The flyer says "...Live Foods-Intro to Un-Cooked Foods..." Hmm, I am intrigued by this flyer that I've been seeing at the local Health Food store. Several times I've picked it up and tucked it in my pocket meaning to look further into it, but for whatever reason I never do. Then my friend Lady Di sends me an email asking if I have registered for the Raw Foods Workshop. Well, that's all it took to get me off the fence...Let's do it I said and registered that day. Since I've been Juicing and eating a plant strong diet now for over a year (time flies), I want to know more. I want to see what other people do. This seemed like a non-threatening way to do it and since it was called "workshop" it wasn't as intimidating sounding as some of the others I've come across.
I have the cook books, and I watch the videos' on YouTube, but having a "live" workshop to go to sounds interesting. So yesterday I went. And I have to say it was really a treat.
Here's my problem. If I don't have a plan for eating when I get home, there is a good chance my brain is going to say, oh well eat something quick. Fortunately for me, in the last year+ I no longer have "bad" food in my refrigerator or cabinets. So I may end up eating an apple or a banana, or celery stick where a year ago I would have pulled out Cheese and Crackers. Anyway, making soups I have found is a great way to have something always available and you can make it in large batches for freezing. Curried Bean Soup (chicken optional) - I like Bob's Red Mill Grains. They are readily available at our local grocery stores and even our Local Farm Stand carries them. I like the mixes that they sell at the store, such as this particular Soup Mix. So far I buy the Black Bean Soup Mix, Soup Mix, Flaxseed, Chia, Red Lentil, Whole Wheat Flour (GF), Rolled Oats(GF, *Gluten Free).
This recipe is sooooo simple.
1 1/2 bag of Bob's Red Mill Soup mix
8 cups of veggy broth
1 onion chopped
2 celery chopped
1 large carrot chopped
(In my opinion you can add what ever veggies you want)
1 Tsp Curry Powder
1 Tsp Minced Garlic
(Salt/Pepper to taste)
Saute veggy's for about 7 minutes. at same time you can start the broth and add the soup mix. Just before you add the veggies to the soup mix, add the curry and garlic and cook for another 30 seconds or so, don't burn it. Add this to the broth and beans and bring to a boil then simmer for at least 2 hours (if you soak the beans the night before - which I always forget to do, the cooking time is less - but you'll know when it's done when the beans are soft.
This taste great and it's even better the next day. Serve it with a salad and your good!
*Gluten Free.There is a lot of talk about Gluten Free these days. What's it all about? I came across a couple of videos on the topic I want to share: The first one Dr. Peter Glidden on the subject about Gluten explains (in a more technical way) why Gluten (found in Wheat, Barley, Rye and Oats and most processed foods) is bad for a good percentage of the population. If you are curious about it watch Dr. Peter Gliddens lecture below.
Another good one is Dr. Mark Hyman who in this video gives a more user friendly talk on the subject of Gluten and how it could be hurting you.
No Gluten here! Every Day I Juice - Super C (1 Beet, 1 Red Bell Pepper, 3-4 carrots, 1 orange), and Mean Green (Cucumber, Celery, Kale (or spinach),1 Granny Smith Apple, 1" fresh ginger, 1/2 lemon).
I read a post today on Facebook about all the Pesticides in Strawberries and that you should only buy ORGANIC. So I replied to the post and asked if they were recommending that you NOT buy regular strawberries if you couldn't find ORGANIC. Their reply was a BIG - NEVER BUY STORE BOUGHT NON- ORGANIC Strawberries. I'm still struggling with Organic vs non organic. Primarily due to the cost. The fact that I've gone 99.9% Plant Based in the last year is a VERY GOOD thing, but obviously the more I read, I find out more and more (good and bad) about that BAD that is in our food. I am so sad to learn that I should NEVER eat Store bought (like Market Basket type stores or big food stores) strawberries that are not ORGANC - why am I sad? Basically the cost. On the other hand, I'm saving a considerable amount of money by not buying meat, dairy or processed foods so buying ORGANIC is becoming less and less of an issue (but it still is) . I'm working on it. And I'm happy the Farmers Markets are spreading and I can buy more locally grown foods while at the same time supporting local farmers. Here is an interesting list of the 10 WORST NON-ORGANIC fruits Strawberries / Peaches / Apples / Blueberries /Nectarines / Cherries / Grapes / Raspberries / Pears and Tomatoes - Why because of their thin Skin - Read more at fruits.http://www.livestrong.com/article/457959-10-worst-nonorganic-fruit/
I had to share this from my friend Paul, I couldn't have said it better - From my friend Paul! 21 hours ago near Portland, ME
Some days it’s hard not beam with pride at the humble courage of Maine’s state legislature. Faced with the certainty that Maine will be sued by the likes of Monsanto and their industry friends and supporters (read, lobbyists and self-funded advocacy groups), Maine’s legislature has joined 18 other state legislatures, including neighboring Vermont’s, in getting ever closer to requiring the producers of GMO food products to label their products as GMO food products. It’s interesting to note that Monsanto and their cronies object to any labeling regime at all, on the grounds that their free speech rights will be somehow violated because (you can’t make this up) 1) there is no credible scientific evidence that genetically modified organisms pose health risks to human consumers (the environment generally and naturally occurring animal and plant species don’t count/aren’t factored into the argument), and (this one is incredible) 2) the likely outcome of a mandated labeling regime would unfairly hit GMO food product producers’ bottom lines from two sides -- lost sales from an unfairly ignorant consumer base that is irrationally afraid of genetically modified food products, and the cost of implementing any labeling regimen at all. In the first instance, if your argument against informing consumers about the origins of your product is that they will be less likely to buy it, it’s hard to imagine a better reason to hit the pause button on the entire industry until we understand the implications of these products on, say, our progeny and their environment some 15-20 generations hence. Maybe even longer. And in the second instance, the cost of labeling…really?! Suck it. Monsanto (and now by extension, most of the GMO players) just successfully defended their patented GMO seed and, by extension, their seed licensing business model, which allows them to advance their monopolies by being able to sue any farmer whose crops are even unintentionally contaminated by their patented GMO seeds. Given the far-reaching economic implications of this awful SCOTUS decision (the awfulness is not in the actual decision, but in that the SCOTUS decided to take this case in particular, as opposed to a number of alternatives unrelated to food) that skew to the advantage of the Monsantos of the world, it’s a safe bet that they can afford the increased printing costs of new labels.
If the above doesn’t frost your shorts, maybe this will: It’s worth noting that the last time these same arguments were SUCCESSFULLY made, Phillip Morris and its peers were making straight-faced claims, under oath, as to the health benefits and overall safety of their products. Check this out Click Here:
Have you ever picked up a product and looked on the label to see how many calories there are. For example look at the label on the left. It says 250 calories. That's PER SERVING - this product has 2 servings (at 1 cup each) so it's really 500 calories - Why don't they break it down that way. Probably because people wouldn't buy it if they REALLY looked at it. Or maybe just me.
Take Trail Mix for Example - (the kind with almonds, raisins, cranberries) seems harmless enough. But I buy the big bags at the store and keep them at my desk or in my car for a snack in case I get hungry. Well, honestly, it's so easy to grab a handful and munch on it, then grab another handful and before you know it you've eaten the entire bag!
Now I realize that has nothing to do with the label itself. It's me not having any self control. But it was after I had been doing this for about a month with the trail mix, that I realized even good food can be bad if you treat it with total abandon. That's what made me look for the Label information. This is interesting reading if you are curious. But how do you interpret this Nutritional Label?
Notice it only talks about Fats (9 calories per gram) and Proteins & Carbs (4 calories per gram) - What is fiber in that mix?
My feeling on Juicing after doing it now for just over a year, is a that its a way for "ME" to get my fruits and vegetables easily and I LOVE how it tastes! I can consume vegetables that I would otherwise not eat -( like beets for example, I love them juiced, but I'm hard pressed to eat them raw or cooked).
When I began juicing a year ago - I did it for a couple of reasons which are still valid reasons today. I wanted to change my eating habits and loose weight. And a Juice "Reboot" was the best way to jump start that change.
What I learned from this "Reboot" a year ago was that by doing it, it helped me (and continues) to begin the process of change. It is an ongoing process, one which I enjoy and one that is very easy to get off track on. Reading Labels is definitely one of the things I do on a regular basis now - and I'm so surprised (why should I be) when I see a product that says it's one thing, and you look at the label and are blown away by all the other ingredients.
But more and more it is very seldom that I even need to read the labels, as most of what I buy is Fruits, Vegetables, Beans, Nuts, Seeds. I should think about changing my header from Fresh Beginnings With Juicing to something else... Any ideas?
Ok I know this has Mozzarella in it, but I came home from work, and wasn't sure what to make. I know Bruce was not in the mood for 100% plant food. So I opened the fridge. He had bought some Mozzarella cheese, and I had some whole wheat flat bread wraps.
" Hmmm what can I do with this?"
My refrigerator is full of vegetables, but these two items were the only NON Fruit NON Veggy items.
So looking further I realized I had made some Bob's Red Mill Black Bean soup previously and froze it, so I pulled out a container and defrosted it. Then I chopped up a Tomato, and Vo-Wal-La (ha ha) I had Black Bean Mozzarella Flat Bread Pizza! Bruce Loved it! And he's a very good cook, so for me that was a sincere complement. Hence the Bruce Approved!
I served this with my Cox Salad, and had a real winner!
I'm of the belief that everyone likes sweet things occassionally. (at least I think we do).
I'm so delighted by the incredible things you can whip up at home with the Blender and Fresh Fruit. I've been buying Banana's and cutting them up and freezing them. So when I make a Smoothie or Banana Ice Cream, I don't need ice.
Today I made what I call "Very Berry Nib Smoothie" - This is so delightful - however now that I've made it and looked up the calories - I guess I'll only be making this on special occasions!
This will make about 24 ounces .- I use the Vita Mix - but any high RPM blender will work.
2 Frozen Banana's (or use fresh ones- if you use fresh ones then add ice) 180 calories Handful of Strawberries - 32 calories Handful of Blueberries -82 calories 1/2 cup of Coconut Milk -40 calories 1/2 cup of Coconut Water -23 calories 1 Teaspoon of Cocoa Nibs - 27 calories Pinch of Coconut Shavings- (you figure this out there are 33 calories in a tablespoon so a pinch is?)
Put in blender and blend on high for about 30 seconds or until completely blended.
Nice and refreshing (will make a great summer treat) And the Cocoa Nibs gives a nice little crunch.
This receipe makes 2 servings. Total calories about 399 - Reduce the calories and share it with friends!
Enjoy - And have you heard about Cocoa being a superfood? Listen to David Wolfe on the subject.
Then there are those who argue the Cocoa story from OKRAW, so you'll have to make up your own mind!
Wow, where did the time go! 15 days went by really fast! I started April 1st and here it is already April 17th. That to me shows that I am slowly changing my eating habits, and juicing is just a part of it. I did loose 10 pounds and feel great. I'm almost back to where I was before October when I went to Atlantic City for a Real Estate Brokerage Convention and fell off the wagon with good food. I was just eating too many good foods and consuming more calories than I was burning. I'm still not drinking or smoking. So to treat myself yesterday, I spent a couple hours at the Book Store. I couldn't wait to order the Engine 2 Diet Book by Rip Esselstyn online so I bought it at B&N (yeah and someone hit my car while it was parked in the parking lot and didn't leave a note - Turned out to be an Expensive Book!) IF you haven't heard of RIP watch this. Rip Esselstyn is the son of Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr. whom I learned about from the movie Forks Over Knives. If you haven't seen the movie, I highly recommend it. Well, Rip has his own credits and his whole focus is helping people to become PLANT STRONG. His story and his conviction are powerful. Check out his web site, it has incredible recipes and other great information on it.Click Here to go to his recipe page. Additionally I bought a Herb Book (growing an using herbs) and a book of counts (I have my fitness pal, but sometimes it's nice to have a "book" handy) for the nutritional content of foods. I continue my Juicing everyday and actually haven't really stopped my 15 day fast, but I'm not as strict as I was during the last 15 days. I going to look at incorporating the Engine 2 challenge into my Juicing and see how that works out as I love the looks of his menu items. But for me A day without juicing is like a day without sunshine.
Friday Madness Slip Up! I'm 12 days into a 15 day Juice/Veggie Reboot (which also includes quitting caffeine).
Yesterday I found myself a little unprepared and it set me off slightly. I almost stopped at a coffee house when I had to drive to one of our other offices and left without taking any water or Juice with me. By the time I got there I was thirsty and that little voice in my head said, "ohh looky there - HOT COFFEE". I had this dialog with myself about how it wouldn't hurt and I'd just get a small coffee... It was strange, I didn't really want it but it was there and I was thirsty. I told myself "look are you doing this or not - you can have it but I thought YOU wanted to quit coffee?" After a few minutes the urge to splurge passed.
I did my business and got back in the car and headed north. But I made the mistake of not even stopping to get a bottle of water. By the time I got back to Portsmouth, I was actually thinking about Burger King! NOW I've gone from wanting a cup of coffee to having French Fries and a Hamburger - I'm crazy! I haven't eaten that way in over a year! What's up? Crazy Madness because I'm not prepared!
Then by the time dinner rolled around again I wasn't prepared again, as we had to fly as soon as I was done for the day to go to an event with friends. So I didn't make any juice or have a salad before going out. By 8:00 we are in a local restaurant (and like most places in town they don't really do a good job with raw food choices) so I ordered a Ceaser Salad (slip up #1 when I COULD HAVE ordered just a garden salad), and once again I'm have that dialog with myself "oh it won't hurt get the chicken strips on the salad", this time I went for it and I had the Salad with Chicken on it! Ok It's not that big of a deal, but I have a goal I've set and for 3 more days I need to stick to my goal. I Slipped Up!
See this is all part of the journey. I will have ARRIVED at my true goal of changing the way I eat when I don't do things like that. Granted I could have gone all the way off but I didn't. It just goes to show you that REAL CHANGE takes time, education, dedication and commitment.
So today I'm good, back to Juice and Veggies. All in all the 12 days have been good and I've felt great. Being prepared is KEY KEY KEY!
In Celebration of their 2nd Anniversary, Joe Cross is putting Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead on YouTube for Free viewing (not everyone has Netflix). If you haven't seen this inspiring movie you owe it to yourself (or perhaps someone you know) to watch this movie. Here is the Link: http://youtu.be/gpLQwWKb3l8
It's basically your kitchen sink salad! And you don't feel guilty eating it! When I'm Rebooting I have my Super C Juice in the morning, Mean Green during the day and my Full Featured At Night.
A friend of mine told me today she only juices maybe 1 or 2 times a week (she is a Vegan). She doesn't do it more than that as she doesn't feel like she gets enough energy from it. I just came across this video post from Joe Cross and thought I'd re post it here. Good energizing recipe.
Blended in the Blender:
Coconut Water
Banana
Cacao Nibs (you can get them at the Health Food Store or in our area I saw them at Golden Harvest)
Berries (frozen or fresh)
Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
Kale
It looks absolutely delicious. What I liked about this is the Coconut Water because of the Electrolytes and it's warming effect). Give it a Try, I'm headed to The Golden Harvest right now to get some Nibs and more Coconut water .
I won't be actually trying this juice until the 20th - I'm on the 9th day of Reboot #2 which is going very well. I'm comfortable with my juicing and my Full Featured Raw Salads are awesome.
Watch Joe and don't forget to watch his movie Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead!
Day 7 of my 2nd Reboot
It's been 7 days into Reboot #2 - (A 15 day Juice/Veggy Fast) - Pictured above Day 1 of Reboot #1, a year ago February and one year later. Nough Said!
So far, so good. I did modify my plan and decided to do the Juice 2x a day with Raw Veggies at night (my full featured salad).
Monday and Tuesday were a little difficult and I felt like I wanted to bite someones head off as well as my own as I finally stopped drinking Coffee. When I threatened to go to Dunkin Donuts to get my coffee fix, a friend shared some inspiring words of wisdom with me and I decided to get a Omega 3 Sensation Smoothie instead.
My friend (Paul) said "... Maybe focus on this: just like nicotine, caffeine causes the
"disease" which produces certain symptoms and side effects that can only
be alleviated by ingesting more of the substance that causes the
disease. Once broken for a very short period of time, the cycle just
stops..." That's all it took. A gentle nudge from a friend and I stayed on my path.
In our society it is so easy to go for the quick gratification. And it's sometimes hard to resist the sights and smells as you walk into a store or pass by a restaurant with the smell of food cooking wafting out through an open door. If you're not prepared to satisfy your hunger with Juices you've taken the time to prepare in the morning or have packed yourself a healthy lunch or have healthy snacks (like carrot and celery sticks or an apple perhaps), it's sooooo easy to say Oh, I'll just grab a quick meal here or there and end up consuming not only more calories than you need but also processed foods that your body doesn't really want. Fortunately we are starting to see more and more businesses opening up that cater to a healthier body. This fact alone has made my own journey easier.
I was concerned about this weekend that I might give in to those temptations and fall off my fast, but I have stayed true even with a dinner for six last night. I stayed true, drinking Herbal tea and water and eating my full featured salad while my other guests enjoyed a delicious seafood and pasta meal. I never felt the desire to indulge. Not once!
At the end of 7 days, I'm down 5 pounds, and my energy level is high, my focus is keen and I'm glad I'm doing this again. Juice On. And my eternal thanks to Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. Forks over knives and Hungry For Change. All three movies can be seen on netflix.
To my other friends who are also participating in a 15 day Reboot - I would love for you to comment on how your week has been.
It begins today - 15 days 100% Juicing - My juices will be primarily Super C and Mean Green. At least 72 ounces of Juice a day, and at least that much water. No Coffee ( I've already quit everything else so coffee is my last remaining vice).
A few other people I know (Andrea, Vince Vinces Brother Walt, Diane, Kelly and Haley) will be also be "Rebooting" for 10-15 days and I decided to do it in support of them and because I like how it makes me feel afterward. It's an amazing jumpstart on changing the way I eat or in continuation of a program that has already begun.
I hope my fellow rebooters will share their own thoughts on how it's going over the next 13 days and what they hope to get out of it.
Well, it's really an Anytime Brunch Smoothie, but seeing it is Easter...
Happy Easter by the Way!
This is another one of those drinks where I found myself low on Fruits and Veggies and I while I was making a pot of Rolled Oats (and Mr. B was making an Omelet -see, we can do this together ), this is what I came up with.
This time rather than Juicing, I used the Blender because of the soft banana and strawberries (they don't juice well).
This recipe makes about 60 ounces - in case you have people over - Adjust the ingredients as needed.
A friend of mine said she doesn't have a juicer and wanted to know if she could blend. I know you can make stunning Smoothies with the Vita Mix or other high RPM blenders, but I haven't even tried to make one with a regular household blender so keep that in mind. This smoothie I blended for 1 minute and it was excellent!
The Calories: (from MyFitnessPal.com) *
2 Peeled Oranges 140 Calories
1 Banana (peeled) 90 Calories
1 Granny Smith Apple (medium not peeled) 80 calories
8 Whole Strawberries ( 1 cup =80 calories)
(water and ice)
Total Calories: 357 calories (remember I added a tray of ice cubes and 2 cups of water) so this is just a guide. Also, in searching for the calorie content from myfitnesspal.com, there are different numbers depending on the size of the fruit....
Have a great day! Hey tomorrow I start another 15 day Juice Reboot! Like Spring Cleaning! Woo hoo!
I have the cook books, and I watch the videos' on YouTube, but having a "live" workshop to go to sounds interesting. So yesterday I went. And I have to say it was really a treat. 
