Contest Alert

Awesome special contest alert!!!

Chantal's "Eat Dance Live" Blog has posted a rediculously awesome giveaway, and if your like me rockin out the raw meals without a dehydrator I'm sure you'll want a chance to enter into this contest. She is giving away her 4 tray Nesco Dehydrator.

Here's where you can enter the contest : http://eatdancelive.blogspot.com/2010/06/dehydrator-giveaway.html

and here are the rules...hurry the contest ends 10am on Monday, June 21

You have two options (so you can get a maximum of two entries)

For everyone (first entry): Leave a comment on my blog telling me what the first thing you'd want to make with a dehydrator of your very own.

For bloggers (second entry): Link this post back to your blog for an extra entry! Please leave a comment below letting me know you did :)

For non-bloggers (second entry): If you aren't already, become a follower of my blog and leave a comment below letting me know you did! On the left-hand toolbar, there is a box marked "Followers" become one them, it isn't much of a hassle :) If you already are a follower, thanks, and just leave a second comment telling me you are!

Good luck!!! :)

Sprouting

So, it has been quite a while since I've posted and I've got a few that I've been holding on to, here's one of them. I've been obsessing over the art of sprouting lately, I love adding sprouts to my salads, and even blending them into my shakes. Not only are sprouts very nutritious, but they are super easy to grow as well. I was not blessed with an apartment with a lot of light and with no window in my kitchen I thought I had no chance of sprouting anything, boy was I wrong. When I eat sprouts it reminds me that I am eating food that has life and that life force is then transfered to me, this is truly raw food in all of its glory. 

Here's some information I've dug up for you if you'd like to try sprouting yourself, seriously give it a try. This may be a lot of information, but I think you'll be surprised at how easy and fun it is. 

There are professional sprouting kits but really all you'll need is a large glass mason jar, a piece of metal mesh for the top (or pantyhose...I've heard), filtered water and time.

Basics of Sprouting

1. Obtain seed for sprouting. Store in bug-proof containers, away from extreme heat/cold. Seed should be viable, and, to extent possible, free of chemicals.
2. Basic steps in sprouting are:


• measure out appropriate amount of seed, visually inspect and remove stones, sticks, weed seed, broken seeds, etc.
• rinse seed (if seed is small and clean, can usually skip this rinse)
• soak seed in water for appropriate time
• rinse soaked seed, put in sprouting environment for appropriate time
• service seeds (rinse) in sprouting environment as needed
• when ready, rinse seeds. Store in refrigerator, in sprouting environment or in other suitable container until ready to use. If not used within 12 hours, seeds should be serviced (rinsed) every 24 hours in refrigerator. Best to eat as soon as possible, as freshness is what makes sprouts special!

Jars and Cloth: Two Suggested Sprouting MethodsJars: use wide-mouth, glass canning jars, available at many hardware stores. You will need screen lids - cut pieces of different (plastic) mesh screens, or buy some of the special plastic screen lids designed for sprouting. Sprouting in jars is quite easy: simply put seed in jar, add soak water, put lid on. When soak is over, invert jar and drain water, then rinse again. Then prop jar up at 45 degree angle for water to drain. Keep out of direct sunlight. Rinse seed in jar 2-3 times per day until ready, always keeping it angled for drainage.
Cloth: soak seed in flat-bottom containers, in shallow water. When soak done, empty seed into strainer and rinse. Then take flat-bottom bowl or saucer, line bottom with wet 100% cotton washcloth, spread seed on wet cloth. Then take 2nd wet cloth and put on top of seed, or, if bottom washcloth is big enough, fold over wet seeds. Can add additional water to washcloths 12 hours later by a) sprinkling on top, or b) if very dry, remove seed from cloth, rinse, re-wet cloth, put seed back between wet cloths. Cloths used should be 100% cotton (terrycloth) or linen, used exclusively for sprouting, and of light colors. Cheap cotton washcloths (and cheap plastic bowls) work well and will last a long time.
Comparison: Jar vs. Cloth MethodsJar method is more versatile; can grow greens in the jar (e.g., 6-8 day old alfalfa greens), and the jar is less likely to mold than cloth for sprouts that require more than 2 days. However, the jar method needs a convenient drainage system (otherwise mold can develop). The cloth method can withstand some direct sunlight (direct sunlight in early stages of sprouting can cook the seed in jars), and needs no drainage system. The methods require roughly the same time, though 2nd service of cloth is very fast. Almonds, buckwheat give better results in cloth.
Other Methods of Sprouting:

• Plastic tube - variation on jar method; opens at both ends - easier to remove long sprouts like greens from tube than from jar.
• Sprouting bags - cotton or linen; also plastic mesh. Soak seed in bag in water, then hang up inside plastic bag (forms a little greenhouse).
• Trays: very good for growing greens. Might need drainage system.
• Clay saucer: used for mucilaginous seeds like flax, psyllium, etc.
• Commercial sprouters: wide variety available. Often fairly expensive; most don't work as well as cloth/jar methods!

What is the best time/length to eat sprouts?
Ultimately you will answer this question by experimenting - growing sprouts and eating them at different ages/lengths. My preference is to eat sprouts (except almonds, pumpkin seeds) when the growing root is, on average, the length of the soaked seed. Almonds and pumpkin seeds are discussed below.
A note on times: the sprouting times given below are based on cloth and/or jar method, and reflect an average time. The soaking times can be increased or decreased somewhat (except for buckwheat), with little or limited impact on the results. If you are using a different method, especially one of the commercial sprouting units, the times here will not apply and you will have to monitor your sprouts to decide when they are ready.

Taken from : http://www.mountainroseherbs.com
Sprouts are treasure troves of nutrition and have been grown by civilizations around the world for more than 5,000 years. Considered to be “super foods”, sprouts are easy to grow, economical, and one pound of sprouting seed can generate about five pounds of sprouts!

As a beginning sprouter, start with the tried-and-true Red Lentil seed. Lentils are among some of the easiest seeds to sprout and just a few tablespoons will fill a one quart wide-mouth mason jar in 4-5 days!

Red lentils are a great crispy addition to all kinds of culinary dishes. By themselves, red lentils are fairly mild in taste, but they do have a great texture. Add them to a spring greens salad with a little vinaigrette and they’ll spring to life with a spiciness all their own! Some people even enjoy adding them to a stir-fry for a little extra flair and nutritional boost.

Another favorite is Fenugreek, which hails from the Mediterranean and is among the oldest medicinal herbs. According to Ayurveda, Fenugreek sprouts have a pleasant, subtle and sweet taste, and are said to detoxify the body and help control blood sugar levels. We prefer Fenugreek while the sprouts are still young and tender, since the sprouts turn bitter with age. Fenugreek is popular on sandwiches, in sushi, or sautéed with garlic cloves and butter over basmati rice.

Red Clover is one of the most common sprouts commercially available in grocery stores. It is very similar to the timeless Alfalfa and almost identical in flavor – sweet, nutty and mild, but larger, easier to grow, and with a lighter green leaf. Many of us prefer Clover to Alfalfa because it breaks out of its hull more easily and seems to store longer in the fridge. Red Clover comes highly recommended on Caesar Salads and can add a gourmet touch to dishes.

However, Alfalfa sprouts are still an excellent sprout to try. Alfalfa is by far the most famous sprout in the United States and contains more chlorophyll than spinach, cabbage, or kale! Alfalfa sprouts have a mildly nutty flavor and a crispy texture.

Buckwheat is among the fastest seeds to sprout, but it is also one of the most difficult to grow. Its flavor is delicate and delicious, and it’s a good source of vitamins A, B, C, and E, Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Niacin, and Potassium.

Radish sprouts are quite spicy and are an excellent choice to liven up a salad, sandwich, or main dish. They contain a considerable amount of protein and calcium, and they have 29 times more Vitamin C than milk! They are a great addition to coleslaw, omelets, and stir-fries.

Broccoli sprouts are an excellent source of Vitamin A, selenium, and beta-carotene. They also contain sulforaphane glucosinolatenatural, a powerful antioxidant found in cruciferous plants such as broccoli. You can add broccoli sprouts to salads, soups, pizza, wraps, and practically anything for added flavor and texture, or you can enjoy them all by themselves with a bit of dressing.

Given the proper moisture, a seed will germinate. Rinsing is essentially a two-step process of rinsing and draining. Regular rinsing will add moisture to the sprouts while draining regulates the amount of moisture sprouts have available until their next rinse. We recommend rinsing 2-3 times each day, using lots of cool water (60-70°). After this step, it is crucial to drain as much water as you can from your sprouter for proper germination. Sprouting seeds sitting in too much water is the most common cause of sprouting failure.

Not only is sprouting your own seeds a lot of fun, but there are many advantages like increased protein quality, fiber content, essential fatty acids, and vitamin content.

Sprouting times for different varieties of seeds will vary. Below is a list of some of the most common sprouting seeds and the typical amount of time to yummy sprouts. Of course, tasting along the way will help you determine when your sprouts taste best.

Sprouting Seeds
Red Clover: 3-5 days
Broccoli: 3-6 days
Alfalfa: 5-6 days
Red Lentil: 4-6 days
Radish: 3-5 days
Buckwheat: 3-5 days

For more information about sprouting seeds, watch our “How To” video on YouTube!

Here's a few charts that may help you out...

Renegade Health

Very Cool....Thanks Kevin for answering my question : Will fasting help balance my hormones levels...
I was so thrilled to get a response back, it definitely made my night!
The one thing thats so great about the raw food "community" is that they truly care about the health of others, and spreading the word and education to others.


http://renegadehealth.com/blog/

Raw Vegan Lasagne Recipe

It's Recipe Time!!!
Raw Vegan Lasagne w/ Pesto, tomato sauce and macadamia nut "cheese." Jonsi' & Alex posted a "new"er video recently so I thought I'd share. I wish I wasn't fasting, I'd run out right now to make this... 

it sounds so yummy!

Jónsi & Alex Recipe Show - Raw Vegan Lasagne from Jónsi & Alex on Vimeo.

Raw Vegan Lasagne  :

Zucchini Pasta :

2 Zucchini's use cheese slicer to slice slivers

add salt, and let sit,

then wash off salt and dry

Pesto :

2 cloves of garlic

2 cups of basil

1 tsp salt

8 tbsp olive oil

1 cup pine nuts

Tomato Sauce :

6 large tomato's (scoop insides out)

10 sun dried tomatoes

1 date

1 tsp salt

basil to taste

olive oil to taste

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

oregano to taste

juice of 1 lemon

Macadamia Nut Cheese :

2 cups macadamia nuts

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

2 cloves of garlic

1 1/2 tsp salt

juice of 1 lemon

Fasting 101

Every season pretty much, I will do a juice fasting, which is sometimes referred to as a "juice feasting." This is when you go on a strict regiment of only drinking fresh fruit and vegetable juices. There is also the other extreme which is called "water fasting," which refers to only drinking fresh distilled or purified water and nothing else. Since I have a bit of a hectic work schedule I find water fasting to be extreme (plus : they suggest that you should only do this under supervision). When you water fast your body flushes away harmful toxins, and give your digestive tract a time to relax, rejuvenate, and heal itself. I prefer juice fasting since the fresh squeezed juice provides me with the calories that I need to get through my day and it also cleanses my body in the same way as the water fasting, just not as harsh. I have done both though, and I have to say that if your a beginner at fasting...stick with juice!

A detox program can help the body's natural cleaning process by:
1) Resting the organs through fasting;
2) Stimulating the liver to drive toxins from the body;
3) Promoting elimination through the intestines, kidneys and skin;
4) Improving circulation of the blood; and
5) Refueling the body with healthy nutrients. 

I've been reading this book recently, and I suggest anyone who's curious about juice fasting should read it as well. It's even for people who have fasted many times before (like myself), I think those people will still come away from this reading with additional knowledge that they didn't know about before hand.

"Juice Fasting and Detoxification" 

by : Steve Meyerowitz

This book explains how to fast using raw fruit & vegetable juices while maintaining a nearly normal work and living schedule. Includes: Juice recipes, detoxification techniques, exercises, weight loss, water fasting; organs of elimination; how to handle a "healing event," and how to come off a fast safely.

The human body has an incredible capacity for healing and longevity. Within it is an intelligence more powerful than any drugs or a surgeon's knife. Fasting gives your body the well deserved vacation it needs to repair itself. The power that made the body can heal the body. Fasting and juice therapy revamp your health from the inside out. This book shows you how to tap that power and how to fit it into a busy lifestyle. It's easier than you think. Even just one fast day per week provides 50 rejuvenating days per year. Give your cells and yourselves the opportunity to cleanse, nourish, rejuvenate and heal. 

Here are some of the detoxing methods mentioned in this book, as well as some that I follow when I juice fast : (I will attach links if anyone is interested in learning more about each one)

1. Drinking your fruits and veggies within 24 hours of juicing them to keep them fresh, so you can get the most vitamins and minerals out of them

2. Drinking plenty of water to flush the toxins from your body. It is suggested that Distilled Water is better for you because all of the "cooties" are steamed out leaving you the purest water.

http://www.totalwellnesscleanse.com/blog/119/the-importance-of-water-during-a-cleanse/

3.  Getting plenty of sleep, this is the time your body uses to repair itself. I can not express enough how important this is! You should also try and relax when fasting, you don't want to strain your body too much. 

4. Meditation & or Yoga is great to do in general, but also helps you clear my mind and focus. Especially Bikram Yoga, which combines yoga and the sauna experience in one.

http://yoga.lovetoknow.com/Benefits_of_Bikram_Yoga , which takes me into.....

(sorry...I'm on a cartoon kick today...hahaha)

5. The Sauna can also help...sweating in the sauna (the average time should be 15-20 minutes max) can open up your pours to release toxins from your sweat glands. You also feel amazing after! 

http://www.the-home-sauna-center.com/sauna-benefits.html

6. Dry skin brushing & or skin brushing in the shower. This will increase your circulation and help push the toxins out, it's especially good for cellulite, which are fat deposits under the skin. Fat stores toxins so not only is it unattractive it is also unhealthy. You should always brush or exfoliate your skin motioning your arms towards your heart. http://www.naturalhealthtechniques.com/healingtechniques/Dry_Brushing_Technique.htm

7. Oil Pulling : (this is new to me) It involves swishing 1 tbsp. of cold-pressed oil in your mouth for about 25 minutes, after brushing your teeth. Doing this will use your enzymes, which in turn will draw out harmful toxins out of the bloodstream. Do not swallow it though since it will absorb toxins and you want them out, not back in. Also, do this in the morning before you eat your breakfast.

http://www.oilpulling.org/oil-pulling/

8. Colon Hydrotherapy : I've done lots of research on this recently but I do not really have any story's to tell. I do have to say that the health of the colon is grossly underestimated. Your colon is a breeding ground for toxins (I'm so passionate about this...I may just blog about it later).

"Water is absorbed into the body through the colon which increases the volume of blood. The circulation of the blood is increased, resulting in a greater bathing of the cells. This dilutes the toxins and flushes them out; relieving toxemia and uremia; and increasing elimination both through the kidneys, and the skin as well as the bowels. All this generally assists the cardiovascular and circulatory systems to be more efficient."

http://www.fountainofhealth.com/colonicbenefits.php

colonics session it can help the process of bowel elimination (god that sounds so textbook!!!)

So, here are a few juicing recipes which I will be using on my fasting program (I didn't make up their titles....haha) I will have more on my detoxing soon, since I just started this week. Generally I will fast for 1-2 weeks at the most, some advanced "fasters" will do this for 30+ days, that's a bit too hardcore for me. Always follow your body and don't try to over do it.

COLON CLEANSING

1 red apple

1 medium size carrot

5 slices of cucumber

1 stalk of celery (optional)

1 big glass of cold water

1 tbsp of honey 

1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar.

MORNING TONIC

1 apple

1 grapefruit (peeled)

DIGESTIVE

¼ lemon with peel

½ grapefruit (peeled)

2 oranges

BODY CLEANSER

4 carrots

½ cucumber

1 beet

EVENING REGULATOR

2 apples

1 pear