I was speaking with a family member over the holidays and was suprised to learn that she frequented the raw vegan restaurant 105 Degrees in OKC.  She absolutley LOVES the place and has taken her entire fmaily and many friends there for breakfasts, lunches and dinners!  I am planning a trip to visit her soon so we can go out to eat together. 

As we were speaking of the food, the atmosphere, etc. she mentioned that "eating there can get pricey"  and then went on to explain why: "First of all the food tastes so amazing one is inclined to try everything on the menu, but also you don't feel "full" eating raw food so you eat more"

I thought about this and wanted to share my thoughts on the subject in this post because I think many folks new to raw food might have a similar experience with it. 

What does it mean to feel full?  Most people on a Standard American Diet eat until they feel absolutely stuffed.  There is no more room.  Then a few hours later the hunger sets in.  Ok.  Let's stop right there.

When we eat the S.A.D our bodies cry out for nutrients.  We put cooked foods (often overcooked foods), breads and drink into our bellies to the point of being stuffed.  Our bodies cry out "MORE" but what the body is saying is "NUTRIENTS, PLEASE".  Not more of the same.  There may be difficulty in knowing when to stop eating the spaghetti dinner because
a.)  Our body needs more nutrients
b.)  It is a comfort food that many of us grew up eating
c.)  It is full of salt and/or sugar that feeds habitual cravings that we learned early on in life.

Raw foods, on the other hand, are uncooked and so are full of their own enzymes ready to aid the human body in the digestive process.  So, our bodies do not need to use up their own enzyme stores to do the work.  The food practically digests itself.  This is the main reason raw fooders feel very light and energetic.  their energies can go to more work, play, creativity, healing, etc.

Now, here is a question:  What does it feel like to be nourished?
Feeling satisfied with what went in and no longer having the pangs of hunger (if there were any to start with!)
raw fods usually will not give you the feeling of being "stuffed".  Although they can, especially if they are heavy on dehydrated items or heavy on the nuts.  Generally after eating a raw meal one feels light, energized and satisfied. 

it is a new feeling to bring the awareness to, and once understood can be cultivated.  Knowing your body's precious energy can move towards creativity or healing is far more productive than digesting food that is mostly devoid of nutrients.

Try eating a completely raw dinner one early evening and notice how you feel afterwards.  Notice how you feel at night; notice how you sleep and how you awaken the next morning.

Eating 100% raw is not necessary to reap the incredible rewards raw foods can bring.  Experiment with your food and see what makes you hum...what makes you vibrate and what makes you a more loving and kind person.

In peace,
Kirsten

Dawn near Uluru, Australia.  Breathtakingly beautiful!

It's morning.  Hmm...what is for breakfast?  Most people eat breakfast everyday, right?  Well this is the place to start fueling your body, mind and spirit!

As I have said before, start you day with a tall glass of water with the juice of 1/2 a lemon.  Or steep some ginger in hot water and then add the lemon juice once the water is no longer extrememly hot! 

Okay, then what?

Green smoothie time!  If you allow yourself to get very hungry, especially when you are new to healthier eating, then you are more apt to grab the bagel with cream cheese, danish or donut.

Make your green smoothie the night before if you are the type of person that wakes up ravenous.  Or make it early in the morning and begin to drink it as soon as you start to think about what might be for breakfast or before you begin to get too hungry.  You'll know when will be best for you.

When you begin your day with yummy food that is good for not only the taste buds, but your health and well-being as well, then you have laid better groundwork for eating well the rest of the day.  And if later on in the day you eat something not-so-great...then you'll feel better knowing you got your greens in first!  And if you do eat something that wasn't necessarily on the "menu" do not fret!  Don't beat yourself up about it!  Just get back on the wagon, so to speak and choose something healthier at your next meal or snack!


Here is a delicious smoothie that can be made in a regular blender or a high speed one:

2 cups fresh water
1 banana and/or 1 peach
1 cup packed spinach or romaine
1 Tblsp. flax seed or hemp seed
1/2 cup ice cubes

Blend and enjoy! (Add more or less water to your liking!)

Here I am checking out the red sands at Kata Tjuta National Park

Imagine a day that from the moment you wake up in the morning until you close your eyes at night it is filled with everything you normally experience each and every day; light, family, laughter, stress, tension, work, play, food, friends, shock, knowing, confusion, finances, spirituality, exercise, darkness...only this day you wake up smiling inside and out, and you go to sleep at night smiling inside and out.  You may be tired from all the activity, but you are not weary, exhausted or down.

Imagine taking everything that comes your way and knowing what to do with it, or at least knowing that it is here and not allowing it to rule your life. (The easy moments as well as the more challenging ones!)  

I will let you in on a secret: start you day off right and every moment of each day will be spent in love, joy and gratitude; challenges and all.  

How do you start your day off right?  By giving the first moments of your day to YOU.  You and that which is larger than yourself. 

Wake each morning, allowing yourself a set amount of time, preferably enough time for a cup of water with fresh lemon and then your tea or coffee and then time for working your body, mind and spirit.  

For me, I need 1 1/2 hours.  For others, less and for others more! 

As an example, this is my morning routine: I wake up, have a tall glass of water with fresh lemon juice, a quick cool shower and then enjoy my warm chai.  That is 20 minutes so far.  Then I spend 10 minutes tuning in to myself and that which is larger than myself. (God, God-Consciousness, the Universe, whatever you call it).  I sit cross legged, hands in prayer pose, gently close my eyes and begin with words of gratitude.  I then envision what I want or need in my life (as detailed as possible ) and I do not allow myself to think small; I think BIG!   Then I practice kundalini yoga for 30 - 50 minutes. 

When I start my day with my own time, anything can happen and I I can handle it with grace and loving-kindness.  I do not spend ANY time during the day thinking "When am I going to get some time to myself?  When am I going to do my practice?  When am I going to...".  

I challenge you to try it on for a week.  Set your alarm an hour earlier or more. (and for those of you thinking you couldn't possibly lose any precious sleep time believe me when I say
you will be more energized!  You'll spend less time using up your body's energies worrying and stressing so you can burn that energy on more important activities!)   Try it. 

If you do not know what to do for yourself during that time then here is a suggestion for starters:  
-wake up and drink a tall glass of cool water with 1/2 lemon squeezed into it.
-have a cool or lukewarm shower (AWESOME way to wake up)
-drink 1 cup of warm tea (or coffee)
-sit comfortably and meditate on gratitude and then goals in your life.
-spend 20 minutes practicing yoga, or stretches, sit-ups, push-ups, squats, crunches...anything you are familiar with that works your body.
-lay out on your back for at least 5 minutes and relax.  close your eyes and breathe long and deep.
-get up slowly, go to the bathroom and splash your face with cold water; blot dry and then go have your second cup of tea. 
-your day will now be yours!  

Be the light!
Kirsten

 

If you are anything like I was, then you might be in need of a quick pomegranate how to; Not so long ago, I enjoyed pomegranate juice, loved it when others put the seeds in their salads, etc. but when Fall rolled around and I started seeing those beautifully red and round fruits in the stores, I would walk on by!  I stayed away from them because they seemed like so much work for such a messy reward!  But that was because   I had tried to open one before and had no clue how to do it!  So, the juice got everywhere and I had  hard time getting those sweet little gifts of nutrition and joy out of their skin!  

One day, I was given a little pomegranate how to that would change how I felt about buying my own and preparing them!

On the pomegranate, there are these little ridges.  6 or so.  Take a sharp pairing knife and gently slice about 1/4" deep into each of the ridges, from the top to the bottom. Go round the entire fruit, slicing down these ridges.  Then, with the knife at a slight angle, cut the head out. (The flat nubby end of the fruit)  Now, place the knife in the fruit where you cut the head off and gently twist the knife, easing the fruit to split open.  You can use your hands to pull the fruit apart. Wow!  Look at all those little red jewels just waiting for you to taste them!  You can use your knife or fingers to push them out of their comfy seats and onto a plate or straight into your blender for a delicious smoothie! (orange/ kale/pomegranate/ flax oil or flax seeds and a little water YUM!)

Watch my video and go for it!  Do not be afraid of these tinydelicacies!  Enjoy them while they are here!  

At our home, I open one in the morning and have it on the table when everyone else in the house wakes up. You should see the delight on their faces!  Such beauty and taste displayed first thing in the morning!

I hope this pomegranate how to has helped you if you were in need of a little assistance on the subject!

Pomegranates are rich in antioxidants that can keep bad LDL cholesterol from oxidizing. And like aspirin, pomegranate juice can help blood platelets form clumping together forming blood clots.

Clinical tests are showing that pomegranate juice may slow down the growth of prostate and breast cancers and even arthritis seems to yield to the power of this juice!  Scientists at Case Western Reserve University have reported that tissue cultures from human cartilage cells respond to pomegranate extract.  Inflammation is reduced and the enzymes that break down cartilage become less active. 

One pomegranate has about 40% of the recommended daily vitamin C requirement for adults, along with folic acid, fiber, potassium, miacin and vitamins A and E.

It seems that pomegranate juice may interfere with some medications just as grapefruit juice can, so when in doubt, ask your doctor!

Enjoy your next pomegranate in your own home and pass along this pomegranate how to to anyone you know that would like to open their own delicious pomegranate!

Ooooh yeah!

This smoothie is sure to get things moving when you are feeling a bit stuck inside!  Whether you have eaten your fill of refined flours, sugars, had too much to drink in the form of alcohol, or just want somthing tasty and different from the regular green smoothie then this is where it is at!

Blend together the following ingredients, sit back and enjoy!

1 apple

1 pear

1/2 bunch parsley

3 Tblsp. Flax Oil

1/2 tsp. turmeric

1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger

juice of 1/2 lemon

sweetener of your choice (stevia, raw honey, a couple pitted dates)

Pears are rich in copper, vitamin c, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. 
Apples too, are fiber rich, rich in vitamin a, phosphorous, abundant in Quercetin, a flavonoid, which helps prevent the growth of prostate cancer cells.
Turmeric, it's main ingredient curcumin has amazing benefits to the skin and joint health;  it can be used as an antiseptic by creating a paste and put directly on cuts, and scrapes; Taking turmeric on a regular basis helps in the reduction of fats, aiding in weight loss; Turmeric has been shown to be an anti-inflammatory and help in alleviating pain associated with arthritis;  it is used to treat psoriasis and helps restore damaged skin.
Flax oil is one of the richest sources of Omega-3 acids; flax seed oil essentially contains Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9 fatty acids, Vitamin B, Potassium, Lecithin, Magnesium, Fiber, Protein and Zinc. It tends to work like a multi-vitamin!
Lemon juice helps the liver to detoxify and function well.

Enjoy!