10 Advantages of Eating Raw

Ten advantages of eating raw
by Susan Jorg, Estacada, OR

The human race learned long ago that cooking meat before eating it would protect them from certain diseases. Since then, this practice of cooking has grown to include all types of foods and is now considered an art. Very few meals are eaten which include raw elements, except for the leafy green salad.

One advantage of eating raw is that it brings Nature’s intentions into focus. When I speak of eating raw I am referring to fruit, nuts, and vegetables, which taste good to the majority of humankind in their basic simplicity - direct from tree, bush or vine.

I realize it isn’t easy to simply abandon thousands of years of tradition and revert back to 100% raw food. Margaret Mead once said, “It is easier to change a man’s religion than to change his diet.” So, to the point, there are 10 advantages to a diet of fresh, whole raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts, which may lead you to find a greater place for them in your diet.

1. Raw foods are better quality; therefore you eat less to satisfy your nutritional needs. The heat of cooking depletes vitamins, damages proteins and fats, and destroys enzymes which benefit digestion. As your percentage of raw foods increases you feel satisfied and have more energy on smaller meals because raw food has the best balance of water, nutrients, and fiber to meet your body’s needs.

2. Raw foods have more flavor than cooked foods so there is no need to add salt, sugar, spices, or other condiments that can irritate your digestion system or over-stimulate other organs.

3. Raw foods take very little preparation, so you spend less time in the kitchen. Even a child of 5 or 6 can prepare most of the items for breakfast, lunch or dinner. This gives children a sense of self-esteem and independence, not to mention the break it gives Mom and Dad.

4. When you are eating raw there’s little chance of burns, unless you’re in the middle of a forest fire or out in the sun too long. Just think - No burns to tongues, the roof of your mouth, or fingers, and many fewer house fires!

5. Cleaning up after a raw meal is a snap. No baked-on oils or crusty messes. And any inedible parts go directly to the compost pile.

6. Eating a diet of raw foods can reverse or stop the advance of many chronic diseases, including heart disease and cancer. Remember, cooking creates free radicals, which are the major cause of cancer. When you lower the number of free radicals your cells are bombarded with, you lower your risk of cancer.

7. A raw food diet can protect you from acute diseases such as colds, flu, measles, etc. Raw foods maintain a healthy body and a healthy body will not become diseased.

8. As long as you combine raw food properly, according to the rules of Natural Hygiene, you will soon reach a level where you no longer suffer from heartburn, gas, indigestion or constipation.

9. It is environmentally sound. With humanity on a diet of raw foods the food industry would close up shop and take up organic gardening. This would save us enormous amounts of natural resources used to produce power for these industries. Think of how many trees and oil reserves could be saved without the need for the paper and plastics used in packaging our processed foods. There would also be less carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere when all the cooking stopped, and more oxygen produced from all the new orchards and gardens, thus helping to reverse the Greenhouse Effect.

10. Eating raw saves you money on food, vitamins, pots and pans, appliances, doctor bills, drugs, and health insurance.

So don’t waste your food, yourself, and our planet by cooking what you eat. Fruits, nuts, and vegetables which are whole, fresh and raw are brimming with life and have the ability to transmit their life force directly to you.


Please read more articles about the raw food diet on their site:
http://rawlivingfoods.typepad.com/1/2009/04/ten_advantages_.html

What to eat, what not to eat

Maximize your intake of the following raw food:

• FRESH FRUITS and FRESH VEGETABLES. - Any fresh fruits or vegetables. The fresher the better. If you can pick the produce yourself, that's the best. The next best would be direct from a farmer or farmers market, next best from a health food store, and last from a "chain store". here is why- once the food is picked, the vitality starts to lessen. If the produce is refrigerated, the vitality is lessened even further.
• FRESH SPROUTS - you can sprout your own seeds yourself, and eat these life-force rich foods while they are still living and growing!

Next as a raw foodist you may want to consume some of the following: (concentration should be on FRESH fruits and vegetables)

• Nuts and Seeds - Many nuts are raw and go through no heat processing. Always purchase nuts in the shell whenever possible, since once nuts are out of the shell, they start to oxidize, and can go rancid. Some nuts are heat processed in the process of getting the nut out of the shell. There is an excellent article, "What every raw fooder should know about nuts" in the article section that I suggest you read. Most "raw" cashew nuts are not really raw.
• Young Coconuts - Young coconuts are a excellent source of electrolytes, the best purified water and a good source of fat and calcium.
• Dried Fruits- did you know that most dried fruits in the natural food store are COOKED? Yes!! They are. I have spoken with many manufacturers and distributors of dried fruits and even "dried tomatoes" and asked them the temperature at which their product is dried. Usually it is well over 200 degrees. They say this proudly, because its not too feasible to dry products at an acceptable temperature to a raw foodist (around 118 degrees or less) because there would be an inconsistent and "ugly" looking product. So cut down on the dried foods! Usually only "sun dried" foods would be considered "raw" since they are dried by the sun.
• Dates - Dates are generally sun dried, if good organic dates are purchased. Many "conventional" dates can be dried and then steamed to make them look "plump" and moist. The Date People and Flying Disc Ranch are my two favorite sources of dates.
• Sea Weeds - Sea weeds such as nori, dulse, Laver, sea lettuce, kombu purchased from a "family" business are usually sundried. Seaweeds from "asia or china" may or may not be sun dried. Sometimes they are roasted, and it may not be mentioned on the package. This should be eaten minimally
• Dried vegetables, herbs and spices for flavoring - I have not checked to see if these are in fact considered "raw" or if they have been heat treated in the drying process. Whenever possible dry your own herbs and spices, and use as sparingly as possible.
• Olives - You may want to consume some raw olives. Raw olives are hard to find. The best raw olives are sun dried raw olives, that have not been preserved with salt. Most olives are preserved with salt. Most canned olives are cooked in the canning process. Most olives are packed in a vinegar or lactic acid brine, which I do not recommend.
• Green Powders - I believe a good green food powder can be helpful as long as it is not heat processed, considered "raw" and dried at a low temperature, and do not include toxic additives. Some examples would be dried wheatgrass, blue green algae, barleygreen, etc.
• Raw Honey - I do agree that raw honey is probably the best concentrated sweetener to use, I still reccomend minimizing concentrated sweeteners such as honey. Get a honey that includes the pollen and propolis, a more "whole" food.
• Frozen Fruits - From the manufacturers I have talked to, it seems that most frozen fruits are not blanched before freezing, so they could be considered "raw". Although its best to eat FRESH FRUITS instead, or freeze fruits yourself.

Things to minimize or cut out completely. The items listed below are many times included in a raw food diet. I believe they can be helpful while transitioning to a raw food diet, but have no place in a long term health building raw food diet.

• Table salt and celtic sea salt- While table salt is much worse than celtic sea salt, many raw foodists believe that celtic salt is good for them. I believe it is not. This is primarily due to my research on the potassium/sodium balance. Each cell in our body needs to maintain a ratio of sodium to potassium and in the "standard American diet" has the sodium ratio way too high. I also have ill effects when I eat any salt. I believe we get enough sodium from fruits, vegetables and seaweed. (Use seaweed instead)
• Nama Shoyu and Braggs Liquid Aminos - Once again these items show up often in raw food recipes, and many people think them "healthy". Try drinking a bottle of the stuff, and tell me how you feel. I bet you will feel sick to your stomach! These are highly processed foods that do not occur naturally in nature. (try using seaweed instead)
• Maple Syrup - Maple syrup is another ingredient considered as "raw" by many. Based on my research all maple syrup is cooked, so it is not raw. I have not sucked on a maple tree to determine if FRESH maple syrup is a viable food source at this point. Use fresh barhi dates (which to me taste like maple syrup - there are many different varieties of dates to try!)
• Agave Nectar - While this "concentrated sweetner" is very popular in raw cuisine, I believe it has no place in a truly "raw" diet. This is primarily due to the fact that it is a concentrated sweetner. The "nectar" is collected or "cooked" out of the agave plant, then must be "cooked" or dehydrated down, much like "boiling down" maply syrup. There is even some rumors about "corn syrup" and other sweeteners being added to "raw" agave nectar to give it the sweet taste. In any case, it is a processed, product, and not a raw, whole food in my opinion.
• Wine - Wine can be raw, but while it may have some health benefits - I say drink FRESH made grape juice instead. Exclude wine from the raw food diet. Alcohol does kill brain cells.
• Apple Cider Vinegar - Vinegar contains acetic acid. Acetic acid is a toxic chemical. If you drink a whole bottle of vinegar, I bet you wont feel too good. Did you know acetic acid is used as a pesticide?
• Bottled oils - Many raw foodists include oils in their diet. I believe this should be minimized for a few reasons. Oil does not occur naturally in nature. Once oil is extracted, it generally goes bad (rancid) very quickly. It is super concentrated and hard for your body to break down. Try drinking a bottle of oil, and tell me how you feel. Probably like you want to sleep - its your body having to work overtime to digest the oil. Yes, even if its cold pressed an organic. Eat the food instead- i.e.: eat olives instead of olive oil. Eat coconuts instead of coconut oil. Eat ground flax seeds instead of flax oil.
• Frozen Vegetables - I have confirmed with several major manufacturers of frozen vegetables, that they are blanched before they are quick frozen, so these would not qualify as raw.

Nomi Shannon: What Should I Eat? (from her e-newsletter)

High Raw Diet: What Should I Eat?

Written by Nomi Shannon, The Raw Gourmet

There are as many ways to eat an all raw or high raw diet as there are people. The simplest approach is the Natural Hygiene way. There are no recipes, or even any machinery. You just eat food as it comes from nature. There is a lot to be said about this easy to understand approach, and most of the time it is how I live.

How much easier can it get than to have a large bowl of fruit on the counter waiting for you and a refrigerator filled with vegetables for you to grab. Add in some coconuts, nuts, seeds and oil (Natural Hygienists tend not to eat any oil but get the small amount of fat that they eat directly from their food) and you have everything that you need.

In a few moments, you can pack up a lunch of cut up veggies, greens, whatever fruits you can find depending on the season and some nuts for protein. For those times that you want to make recipes add a few items to your pantry like almond butter, tahini, seasonings like garlic, sea weeds, basil, sea salt, and go from there.

It is difficult to describe a 'typical' raw day as there is so much variation between people, but here are some examples taken from real life.

Sample Breakfasts:

1. A pint of blueberries, or more

2. A banana, or more, sometimes many more

3. Half an avocado and a banana, blended and topped with berries

4. A fruit smoothie, with some greens blended in

Sample Snacks:

1. Several pieces of fruit during the morning

2. Some cut up veggies

3. An avocado

4. A smoothie

Sample Lunches:

1. A large salad of assorted greens, sprouts, red pepper, celery, cabbage with a large handful of soaked almonds or sunflower seeds

2. Sunflower pate rolled up in a sheet of Nori and topped with greens and sprouts

3. A blended soup consisting of greens, sprouts, avocado, yellow squash, garlic or ginger

4. A blended soup of avocado, parsnip and celery

5. A cabbage leaf with pate rolled up in it

6. A cabbage leaf with cut up veggies and some almonds on the side

7. A bag of green beans, or Peas in the pod

8. 2 avocados

9. Several pieces of celery and carrot dipped in hummus, or almond butter, or sunflower pate

Sample Dinners:

1. Spiralized yams or sweet potatoes topped with lemon and oil

2. Spiralized zucchini with pesto sauce (pine nuts, basil, garlic, olive oil, parsley) and tomato sauce (pureed tomatoes with spices or herbs that you like)

3. Raw corn chowder with sprouts and greens

4. Yam soup or beet borscht

While there are no set rules to follow, if often works out best if you eat some protein at lunch as it takes longer than other foods to digest, and complex carbohydrates at night so you can wind down, relax, and prepare for your nights rest without a lot of digestive activity going on after you retire for the night.

As for protein, many people still have the misconception that they need far more protein than they really do. If you think about mother's milk, which only contains 1.5 - 2.5 % protein perhaps you can relax a bit about your protein consumption. Growing children and athletes need the most protein. There's way more protein in dark leafy greens than most people realize. Tahini, almond butter, almonds and sunflower seeds are all quick and easy sources of protein.

If you eat large salads and fruit every day or green smoothies you are probably getting enough fiber. There aren't any raw fooders that have constipation problems. Your high raw or all raw diet should be resulting in 2-3 healthy bowel movements a day. Constipation, hemorrhoids and less than daily bowel movements are most likely an indication that you need more fiber.

Healthy fats react in your body far differently than cooked, processed, rancid unhealthy fats. All cooked oils-(French fries, doughnuts) and fats are very bad for you. When you are consuming avocados, nuts, seeds, raw nut butters, unheated flax seed oil, olive oil, hemp oil, coconuts all in the raw state they are good for you. Most likely you need some of these fats to keep your weight up also.

Great problems in health and well-being occur in the absence of the Omega 3's and 6's-the essential fatty acids that are obtainable only through food. Flax seeds and salmon both contain high amounts of the Omega 3's, followed by sunflower seeds. I prefer my Omega 3's in the form of flax seeds or oil, as I have a personal aversion to consuming mercury that is found in one level or another in all fish. It is far more common to be deficient in Omega 3's than other good fats and when first starting out I recommend concentrating on consuming high Omega 3 rich foods for the first year you are raw. An excellent resource to learn what you need to know about fats is: Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill, by Udo Erasmus.

I have found that most beginners and even more experienced raw fooders are afraid to consume fats. Just today I received a note from someone who wants to try raw food, but wants to keep their fats to 10% and to be sure to have 'enough protein'. What they are trying to do is follow their cooked food approach (in this case the Dr. Dean Ornish program) while doing raw. Well, many people have much improved health while following the cooked food Dr. Dean Ornish program-and it is pretty obvious why-if cooked fat kills, then only 10% of it in your diet harms less. There are lower calories in the program, smaller portions. But it is just about impossible to take any current program and apply it to a raw program. Everything changes when you take the raw food approach. What used to harm is now good for you in the uncooked state. So, don't fear the fat! Just keep all your fat consumption the healthy kind-if you eat any cooked food, be sure it is not cooked fat. Isn't that simple?

As for calories-if you are too thin, you aren't getting enough. If two salads a day don't provide enough calories for you, then condense your food into a soup or a smoothie, adding in tahini or other high calorie yummies. You athletes out there already know how to make Vanilla Bliss out of water, frozen banana and tahini-up to four tablespoons in a shake, to keep the calories up. You can make avocado or tahini based soups, or drink almond milk-there's many ways to meet your calorie needs consistently with an all raw diet.

Before I move on to a fun cracker recipe, there's one more important item I want to mention. You need variety in your diet. Making the same thing every day out of habit or convenience is a very unhealthy habit. Think of the rainbow when you make your foods; be sure that on a daily basis you are eating from many of the colors of the rainbow: purple, red, orange, green and yellow. Each food contains its own gift for you, packaged by the Creator in just the right way to be sure you are taking in all the necessary nutrients. It's hard to go wrong if you choose from a very wide assortment of foods.

Following is a recipe that will help to round out your meals and snacks.

If you own a dehydrator or have enough warm sun here is a tasty flax seed cracker recipe. I like these crackers because they travel well and also because of the great crunch they provide. Flax seeds provide wonderful fiber and important Omega 3 oils. Soak 5 or 6 cups of organic brown or golden flax seeds in 5 or 6 cups of water for about 4-5 hours. This will turn into a solid mass.

Puree any or all of the following in a blender: 6 or 7 tomatoes, one or two onions, garlic, 2-6 tablespoons lemon juice, sea salt, soaked sun dried tomatoes, spices and herbs that you like. Fill the blender to the top-about 7-8 cups. Mix the blended mixture into the flax seed mixture. (Do not blend; you want to leave the flax seeds whole.) Add caraway seeds or fennel seeds or dried onion bits if you like.

Pour onto the liners in your dehydrator trays, and spread with your hand until even, this will be about ź inch thick. Dehydrate, turning over when dry on top, and remove the liners when you can. Score the crackers (cut almost all the way through) when almost dehydrated on both sides. Or allow to completely dehydrate then break into bite size crackers. Store in a tightly closed jar or cookie tin. These will keep indefinitely. Makes about 100 crackers.

Each time you make them experiment with the flavors until you find your personal favorite. Be generous with your seasoning as the flax seeds make everything very bland. Besides just having on hand for munching and to add some texture and fun to your meals, you can break up one or two and toss in your salad as croutons, or you can top a cracker with slices of cucumber, tomato and onion bits for a tasty meal or snack.

Note: start your dehydrator at 120 or 125; turn it down to 115 once you feel the crackers are getting warm. The food never reaches the temperature the thermostat is set at, it is dangerous to dehydrate food at too low a temperature, like 90, it takes too long, allowing mold to form in the food.

The Raw Gourmet
PO Box 160
Bonsall CA 92003

Top 7 Beautifying Living Foods

1) Berries

They are in season now! Go grab them at the nearest grocery stores for that awesome anti-oxidant power boost.

The dark substance of blue, black cherries and strawberries contain precious age-reversing nutritional benefits - nourishing you on a cellular basis.

Best of all, they are delicious whether you eat them plain, thrown in as a great addition to any salads, or blended into smoothies.

2) Mangoes

Excellent source of iron, this heavenly fragrant fruit is a blessing for all women. Especially at that time of the month, women need more haemoglobin to form red blood palates. With sufficient iron intake from natural sources like mangoes, the body is not excessively taxed, and so we can still look pretty and young even in the midst of a heavy menstrual period!

3) Avocados

I love this fruit so much that I’m considering adding it into my middle name This is such a power house of phyto-nutrients, vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants, combined with the essential Omega fats which are required for collagen formation and skin radiance, this fruit has it all!

Scientists have only uncovered about 80 nutritional benefits about the Avocado; the full symbiosis constitution is yet known but even then, it is already many times more powerful than synthetic conventional supplements.

4) Sunflower Seeds

Our secret ingredient to making skin nourishing desserts is Sprouted Sunflower Seed milk. These little gems have tons of Vitamin E, magnesium and selenium - our perfect defense against environmental pollution/damage and pre-mature aging.

To harness the best benefits out of them, eat them raw and sprouted!

5) Dark Leafy Greens

Over years of industrialization, we Man have forgotten what a blessing these green canopies covering Earth has been to us.

Green leaves are the only life-sustaining components of Earth Life because they contain chlorophyll. This green substance is the only element on Earth which can manufacture food from sunlight, and give oxygen.

Chlorophyll is alkalizing and promotes healing. Packed with loads of minerals and anti-oxidants, greens are an indispensable part of a beauty diet.

Start by incorporating more fresh living organic greens into your diet today! To learn how to eat greens in the most delicious and convenient ways, click here:

Intro To Live Foods

6) Durians

Long hailed as the “King” of fruits, this one-of-its-kind gift from Nature is well known for their energy boosting, stamina enhancing and anti-oxidants packed fruit, as well as an aphrodisiac!

Full of raw oleic fats, Vitamin E, sulphur compounds and soft proteins, it is a must-have for anyone who needs a collagen boost.

7) Raw Cacao!

Look around you and observe the increasing brands of dark chocolate available on counter tops now. Even as you read this, more research evidence are being uncovered showing the co-relation between anti-aging and chocolate.

All chocolate products are made from the original Cacao Bean. The more complicated the manufacturing process, the less benefits can be derived from it. To enjoy real Chocolate its full glory, both in terms of nutritional value and taste, make sure you go straight for the source ie. Mother Earth!

Wheatgrass: King of Alkaline Foods (From Earthmother - in the raw)

Source (an excellent website):
http://earthmother-intheraw.blogspot.com/2010/06/wheatgrass-king-of-alkaline-foods.html

Whether or not you've ever held the title of Fast Food Queen as I once did, you've likely ingested your fair share of highly processed and chemical laden foods. Let's face it, in this day and age, it's increasingly more challenging to eat a diet rich in whole foods that aren't filled with chemical preservatives, additives and pesticides. Just take a look at the Dirty Dozen list – even fresh fruits and veggies aren't immune.

Unfortunately, most processed foods are acidic and when we consume too many of them, our body's acidity-alkalinity balance is upset. Prolonged acidity is very taxing on our cells and organs, and ultimately leads to illness and disease.

The King of Alkaline Foods

Wheat grass has a high alkalizing effect, which helps restore the balance between acidity and alkalinity in the body. When your body’s pH levels are balanced, you'll begin to notice an increase in energy, stamina and less need for sleep.

Ann Wigmore, author of The Wheatgrass Book, writes:

“Each of us is the keeper of ten trillion little batteries called cells. Like flashlight batteries, our cells hold a charge of electricity. In order for this charge to be strong and steady we need to have a steady supply of proper nutrients. With the addition of wheatgrass and raw foods to your diet, your cells will store a maximum electrical charge, and you will have plenty of energy.”

Rich In Chlorophyll

Wheatgrass contains an abundance of chlorophyll. The structure of chlorophyll is very similar to that of hemoglobin – the protein molecule in red blood cells – which makes it possible for our body to transform chlorophyll into hemoglobin. How cool is that? Drink your wheatgrass and increase your red blood cell count!

Scientists have found chlorophyll strengthens liver functions, neutralizes toxic compounds, as well as eliminates toxins in the blood. Take that, nasty chemical additives and preservatives!

Rejuvenate Your Body

Studies and tests of wheatgrass have concluded that it:

• Stimulates the repair of damaged DNA
• Neutralizes infections
• Assists in wound healing
• Promotes healthy bowel function
• Inhibits the activity of carcinogens
• Reduces or eliminates offensive body & breath odors
• Has a more potent anti-inflamatory effect than aspirin

Okay, so I think we can all agree that there are oodles of reasons to consume wheatgrass. But here's the thing: try as I might, I cannot seem to get past the taste. I quiver, and shiver, and gag. You get the picture.

I've tried combining it with coconut water as well as adding it to various juices and smoothies to make it more palatable. Ann Wigmore strongly advises against this. Great. So what's a girl to do?

Well, a couple of months ago, I was introduced to the Best Organic Wheatgrass. The company name says it all. Really.

I've been drinking their wheatgrass daily for the last month, and no gag reflex. In fact, I rather like the taste! It reminds me of green tea.

So, here's the scoop. Their Easy Pha-max wheatgrass is 100% organic and uses no artificial chemicals, preservatives or other ingredients. It is the only wheatgrass powder in the world grown Aeroponically in 100% oxygen – soil free, fungus free and pollution free.

Wheatgrass is lifted out of its tray with the roots.

One pound or 1/4 tray of wheatgrass = 1 sachet of powder

Why Is The Root So Important?

From the perspective of Chinese medicine, the leaves of wheatgrass have a cooling effect, whereas the roots produce a heating effect. Combining both characteristics neutralizes the effect produced by each individually.

The active ingredients found in the root of wheatgrass, especially cancer fighting agents and 13 amino acids not found in the blades, stimulate damaged cells to undergo cellular repair.

Bonus: by combining the roots with the blades, the taste is not as strong and nauseous as juiced wheatgrass. Score!

After harvesting, the aeroponically-grown wheatgrass is cold dried to maintain its live enzymes and nutrients when combined with water. One Easy Pha-max wheatgrass sachet has the equivalent nutrients of 17 pounds of vegetables. Four packets are equivalent to one tray of wheatgrass. Yowza!

What About Folks Who Have A Wheat Allergy?

Wheat allergies are usually a reaction to the gluten found in the wheat berry. Wheatgrass is a vegetable, cut before the wheat plant forms the grain (berry). Easy Pha-max wheatgrass has no gluten.

A few healthy foods

Cherries
Nutritionist Jonny Bowden notes that cherries are packed with anti-inflammatory properties. They contain antioxidants, thought to help the body protect against the damaging effects of free radicals and the chronic diseases associated with the aging process.

Blueberries
Like cherries, blueberries contain antioxidants found to promote heart health. A 2009 study showed that rats fed blueberries lost belly fat, the kind of fat linked to diabetes and heart disease.

Kiwifruit
This tart little green fruit, with its soft, hairy skin and seeds you can swallow, is chock full of vitamin C--a whopping 115% of what you need to eat in a day. It's also low in calories--just 45 per fruit sans skin.

Flax Seed
Also a tremendous source of omega-3 fatty acids, flax seed has been shown to contain powerful anti-cancer compounds called lignans. Flax is also a great source of fiber, which enhances digestion. Try throwing it into your next smoothie or sprinkling on a salad.

Kale
A member of the cabbage family, which Bowden dubs "vegetable royalty," kale contains indoles, a compound found to fight cancer. Kale is also full of sulforaphane, another cancer-prevention agent. Plus, Kale contains calcium, iron and vitamins A, C and K, and two nutrients that are great for the eyes, including zeaxanthin.

Dark Chocolate
Rich with a phytochemical called flavanol, found by a 2005 study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology to improve cardiovascular health. Look for chocolate with at least 60% cocoa content.

Eat Mediterranean
For some, sticking to a Mediterranean-style diet is the healthiest way to eat. That means plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish, and lots of olive and nut oils. The Mediterranean diet has indeed been proved by study after study to have multiple healthful properties.

the Anticancer Diet.

The Anticancer Diet.

Please see the excellent book Anticancer: A New Way of Life

The most promising cancer fighters:

1. Turmeric -- anti-inflammatory; encourages cancer cell death; inhibits tumor growth; enhances the effectiveness of chemotherapy; most effective when it's mixed with black pepper and dissolved in oil (olive); add a teaspoon daily to a teaspoon of olive oil and pinch of ground pepper -- add this to vegetables, soups, or salad dressings. IF YOU HAVE CANCER, use a tablespoon daily.

2. Ginger -- powerful anti-inflammatory; combats certain cancer cells and helps slow tumor growth; can help alleviate nausea; juice 2-4 inches of ginger daily; or add shredded to meals or stir fries or fruit salads; you can also make ginger tea by adding slices of it to boiling water and, if desired, add black pepper, cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon to make a delicious ginger yogi tea

3. Green tea -- reduce growth of new blood vessels that feed tumors; powerful antioxidant adn detoxifier (activates enzymes in the liver that eliminate toxins from the body); encourages cancer cell death; shown to improve effect of radiation on cancer cells; drink 2-3 cups a day; must be brewed fresh and drunk within an hour of brewing; must steep the tea for at least 5-8 minutes to release the effective catechins in the tea

4. Pomegranate juice -- antioxidant & anti-inflammatory properties; reduces development of even the most aggressive cancers such as prostate, among others; drinking it daily slows the spread of established cancers by up to 50%

5. Brussels Sprouts, bok choy, chinese cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower -- all contain sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinols (I3Cs), two potent anticancer molecules; help detoxify certain carcinogenic substances and can help precancerous cells from turning into malignant cells; also promote suicide of cancer cells and block tumor growth; eat raw or lightly steamed; or juice them; do not boil them - this destroys their healing properties

6. Garlic, onions, leeks, shallots, chives -- the sulfur compounds in these foods help destroy colon, breast, lung, and prostate cancer cells, among others; lower risk of kidney and prostate cancers in people who eat the most garlic; can be eaten raw, mixed in salads, or layered on sandwiches

7. Soy products -- Contain isoflavones that prevent tumor growth abnd block stimulation of cancer sells by sex hormones; eat miso, edamame, tofu, soy milk/yogurt

8. Fatty fish -- essential fatty acids in certain fish (wild salmon, smaller fishes) help to slow cancer cell growth

9. Oranges, tangerines, lemons, grapefruits -- contain flavonoids/antioxidants that stimulate bodily detoxification of cancer carcinogens by the liver

10. Berries -- contain ellagic acid and large numbers of polyphenols, which inhibit tumor growth; two of them promote cancer cell death

11. Chocolate -- If it contains over 70% cocoa, it provides antioxidants, proanthocyanidins, and many polyphenols; a square of dark chocolate contains twice as many as a glass of red wine and nearly as many as a glass of green tea; eat dark chocolate (at least 70%) not milk chocolate; eat 1/5 of a chocolate bar daily

Note: Also, dairy has been linked in research studies to the proliferation of cancer cells...100% of the time. (See The China Study)

Note: Meat also has been implicated in higher prevalence of cancer cell creation and proliferation.

Note: Conventional produces contain pesticides - in other words, they are filled with poisons. Do not eat them.

I love you and wish you health & wellness.

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50 Best Sites for Raw Food -- check it out!!! :)

http://radiologytechnicianschools.net/50-best-blogs-for-raw-food-recipes-inspiration/

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Repost - very creative ideas: Raw Parenting and Grandparenting

Please click the title just below to visit their blog.
This article and all others are Wonderful. :)

Raw Parenting and Grandparenting

My children, ages 4 and 6, have lived a raw-vegan lifestyle from birth and have managed to stay that way, so far.

Yes, I am sure there will be phases when they want to know about all the other types of food, and that is okay.

But while they are young, I believe it is important for me to stand my ground, believing in and living what I am teaching them. This will increase the chances of them following my lead. The same goes for you.

Fortunately, children who have eaten raw from birth haven't had their natural tastes altered by cooked foods. With their non-tainted taste buds, children sincerely enjoy pure fruits and vegetables, lettuce and such over mixed dishes.

Their digestion is different, so raw children are usually more sensitive to mixes since they haven’t had a bunch of artificial flavors ingrained in their minds.

Eating raw vegan food exclusively is therefore easier for them in this regard. Here are some ideas to make it easier for you and your children as you transition into or journey through a raw-vegan lifestyle:

1. Have fun with raw food: Build funny faces. Create art pieces. It is totally different if you can look at food from another point of view. Raw food is beautiful food. It's like flowers that make you smile. Soak it up and let it allow you to feel good.
2. Let your children take part: Children love to help, so let them take part in this life-learning! My children just love to eat raw foods because they can handle it themselves! They feel “big” which is very motivating to them!
3. Don’t stress over the mess: Don't worry about how your kitchen is going to look afterwards. As parents, we often look to save time and do not want to clean everything again. However, just step back and think “fun.” Be happy to be a part of the process. When I allow myself to do this, I can literally see my children grow. How amazing! Those times don't return to us, so think about what is really important to you.
4. House cleaning can be fun, too, by the way. Children do love to get involved with it as long as they can do it together with you. Just relax and don't worry if it takes longer than usual. All you need is time and patience. Pull yourself out of the circle of trying to be perfect. Show that you want to help your children with the cleaning, like how they want to help you. It’s most amazing to me with the ideas they come up with during this time. Observe! Build life-long valuable memories by not stressing over the mess.
5. Encourage your children to create recipes: Simply provide enough of a variety of fresh, yummy fruits, etc., and let them go at it. Of course, you can stay nearby so your kitchen doesn't get chopped up in the process. Try to focus on positive communication. For instance, "Let me know if you need some help,” instead of, "Nooo, you will cut off your fingers. Nooooo, the whole hand!” Children can end up resisting and rebelling from a negative communication approach.
6. Host parties and events: Invite friends and offer loads of yummy stuff. Make fruit porcupines (they can add the spikes, or you). Make delicious ice cream with strawberry sauce, shakes, or cakes. If you can get their friends to eat it without making a deal out of it, often no one will even realize it's raw, which is all the better for your children. Your children will go with the flow and be happy to not be so different this time.
7. Take raw food to friends: Bring a big bowl of something wonderfully raw to share with everybody! Again, your children won’t want to feel left out. If everybody else eats it, the chances are your children will, too.
8. Let it be the norm: Have plenty of different types of fresh, ripe foods at home (that your children like), so they can help themselves whenever they get hungry. If you pull out lettuce and just eat it, they will, too. My children would rather eat a whole apple instead of a complicated mix. So, keep it simple. Experiment! Just do it... don't talk! Action is most important! We all learn and move forward by watching and imitating. Your job is to filter (not shelter!) what should be imitated.
9. Don’t let your children get too hungry: Prepare filling shakes before they get too hungry and then go somewhere where “other” things are served. Whey your children are full, they are more satisfied and less attracted by other food.
10. Answer their questions: That's it. No begging, etc. Just fill them up with honest information. Children want to be able to understand and tell others. Point food differences out to them, so they know for future reference.
11. Take them grocery shopping: Let them pick things they like and what’s on the list.
12. Use puppetry: Let their dolls, cars, etc. "talk" about it. Use those toys as puppets, and you will see how fun that approach is for your children and how aware they are. They will start asking you questions based on what they just heard from their dolls, etc. [Grassy Roots TV at GrassyRoots.com or RawLife.org. Look for the Gertie Geiger episodes.]
13. Make commercials: Turn off the TV since there are so many negative influences there. Just watch how creative your children become.
14. Sell their creations: Let your children make raw crackers and sell them at park days, school functions, etc.
15. Especially if your children go to school: Give them more yummy snacks (they like) then they need… just to share with their friends! Make it really normal for them… raise other kids to your level (meaning if your child doesn’t eat cooked stuff welcome other kids eating raw foods!!). They don’t need to seem “strange”… if you help them a little out.
16. If your spouse/partner doesn’t support you: You feel stuck because you want to raise your children as healthy as possible…and your partner/spouse doesn’t seem to understand?
17. Most important – take the pressure off your child! They love both of you and don’t want to hurt anybody (which they might think if they don't eat the right stuff… whatever that means for them… it is totally confusing for children).
18. Try not to fight about that matter in front of them.
19. And then… focus on the positive side. Explain your child your perspectives in a calm and objective way. You can also talk about your partner’s perspective, fears and patterns. Children understand more than we think. Keep eating and introducing raw foods in a positive way! Don’t worry about what your partner does… you take care of your connection to your child.
20. Finally, children want to be with people who are fun and they can trust! If they choose you for the trustworthy person – because you are simple true to yourself and everybody else without changing them – they feel that and know…and will follow you without many words. (That might mean some work on ourselves first ;)…)
21. Connect!!! If your connection to your child is great and deep s/he will always be able to turn to you – also when it comes to raw foods! A deep heart connection and understanding breaks inside walls down which opens doors to raw foods and make them forget about all the comments from others about being different!! They will look at it from a total different perspective.

These are just a few ideas to get you started.

For transitioning, I suggest you try to find recipes that work for your children. Don't worry too much about all the right combining, etc. That will come by the time they are ready -- when their taste buds have changed to a desire for better quality food.

Again, be sure to have lots of fruit handy since children have a better chance of connecting with flavors they enjoy. Most importantly (for all of us), the fruit should be ripe, fresh and, if possible, organic!

If you want your children to live of raw food, make it happen! Do things such as replacing processed chocolate with your own raw chocolate; they will love it!

The point is to simply be a fun example for them. Before long, they’ll be living that life with you.

I would love to hear from you and about your experiences. Let me know what helped with your family’s transition to more - or all - raw food.

Please visit my website at www.rawfunfamily.com!

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Acid-forming versus Alkaline-forming foods

Remember: Eat a diet that is 80% alkaline-forming and 20% acid-forming to get the best balance in your body. Also remember: all cooked food is acid-forming. ALKALINE / ACIDIC FOOD CHARTS The charts below are provided for those trying to "adjust" their body pH through their diet. The pH scale is from 0 to 14, with numbers below 7 acidic (low on oxygen) and numbers above 7 alkaline. These charts are intended only as a general guide to alkalizing and acidifying foods. Note that there may be some discrepancies between foods included on these charts.*
ALKALIZING FOODS ACIDIFYING FOODS ALKALIZING VEGETABLES Alfalfa Barley Grass Beets Beet Greens Broccoli Cabbage Carrot Cauliflower Celery Chard Greens Chlorella Collard Greens Cucumber Dandelions Dulce Edible Flowers Eggplant Fermented Veggies Garlic Green Beans Green Peas Kale Kohlrabi Lettuce Mushrooms Mustard Greens Nightshade Veggies Onions Parsnips (high glycemic) Peas Peppers Pumpkin Radishes Rutabaga Sea Veggies Spinach, green Spirulina Sprouts Sweet Potatoes Tomatoes Watercress Wheat Grass Wild Greens ALKALIZING ORIENTAL VEGETABLES Maitake Daikon Dandelion Root Shitake Kombu Reishi Nori Umeboshi Wakame ALKALIZING FRUITS Apple Apricot Avocado Banana (high glycemic) Berries Blackberries Cantaloupe Cherries, sour Coconut, fresh Currants Dates, dried Figs, dried Grapes Grapefruit* Honeydew Melon Lemon* Lime* Muskmelons Nectarine* Orange* Peach Pear Pineapple Raisins Raspberries Rhubarb Strawberries Tangerine* Tomato Tropical Fruits Umeboshi Plums Watermelon *Although it might seem that citrus fruits would have an acidifying effect on the body, the citric acid they contain actually has an alkalinizing effect in the system. ALKALIZING PROTEIN Almonds Chestnuts Millet Tempeh (fermented) Tofu (fermented) Whey Protein Powder ALKALIZING SWEETENERS Stevia ALKALIZING SPICES & SEASONINGS Cinnamon Curry Ginger Mustard Chili Pepper Sea Salt Miso Tamari All Herbs ALKALIZING OTHER Apple Cider Vinegar Bee Pollen Lecithin Granules Molasses, blackstrap Probiotic Cultures Soured Dairy Products Green Juices Veggie Juices Fresh Fruit Juice Mineral Water Alkaline Antioxidant Water ALKALIZING MINERALS Cesium: pH 14 Potassium: pH 14 Sodium: pH 14 Calcium: pH 12 Magnesium: pH 9 ACIDIFYING VEGETABLES Corn Lentils Olives Winter Squash ACIDIFYING FRUITS Blueberries Canned or Glazed Fruits Cranberries Currants Plums** Prunes** ACIDIFYING GRAINS, GRAIN PRODUCTS Amaranth Barley Bran, wheat Bran, oat Corn Cornstarch Hemp Seed Flour Kamut Oats (rolled) Oatmeal Quinoa Rice (all) Rice Cakes Rye Spelt Wheat Wheat Germ Noodles Macaroni Spaghetti Bread Crackers, soda Flour, white Flour, wheat ACIDIFYING BEANS & LEGUMES Black Beans Chick Peas Green Peas Kidney Beans Lentils Pinto Beans Red Beans Soy Beans Soy Milk White Beans Rice Milk Almond Milk ACIDIFYING DAIRY Butter Cheese Cheese, Processed Ice Cream Ice Milk ACIDIFYING NUTS & BUTTERS Cashews Legumes Peanuts Peanut Butter Pecans Tahini Walnuts ACIDIFYING ANIMAL PROTEIN Bacon Beef Carp Clams Cod Corned Beef Fish Haddock Lamb Lobster Mussels Organ Meats Oyster Pike Pork Rabbit Salmon Sardines Sausage Scallops Shrimp Scallops Shellfish Tuna Turkey Veal Venison ACIDIFYING FATS & OILS Avacado Oil Butter Canola Oil Corn Oil Hemp Seed Oil Flax Oil Lard Olive Oil Safflower Oil Sesame Oil Sunflower Oil ACIDIFYING SWEETENERS Carob Sugar Corn Syrup ACIDIFYING ALCOHOL Beer Spirits Hard Liquor Wine ACIDIFYING OTHER FOODS Catsup Cocoa Coffee Vinegar Mustard Pepper Soft Drinks ACIDIFYING DRUGS & CHEMICALS Aspirin Chemicals Drugs, Medicinal Drugs, Psychedelic Pesticides Herbicides Tobacco ACIDIFYING JUNK FOOD Coca-Cola: pH 2 Beer: pH 2.5 Coffee: pH 4 ** These foods leave an alkaline ash but have an acidifying effect on the body. UNKNOWN FOODS There are several versions of the Acidic and Alkaline Food chart to be found in different books and on the Internet. The following foods are sometimes attributed to the Acidic side of the chart and sometimes to the Alkaline side. Remember, you don't need to adhere strictly to the Alkaline side of the chart, just make sure a good percentage of the foods you eat come from that side.* Asparagus Brazil Nuts Brussel Sprouts Buckwheat Chicken Corn Cottage Cheese Eggs Flax Seeds Green Tea Herbal Tea Honey Kombucha Lima Beans Maple Syrup Milk Nuts Organic Milk (unpasteurized) Potatoes, white Pumpkin Seeds Sauerkraut Soy Products Sprouted Seeds Squashes Sunflower Seeds Yogurt
RANKED FOOD CHART : ALKALINE TO ACIDIC EXTREMELY ALKALINE Lemons, Watermelon ALKALINE FORMING Cantaloupe, Cayenne Celery, Dates, Figs, Kelp, Limes, Mango, Melons, Papaya, Parsley, Seaweeds, Seedless Grapes, Watercress Asparagus, Fruit Juices, Grapes, Kiwifruit, Passionfruit, Pears, Pineapple, Raisins, Umeboshi Plums, Vegetable Juices MODERATELY ALKALINE Apples, Alfalfa Sprouts, Apricots, Avocados, Bananas, Currants, Dates, Figs, Garlic, Grapefruit, Grapes (less sweet), Guavas, Herbs, Lettuce, Nectarine, Peaches, Pears (less sweet), Peas, Pumpkin , Sea Salt Apples (sour), Green Beans, Beets, Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carob, Cauliflower, Ginger, Grapes (sour), Lettuce (pale green), Oranges, Peaches (less sweet), Peas (less sweet), Potatoes (with skin), Pumpkin (less sweet), Raspberries, Strawberries, Squash, Sweet Corn, Turnip, Apple Cider Vinegar SLIGHLTY ALKALINE Almonds, Jerusalem Artichokes, Brussel Sprouts, Cherries, Coconut (fresh), Cucumbers, Eggplant, Honey (raw), Leeks, Mushrooms, Okra, Olives (ripe), Onions, Pickles (homemade), Radishes, Sea Salt, Spices, Tomatoes, Brown Rice Vinegar Chestnuts (dry, roasted), Egg Yolks, Essene Bread, Goat's Milk and Whey (raw), Mayonnaise (homemade), Olive Oil, Sesame Seeds (whole), Soy Beans (dry), Soy Cheese, Soy Milk, Sprouted Grains, Tofu, Tomatoes (less sweet), Nutritional Yeast NEUTRAL Butter (fresh, unsalted), Cream (fresh, raw), Cow's Milk and Whey (raw), Margine, Oils (except olive), Yogurt (plain) MODERATELY ACIDIC Bananas (green), Barley (rye), Blueberries, Bran, Butter, Cereals (unrefined), Cheeses, Crackers (unrefined rye, rice and wheat), Cranberries, Dried Beans (mung, adzuki, pinto, kidney, garbanzo), Dry Coconut, Egg Whites, Eggs Whole (cooked hard), Fructose, Goat's Milk (homogenized), Honey (pasteurized), Ketchup, Maple Syrup (unprocessed), Milk (homogenized), Molasses (unsulferd and organic), Most Nuts, Mustard, Oats (rye, organic), Olives (pickled), Pasta (whole grain), Pastry (whole grain and honey), Plums, Popcorn (with salt and/or butter), Potatoes, Prunes, Rice (basmati and brown), Seeds (pumpkin, sunflower), Soy Sauce, Wheat Bread (sprouted organic) EXTREMELY ACIDIC Artificial Sweeteners, Beef, Beer, Breads, Brown Sugar, Carbonated Soft Drinks, Cereals (refined), Chocolate, Cigarettes and Tobacco, Coffee, Cream of Wheat (unrefined), Custard (with white sugar), Deer, Drugs, Fish, Flour (white wheat), Fruit Juices with Sugar, Jams, Jellies, Lamb, Liquor, Maple Syrup (processed), Molasses (sulphured), Pasta (white), Pastries and Cakes from White Flour, Pickles (commercial), Pork, Poultry, Seafood, Sugar (white), Table Salt (refined and iodized), Tea (black), White Bread, White Vinegar (processed), Whole Wheat Foods, Wine, Yogurt (sweetened)

Benefits of the 80/10/10 diet... :)

Roger Haeske - on Steamed Vegetables

Some "leaders" in the raw food community would have you believe
that steaming your vegetables and other foods for that matter has
no adverse effects on your health.

Or that eating a little bit of cooked food is necessary for ideal
health.

Let's examine this a bit more closely shall we.

Consider what happens to a food when you steam it? You are
destroying it or breaking it down. You're literally killing and
rupturing all of the cells in the food by the steaming process.

But this is no simple breaking down process. It's a chemical
reaction. A chemist named Maillard discovered that hundreds of
new molecules are created in a potato by boiling it.

You're body treats these molecules as poison. That's why white
blood cell counts go up when you eat cooked food but not with raw
foods.

Do you think that steaming doesn't create new chemical bonds and
molecules?

Imagine what would happen if you steamed your eyes? Ouch it's not
something you'd want to imagine is it. Within 10 seconds you'd have
done permanent damage to your eyes. I'm sure with a minute of
steaming, if you could take the pain, you'd be blind.

But remember this my friends, "steaming is good for you and doesn't
damage your food"

NOT!

So why torture your food and render it poisonous before it enters
your body?

Consider the difference between a raw romaine lettuce leaf versus a
steamed one. They're going to look and taste very different... don't
you think? Can't be from the benign steaming could it?

The steamed romaine leaf would be a shadow if its former self. All
of the life energy would be steamed right out of it. In fact, I'd
bet there wouldn't be very much left after you steamed it.

Or compare the taste, texture and vibration (yes all foods have a
vibration - tis a scientific fact) of a raw cucumber versus a
steamed one. Or what about raw celery versus steamed celery.

They're all going to be remarkably different.

Maybe this example will really bring it home to you.

Compare the feeling and life force of fresh squeezed orange juice
versus pasteurized OJ you can get from the supermarket in the
cardboard box. There's no life, no tingle to it.

Pasteurized orange juice from the supermarket tastes dead because
it is dead. The life force and all of the bacteria has been killed
off by the heating process.

Same exact thing happens when you steam something.

Steaming like any other form of cooking introduces chaos into your
system. Steaming will kill you slowly from the inside out.

Imagine what would happen if you tried steaming an ant. It would
probably be dead in less than 60 seconds. Do you really want to
kill the cells of your food? Think about it.

There are also subtle radiant energies that you can't see with the
human eye that are damaged or destroyed by any form of cooking.
You're literally cooking the light and life out of your food.

We didn't evolve to eat this steamed crap either.

Even if I believed in the "THEORY of evolution" which I in no way,
shape or form do we still haven't had nearly enough time to evolve
to eating cooked food anyway.

Physiologist suggest that we would need up to 500,000 years or much
longer for evolutionary change to occur. Well guess what? The human
species didn't start cooking in earnest until about 10,000 years
ago with the advent of agriculture.

In fact, most of the evidence points to not an evolution from
eating cooked food but an immediate devolution of the human
species.

Just look at your cooked neighbors and see what kind of state of
health they're in.

No way am I going to start eating cooked chaos. Yes that's what
steaming does, it adds chaos to a formerly orderly system.

I'm quite sure if you compared the cellular structure of raw
broccoli versus steamed broccoli under a microscope you'd see
something startling.

Do you think steaming would enhance the beauty of the cells of
broccoli or make it look chaotic, disorganized and unnatural?

Steaming is a health destroyer.

Now if you want to eat some steamed veggies more power to ya. I'm
certainly not condemning you.

It's not my business or concern, but if you want to be as happy,
healthy and vibrant as possible, you simply cannot accomplish that
by eating steamed vegetables.

You have to go 100% raw.

By steaming your food, you steam yourself. Don't allow that COOKED
POISON into your system.

And if you're still eating cooked, that's ok, just remember when
the day comes that you want to have ideal health and happiness
you'll want to drop all forms of cooking, whether steamed, boiled
or broiled its got to go.

Another big problem with steaming foods is a psychological one.
Once you open the door to the super addictive cooked foods via
steaming. Who's to say you don't quickly increase your intake of
cooked foods.

After all you're already eating some steamed veggies, why not eat
some steamed dumplings or heck why not steam some veggies and wrap
them in a tortilla wrap.

By going 100% raw you don't continue to deepen your cooked food
addiction.

But if you regularly eat steamed veggies you'll almost certainly
want other cooked food as well because you can't break the cooked
food addiction while you're still eating it.

Cooked food is highly addictive just like cocaine and other drugs.

Cooking foods creates hundreds and thousands of new molecules that
don't exist in nature and didn't exist until the food was cooked.

Matters not that it was steamed because applying heat beyond a
certain temperature is going to reek havoc on your food and in turn
on you.

So if you haven't figured it out yet, I'm NOT in favor of steaming
vegetables.

To Your Radiant Health, Happiness and Infinite Potential,

Roger Haeske
The 42-Year Old Teanajer

P.S. Instead of steaming your vegetables why not make them into the
most delicious raw stew you've ever tasted.

Check out my Savory Veggie Stews Holiday Sale:

http://SavoryVeggieStews.com