estrogen promotes the permeability of blood vessels and the loss of that hormone can cause blood vessels to stiffen and break, which can create broken capillaries.  Hot flashes will cause further damage.

Here are some key ingredients to look for in your skin care products (you may want to begin treatments before the symptoms start):

Peptides -  These are bulky molecules made up of amino acids each with specific skin functions.  Palmitoyl pentapeptide stimulates collagen and elastin formation.  Argireline helps prevent wrinkles caused by muscular contractions.  Oligopeptide 34 helps combat irregular pigmentation.

Pytoestrogens – These naturally occuring plant compounds possess estrogen-like qualities.

Retinoids – Vitamin A in the form of retinol or retinoic acid, improves skin elasticity, re-texturizes and helps reverse photodamage and enhance new cell growth.  Retinol is one of the few skin care ingredients to be scientifically studied and proven in clinical trials.

Moisturizers - Dehydration is the number one skin problem (This is really noticeable on me, even though I drink ALOT).  Look for high powered humectants and emollients, such as: sodium hyaluronate, shea butter, vitamin E, natural oils, squalene and ceramides, in your moisturizers.

Skin, after menopause, will continue to degenerate.  Your skin could lose up to 30% of its collagen in the first five years of menopause.

Take the time now to replenish your skin, before menopause.  I’m learning and guess what I did yesterday?  That’s right, I looked for moisturizers!

Sure it can–but you have to make it that way!  So much to do, so little time.  Make breakfast, eat breakfast, get the kids off to school, get yourself off to work, make lunch, eat lunch, grocery shopping, make dinner, eat dinner, get everyone ready for bed.  Wake up and do it all over again the next day.  But wait…..what about Dr. appointments, laundry, paying the bills, getting your haircut?  Ok that last one I just can’t compromise on. I’m actually going to drive to VT from VA next week just to get my hair cut! 

Let’s start with your morning routine.  Are you jumping out of bed with the alarm or are you setting your alarm for fifteen minutes before you actually have to get up?  Try it.  During that fifteen minutes spend some time “waking up”.  Take some deep breaths from your toes through your head.  Get some extra oxygen in your body and your cells.  Stretch in bed or out of bed.  Don’t have time for a yoga or daily exercise routine?  Yes, you can do yoga in your pj’s.  Very simple to twist, stretch and just breathe before you even get out of bed.

Is breakfast every morning a chore instead of a great way to start the day?  Have you tried simply juicing or blending your morning meal?  Grab some fresh greens and some frozen fruit and you’ve got yourself a very healthy and filling breakfast AND lunch.  And you’ve just made more time in your day. This great green smoothie can be made and you. Here’s another idea.  I just started making a chocolate oatmeal milkshake for my morning/lunchtime meal.  I bought a bag of buckwheat flakes (the kind you’d use for oatmeal).  I also have some organic buckwheat seed.  The night before I soak in one bowl, 3-4 dates(the big ones).  In another bowl I soak about a quarter cup of the flakes, a small handful of the seed and 4-6 almonds.  In the morning, I am ready to blend up my concoction.  I add all of the above and some ground flax seed, cinnamon, a little more water (I use all the water from soaking), 4-6 ice cubes, some crushed sesame seeds and a teaspoon of raw cacao.  What a treat.  With my Vitamix, there is hardly any pulpand definitely very little clean up.  Got more people to feed in the family?  Just double up the recipe.  And making soy or nut milk has now, never been easier.  Fifteen minutes?  Really?  Of course you can add fruit to your drink or use these alternatives to dairy for a healthier alternative on your cereal or oatmeal in the morning.  I love it when I can do things the night before.  You can make your own yogurt and you will have breakfast, lunch or put this in your smoothie.

What are you going to do for lunch? Well, if you made a green or chocolate smoothie before you left for work, you’d have your meal already.  Other than that, something crunchy and colorful for lunch.  Veggies are everywhere and it’s almost summer veggie season!  Try dipping your veggies in yogurt or light salad dressing.  There are some great alternatives to your fast food lunch out there. 

And then there’s dinner.  Who has time?  I need to do the laundry.  I need to pick the kids up.  And I can’t go another day without vacuuming this house!  I know, I have the same problems, only for me it’s feeding the animals.  The other day I asked my housemates if they had any jeans they wanted to wash because I didn’t want to just wash my jeans in one small load.   Well….now they have countertop washing machines and dryers!  How many times has your washing machine spin cycle not worked?  And you (or one of your teenagers) really want those jeans….tonight!  But back to dinner…one word…crockpot.  Or rice cooker…maybe two words.  I must admit, I just used one of these for the first time a few weeks ago.  Really? Cooked rice that fast?  It must be a mistake.  But there it was.  Stir fry your veggies and the rice is done at the same time.  Love foods that can make it through the week and can be enjoyed at a variety of meals.  How about dehydrating ?  Fresh fruit wraps instead of the store bought version.  Nuts with your own seasoning.  You decide.  Fresh, easy and you have it to take to work for snacking.

Start taking advantage of your free time by MAKING more free time! 

Good luck!

My biggest reason I never bought an avocado was because I would take it home intending to use it and when I cut it open, it would be bad inside.  And let’s face it, they are a little pricey.  But are they worth it?  Oh yeah, definitely.  Since I found the living food lifestyle, I found so much more to do with them AND how to keep them ripe and never throw away another one.

The avocado was discovered by Charles Avocad in 1762, and is botanically a fruit.   It is often treated as a vegetable and in some cuisines; this luscious green fruit/vegetable is used in desserts.  The cultivation of avocados began over 10,000 years ago.  These grew mainly in tropical areas.  Some believe even further back!  Maybe avocado trees fed the dinosaurs!  Now North and Central America lead the world in production, with California, Texas and Florida providing us with different varieties of avocado.  If you want to avoid the toxicity and cholesterol of meats, avocados are the substitute for you.  They are a great way to transition to a healthier vegetarian or raw food lifestyle.

My first months raw, I ate one avocado a day.  I ate it alone, put it in a wrap with other raw veggies, made guacamole or added to my salad.  Those three months I lost over 10 pounds.   We know enough now that cooked foods, breads, pastas, refined sugars, meats, dairy and processed foods are what is causing a high rate of obesity, not to mention lack of exercise and holding on to old emotional habits and patterns.  Avocados and other fruit and plant foods are rich in vitamins, minerals, soluble fiber, active enzymes, proteins, and easily digested fats.  They contain 74% water and have no cholesterol.

Let’s first figure out how to pick an avocado.  Take some of the fear out of shopping for expensive fruit.  If it’s large, it will perish quicker.  Bruising inside?  Hard to tell, right?  Right.  Unfortunately.  I try to buy them when they are not ripe.  Then I refrigerate the whole avocado and take out only when I need them.  Allow to ripen on the counter for 1-3 days, depending.  In the refrigerator they will not ripen, so good to store there.  Depending on the state it comes from will depend on how to choose.  Florida avocados will yield to gentle squeezing when ripe.  California avocados need one day if they yield to pressure.  But, the big thing is….once you cut that luscious fruit/vegetable, the process of ripening ends.  At that time you are stuck with it.  To store your cut avocado, wrap tightly in saran wrap or in a tight container.  Lemon juice may stop the blackening also.  Basically, eat the whole thing in one sitting and play it safe.

There are a few ways to cut open an avocado.  I like to cut it lengthwise around, twist, open and spear the pit with a knife.  If I’m making guacamole, raw chocolate pudding or a smoothie, I just squeeze each half into a bowl.  If I’m making a pretty salad or sandwich, I will peel the skin and cut in strips or use one of those handy, dandy plastic avocado cutter outers. 

And then there are the benefits of avocados.  They are filled with healthy fats, vitamins like A, B-complex, C, H, K and E, beta-carotene and alpha-carotene, plus minerals like magnesium, copper, iron, calcium, potassium and other trace elements.  They contain more protein than cow’s milk and provide you with 18 amino acids and 7 fatty acids.  When you combine the fats from avocado with nutrients in your other foods like vitamin A, D, E, K, lutien, lycopene and calcium, these vitamins are better and more easily absorbed by your body.  You don’t need a lot of avocado for this process.  They are high in fat and also give you a good amount of magnesium and fiber. 

Just took a little break to eat an avocado.  I’m back.  How about some recipes?  Ok then……

Smoothies are easy.  Use half or whole pitted avocado in your blender with about two cups of coconut, rice or almond milk.  Add raw cacao for the chocolatey smooth richness.  You can sweeten with fruit or agave if needed.  These recipes are from Kelly Serbonich and Anna Maria Clement’s Healthful Cuisine Book.

Guacamole

3 cups mashed avocado, 1/2 cup finely diced red onion, 1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper, 1/2 cup shredded carrot, 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, 1-2 cloves pressed garlic, teaspoon ground cumin, 2 Tbl fresh lemon juice, cayenne and Bragg Liq Amino to taste.  You can also add kelp granules or sea salt.  I like to put something like this into a portobello mushroom soaked in Bragg’s.  Yum.

Avocado Pudding

1 avocado, 12 dates(pitted and soaked), 1 cup soak water from dates or coconut water, 1 tsp cinnamon.  Blend all the ingredients until smooth and sprinkle the cinnamon on top.  You can add banana, mango or carob powder or cacao.

Have fun and experiment.  Wishing you healthy eating!

People always ask me…”Is it hard not having all your stuff?”  I say “No, I always travel with my Vitamix!  That and my toothbrush.  Good to go.”

Happy Holidays….Ring in the New Year!  Yes, my Vitamix is always with me.  Thought I’d help you out with some recipes for this season.  Of course, I use my Vitamix most for green smoothies.  It always surprises me that I can drink these on cold winter mornings.  Your body gets used to having them and starts to crave them.  The past few days I was able to purchase some great organic cukes from the local store and have been juicing them in my Champion.  A great start to a day filled with healthy eating.  Then a great way to end the day is with some raw ice cream from the Champion using the blank screen.  It’s tough to eat healthy, especially during this time.  Try eating raw veggies or drinking water before your big meal.  If I start the day with something healthy and then eat a big salad for lunch, I feel a lot better if I splurge a little at dinner.   Plus I’m not as hungry.  My body has already gotten a lot of good nutrients and vitamins for breakfast and lunch.

Banana Cream Pie (Raw)  This is for my brother!

Crust:  3 cups walnuts, soaked and dehydrated (you can buy these in health food stores)  1/4 cup dates, pitted and soaked (3 hours or more)  1/2 tspn Bragg Liquid Aminos or pinch of salt

Filling:  2 cups young coconut meat, 3 medium ripe bananas, cut into pieces  2/3 cup macadamia nuts, soaked   10 dates, pitted and soaked  2 Tblspns psyllium husks powder  1/2 cup water of one young coconut  2 Tblspns alcohol-free vanilla extract or 1/2 vanilla bean  4 ripe bananas

For the crust: Using your food processor, finely grind the walnuts to a crumble.  Add the 1/4 cup dates and Braggs and process until combined.  The mixture should be slightly sticky.  Press the dough into a pie plate.  You can dehydrate overnight if you want a crunchy crust.

For the filling:  In a Vitamix or strong blender, combine the coconut meat and coconut water, bananas, macadamia nuts, 10 dates, psyllium, and vanilla.  Blend until very smooth and creamy. Stir in the sliced bananas and spread this filling evenly over the crust.  You can decorate the top with sliced bananas, tossing them in lemon juice to prevent browning first.

This is so easy, right?  Even if you do not eat a raw diet, all of these ingredients are found in your local store.  Treat your family and loved ones with something they’d never expect.  And they will be sure to love it.

Did you happen to catch one of the episodes of “Dinner Impossible”, where the chef was at Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory in VT and he made these really weird ice cream concoctions?  Well here’s one that sounds weird, but is rather lovely!

Banana Ice Cream with Date Carob Sauce (Raw)

6 bananas, peeled and frozen

Sauce:  1 cup dates, soaked  1/2 vanilla bean, chopped  4 black olives, pitted  3 Tblspns raw carob powder  1/2 tspn ground cinnamon  1 cup water

Use your Champion with the blank screen to process the frozen bananas.  They will come out looking and tasting like soft serve ice cream.  For the sauce, in your blender, combine all ingredients until smooth and creamy.  If it’s thick, add water.  Add anything else that sounds interesting to you for a sauce….strawberries, orange…you get the idea.

Thanks, Chef Kelly Serbonich for these great ideas!

Here’s a recipe from a Paula Deen magazine.  It’s simple and you can use store bought pudding or make your own with raw ingredients and freeze.  Use the recipe above for the vanilla ice cream and add carob for the chocolate.  I hope you’ll try the living food way, this is a great start.  You can also eliminate the nuts if you’d like.

Frozen Striped Mousse

1 3.9 ounce package instant chocolate pudding  2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided  2 cups milk, divided  1 3.3 ounce package instant white-chocolate pudding  1/2 cup finely chopped pecans.

In a bowl, combine chocolate pudding, 1 cup cream, and 1 cup milk.  Beat until thickened.  In a separate bowl, combine white chocolate pudding, 1 cup cream, 1 cup milk and beat until thickened.  Take 8 (7 ounce) paper cups and spoon 2 Tblspns chocolate into them. Add a layer of nuts then a layer of 2 Tblspns of the vanilla mix and repeat again.  Freeze overnight.  Invert the cups and peel back the cup.  Garnish with chocolate sauce or fresh fruit.

Enjoy your holiday!  And remember….less is more.  It’s nice to share.

I remember eating salad growing up.  I remember carrots and potatoes placed beside the meat on my plate.  I remember tuna added to the spaghetti sauce.  I’m sure we had vegetables.  My brother had a garden in our backyard.  I remember pictures of him tending to it.  Most of my knowledge about vegetarian and living food comes from my parents, but not when I was a kid.  I learned most of it later on in life when they both started their own vegetarian/living food lifestyle. 

The body requires electrically charged foods.  This energy comes from sunlight and many veggies are a prime source of chlorophyll.  Chlorophyll is vital for photosynthesis, which is what plants use to obtain their energy from light.  The body needs vegetables to aid in the making of essential nutrients.  Leafy greens are a high alkaline food.  They contain protein and important amino acids used in breaking down protein.  Past eating habits have built up highly acidic environments in our bodies. 

Broccoli-all parts of the broccoli are highly nutritious.  An antioxidant, it also contains potassium, calcium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, magnesium, beta-carotene and Lutein.  Great for dipping, lightly sauteing or blanching.   You can also make a raw broccoli soup by putting all parts of the broccoli into your Vitamix blender, combined with water, onion and any spices that float your boat.

Cauliflower-contains calcium, potassium, sulphur and silicon.  Try juicing the leaves and the flower for a highly beneficial drink.  You can also eat raw, make a mock mashed potato either cold or cooked, by adding garlic, olive oil and onion.  Cauliflower also has sulforaphane which enters your bloodstream and helps your antioxidant defense systems.

Celery-mmmmmmm. A highly nutritious, alkaline veggie.  Juice it with the leaves on or eat raw with almond butter topping.  Celery can reduce blood pressure and help with appetite control.  It contains chlorine, sodium, potassium and magnesium.

Kale-a favorite of mine for making green smoothies.  Kale has phytochemicals high in sulphur and aids the body’s detoxification enzymes.  It contains sulphorapahne which comes out when kale is chopped, chewed or juiced.  Other nutrients in kale are calcium, iron, Vitamin A, C and K, beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, with are known to help protect against molecular degeneration.

Beets-Ok, this in one veggie I haven’t gotten my daughter to eat.  I think they taste like apple and absolutely love them either raw or lightly cooked.  Victoria Boutenko says eating beets should not turn your urine red.  Juiced beets can have a high sugar concentrate.  Sugar beet juice was used in Chicago to help prevent ice build up on the roads (just a little tid bit for you).  Beets are a very good source of betaine, potassium and folate and can help to replenish iron that is lost during the menstrual cycle.  It is good for the liver and heart health.

Red Bell Pepper-source of Vitamin A, C and Potassium, it also contains Lycopene.  Red is better than green when it comes to peppers.  Green peppers can be hard on the digestion.

Avocado-another yummy veggie.  High in heart healthy monounsaturated fat, it also contains Vitamin E and glutathione.  We need fats in order for the body to work.  Make guacamole by adding tomatoes, sea salt, and onion (optional).  Dip other veggies like carrots, cucumbers, or mushrooms into it instead of chips. 

Put a salad together with all the above ingredients and add flaxseed oil, a dash of any seasonings that you enjoy.  You can also add apple cider vinegar or liquid amino and top with any sprouts you found at the local market. 

How can you get your children to eat them if they won’t?  First, keep trying to add different veggies to their plate.  Babies have taste buds not only on their tongue, but on the sides and roof of their mouth.  This means they could be very sensitive to certain foods.  But as they grow, the taste buds disappear from the sides of the mouth.  As you get older, your taste buds become less sensitive and you will most likely be able to eat foods that you didn’t when you were younger.  Change it up.  Add color and mix veggies in with pasta or soup, or use veggies to dip into their favorite dressing.

Enjoy your veggies!

I was sitting out on my back deck enjoying the river flow by.  The sun finally came out today and it feels like summer is finally showing up.  I just drank my green smoothie, and I started to think about what my body wants now.  Apples and raisins came to mind and I found a great recipe for Apple Raisin Squares.  It only requires a half cup of sugar and you can substitute sugar with anything from agave and stevia to maple syrup or honey. If you do this, you would have to decrease liquid in the recipe.  Also try substituting some raw ingredients when you can, like raw walnuts, or make your own flour!  If that sounds interesting to you, here are some conversions to help you out.

1 1/2 pounds of wheat equal about 4 cups flour, 1 pound of oats equal about 3 cups flour, 1 pound of corn equals about 3 1/2 cups flour and 1 pound of millet equals about 2 1/2 cups flour.  Here’s that recipe:

Apple Raisin Squares

1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup butter or margarine, 1/4 cup corn, safflower or light olive oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 cups finely chopped apples, 1 cup raisins, 1 cup chopped walnuts.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, butter, oil, sugar, vanilla and apples.  Add raisins and walnuts. Stir in flour mixture until thoroughly mixed.  Pour into 2 greased 8×8 pans.  Bake for 35-40 minutes and cool and cut into squares.

Check out these substitutions for some favorite baked good recipes:

Barley flour has a mild flavor and can be substituted in pancakes, cookies and quick breads.  You can replace up to half of any wheat flour in a recipe.

Buckwheat flour is the same for substituting as barley, but in baked goods it will be heavier.

Brown rice flour is great for those with wheat allergies.  You can replace up to 1/4 of any wheat flour. Rice flour absorbs more moisture, so you may need to add more liquid.

Quinoa flour is higher in fat and tends to make a moister baked good.  Replace up to 1/2 of wheat or white flour in your recipe.

Wheat germ can make for a more nutritious baked good.  Replace up to 1/3 of flour.

Spelt flour tends to make heavier baked goods so you would need to increase your baking powder.  I look for baked goods that contain spelt flour when I am shopping for treats.  People with wheat allergies can tolerate spelt and is great for making pasta and bread.

My favorite, almond flour.  Less carbs than white flour and they help raise HDL (the good cholesterol) and lower LDL (the bad).  Using almond flour instead of wheat flour in your favorite baking recipes will result in a similar taste.  Baked goods tend to brown more quickly with almond flour, so adjust your oven temp about twenty degrees.

This one I’d like to try myself….coconut flour.  It is the highest in fiber of any flour available.  It’s gluten free and you can substitute a quarter of your regular flour with it.  Add an equivalent amount of liquid to the recipe.  If you want to only use it, add one egg per ounce of coconut flour otherwise it may taste dry.

If you are allergic to wheat, try gluten free.  You can purchase great gluten-free products at most health food stores and now a lot of grocery stores have gluten-free isles.  You can even buy gluten-free flour.  When you substitute gluten-free for wheat flour, your best bet would be to stick with recipes that have a small amount of flour.  You can make pastry dough with maize cornflour, milk powder, coconut and butter.  Replace gluten in your baking with xanthum gum, guar gum or pre-gel starch.

Instead of oil?  How about apple sauce?  It may make cakes a bit heavier, but still good.  When substituting for sugar, honey for example, will taste sweeter than granulated, so you would need less.  When substituting with maple syrup, grade B is thicker and darker and better for baking and costs less.  Use 3/4 cup for every cup of white sugar and decrease the liquid by 3 tablespoons.  Date sugar, made by grinding dates, can be used exactly the same way as ordinary sugar.  I could write a whole blog on sugar substitutes like Nutra-Sweet and Equal, but I’ll just end with this, “The final report of a seven-year study by the Ramiazzini Foundation on aspartame (also known as Nutra-Sweet or Equal) has linked it to high rates of lymphomas, luekemias, urinary tumors, tumors of certain nerves and other cancers in rats.”

Here’s to substituting some good things with even better things!

Here’s another topic I’m way too familiar with.  Fortunately I suffer from seasonal allergies and this is the season for me.  Spring and pollen.  Pollens are small, microscopic particles that are produced by plants and trees during the process of reproduction.  Hello spring and new growth!  I was in Connecticut a couple of weeks ago and I was feeling it then, but Vermont is behind its southern states by a couple of weeks.  So here I go again.  The only time I didn’t have any symptoms at all was when I had been eating a 100% raw diet for at least three months.  They aren’t as bad as they have been in the past and I have been keeping with a high raw lifestyle.  I also try to keep the windows closed, don’t go out of the house when it’s windy and I never walk in the fields!  It’s supposed to rain the next few days and that will help.

What can help?  Not only increasing your raw food intake, but decreasing your processed and cooked food intake.  Allergy symptoms include: Asthma and coughing, sinus pressure and congestion, red itchy eyes and discharge, skin rashes, general itching of every part of your body and throat, hives and runny nose.  The causes of allergies?  Everything from hereditary factors, long term exposure to drugs, especially antibiotics, adverse drug reactions, airborn pollens, food additives, colorings, perservatives and flavorings.  Liver dysfuntion can cause an increased work load for your immune system.  I never suffered from allergies in my childhood, they started during pregnancy.  Not only am I allergic to spring pollens, I’m also allergic to the skin of certain fruits and veggies, even if they are organic. 

Using organic produce when you can, can be a relief from many food allergies.  These do not contain pesticides and additives.  Selenium and zinc reduce inflammation.  Other supplements for you to try are: Fatty acids found in flaxseed oil, olive oil and oily fish, vitamin C, garlic and horseradish tablets, MSM powder.  And foods that promote liver function like, artichoke, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, or eggs.  How about some juice recipes for allergies?

Place in your juicer:

 one radish, one clove of garlic, one carrot, one pear and 2 cabbage leaves

or

tablespoon of fresh ginger, one apple, one carrot, 2 cabbage leaves, 1/2 red onion

or

one cup rice, almond or coconut milk, one banana, one pear, one Tblspn flaxseed oil, one Tblspn ground flaxseed.  Sprinkle with a pinch of nutmeg.

Victoria Boutenko, in her book, Green For Life, says this, “….consuming green smoothies greatly benefits the health of people through improving the level of hydrochloric acid…….consumers of green smoothies should expect…to heal allergies……”.

Some other natural allergy cures are: Eucalyptus.  In a lozenge form it can increase production of saliva.  It can calm coughs and relieve nasal congestion and is also an antiseptic and has antibiotic properties.  The vapor from eucalyptus can clear congestion and loosen mucus.

A traditional remedy for asthma is red clover.  In tea form, red clover can reduce allergy symptoms.  Alfalfa can improve runny noses, sneezing and itching.  Alfalfa is believed to nourish the nervous system and calm the immune system.  And there’s always apple cider vinegar (this should be a staple in your kitchen), which contains many healing properties and is used to treat allergies.  It is rich in vitamins E, A, B1, B2 and B6 and contains potassium and calcium and can reduce mucus in the sinuses and reduce throat inflammation. 

Here’s what Louise Hay says about allergies (hay fever):  Emotional congestion. Fear of the calendar.  A belief in persecution. Guilt.  Your mantra for allergy time? “I am one with ALL OF LIFE.  I am safe at all times.

Grab your juicer and your tissues.  Be well and happy SPRING!

Donna Bergonzi-Boyle

If any of these natural cures cause your symptoms to worsen, consult your primary health care physician.