Green Smoothies: An Easy Way to Love Greens

By Victoria Boutenko Reprinted from The Raw Family newsletter. Copyright 2005


My husband, our two younger children and I have been on the raw food diet for more than eleven years. We were able to heal all of our incurable, life-threatening diseases. However, after several years of being raw, each one of us began to feel like we had reached a plateau where our healing process stopped and even somewhat began to go backwards. Since then a burning question in my heart grew stronger every day. The question was, "Is there anything missing in our diet?" The answer would come right away: "Nope. Nothing could be better than a raw food diet."


Yet, however tiny, the unwanted signs of less than perfect health kept surfacing, in minor but noticeable symptoms like a wart on a hand, a gray hair, etc. that instantly brought doubts and questions about the completeness of the raw food diet. Finally when my children complained about increased sensitivity in their teeth, I reached a state when I couldn't think about anything else. I drove everybody around me crazy with my constant discussion of what could possibly be missing.


In my eager quest, I started looking at every single food that exists for humans. As my grandmother used to say, Seek and ye shall find. After many wrong guesses, I finally found the right one. Whew! I found one food group that particularly matches ALL human nutritional needs: greens. The truth is, we in my family were not eating enough greens. Moreover, we did not like them. We knew that greens are important, but we never heard anywhere exactly how much greens we need in our diet, just a vague recommendation to eat as much as possible.


In order to find out how much greens we need to eat, I decided to study the eating habits of chimpanzees, since they are the closest creatures to human beings. According to recent scientific research, they share 99.4 % of the same genes with humans.1 I am not trying to say that humans developed from chimpanzees. I am simply grateful for the reality that there is another species in this world that closely resembles us. There are thousands of chimpanzees living in Gombe Valley, Africa. The most remarkable fact is that majority of those chimps of Gombe, as opposed to humans, have not been touched by civilization. I went online and purchased $300 worth of books and DVDs about chimpanzees and their diet and lifestyle. I wrote a letter with my questions to the Jane Goodall University. I traveled to three big zoos that have chimpanzees and spoke to many people who feed them and take care of them every day. I discovered so much fascinating information about chimpanzees that I totally changed my view of them. They became one of my favorite beings. My research gave me a solid idea that humans are supposed to eat a lot more greens than I would have guessed.


As long as I can remember, in books and pictures I always saw chimpanzees depicted with a banana or an orange in their hands. That definitely misled me to the assumption that they eat only fruit. To know that greens compose almost half of their diet became a revelation for me. As far as root vegetables are concerned, the chimpanzees don't eat any of them unless there is a famine and nothing green is left. Based on how much fruit we consume in my family (about 4 or 5 pounds per day per person) I estimate that we need to eat about two good sized bunches of dark leafy greens per person per day, and probably reduce the consumption of nuts, seeds and roots.


Another thing I noticed is that the chimpanzees really love greens. I remember watching at the zoos, how excited they became when given fresh acacia branches, young tender palm tree leaves or kale. I was so inspired looking at them that I went to the nearby bushes and tried to eat acacia leaves, but the truth was that the green leaves were not very palateable for me and that presented another problem. To eat greens was always more like a duty for me. I would think to myself, I have to have my greens. Some days I would "cheat" by juicing my greens. I would quickly drink a cup of green juice and consider myself good for a couple of days. Or I would make a delicious raw dressing and sink my greens into that dressing. That was another way for me to enjoy greens. But I could never imagine sitting and eating two bunches of kale or spinach.


The more I read about the nutritional content of greens. the more I became convinced that greens are the most important food for humans. If I could only find a way to enjoy them enough to consume the optimal quantity needed to become perfectly healthy!


I tried countless times to force myself to eat large amounts of greens in the form of salad, or just by itself, only to discover that I was not physically able to do that. After about two cups of shredded greens I would have either heartburn or nausea. All along, I was aware that my body was missing the nutrients that are available only from greens.


One day, while reading a book on biology, I became intrigued by the amazingly tough composition of plants. Apparently cellulose, the main constituent of plants, has one of the strongest molecular structures on the planet, because it is one of the longest and most complex carbohydrate molecules. From this I understood that in order to assimilate the many needed nutrients from greens, the human body needs to be able to break down these tough structures. However, cellulose is insoluble. That means in order to get nutrients, its structure has to be broken into the tiniest pieces, preferably down to the molecules. In simple words, we need to chew our greens to a creamy consistency in order to get the benefits.


Secondly, in order to digest the released minerals and vitamins, hydrochloric acid in the stomach has to be very strong, pH between 1 and 2.


These two conditions are absolutely, vitally, necessary to the assimilation of nutrients from greens. Apparently, I did not chew my greens well enough and possibly did not have a high enough level of hydrochloric acid in my stomach.2 As a result, I experienced unpleasant signs of indigestion, after pushing myself to eat greater quantities of greens. Hence, I didn't like eating greens altogether!


However, after more than a century of eating mostly heavily proccessed foods, mordern people lost their ability to chew normally. Our jaws became so narrow that even after extracting our wizdom teeth, we still need to wear braces.3 Our jaw muscles became too weak to thoroughly chew rough fiber. In addition to these compromizing conditions, many people have lots of fillings, fake or missing teeth. These conditions make chewing greens to a necessary consistency virtually impossible.


That is why I decided to try to "chew" my greens in the Vitamix blender. 4 First I blended a bunch of kale with water. I was thinking, I will just close my eyes and nose and drink it. But as soon as I opened the lid, I closed it back again quickly because I felt queasy from the strong, wheatgrassy smell. That dark green, almost black mixture was totally unconsumable. After some brainstorming, I added several bananas and blended it again. And that was when the magic began! When I slowly and with some trepidation removed the lid and sniffed the air, to my greatest surprise this bright green concoction smelled very pleasant. I cautiously tasted a sip and was exhilerated, because it was better than tasty! Not too sweet, not too bitter, it was the most unusual taste I had ever tried, and I could describe it in one word: freshness.


In four hours I emptied all I blended, which was one bunch of kale, four bananas and a quart of water. I felt wonderful and made more. Triumphantly, this evening I realized that this was the first time in my life that I consumed two good-sized bunches of greens in one day. Plus, I ate them without any oil and salt! And I enjoyed the whole experience.


That was in August, 2004. The solution was so unexpectedly simple. To consume greens in these way took so little time that naturally I continued experimenting with blended greens and fruits day after day. At first I didn't tell anybody. I didn't have any big health problems and I didn't expect any dramatic changes, I just didn't want to age. However, after about a month when a couple of my warts and moles peeled off my body and when I definitely felt more energized than before, I started sharing my experience with my family and friends. The next thing I noticed was that those little cravings I'd had once in a while for heavy foods like nuts or crackers, especially in the evening, had totally disappeared. I noticed that many of my wrinkles on my face went away and I began to hear compliments from other people about my fresh look. Also my nails became stronger. Another bonus I got was a wonderful taste in the mouth, all the time, even upon waking in the morning. I hadn't had this pleasure since childhood.


When my husband Igor saw the noticeable benefits in my health, he joined me in drinking green smoothies. He started to ask for a cup of "that green stuff" whenever I was making it. Let me point out that although I didn't like greens, Igor simply couldn't tolerate them, which is pretty typical of Russian men. Another two months later his mustache and his beard started growing blacker, which made his face look a lot younger. Igor got so excited about this that he became the green smoothie champion of my family. He would wake up early and make two or three gallons of smoothie every day: one for me, one for him, and one for Sergei and Valya to share. Both of our children enjoyed including this tasty green drink in their daily menu and even though they were already experiencing great health, noticed even more benefits, like the ability to sleep less, more complete elimination, stronger nails, and most of all the improvement in their teeth, which became less sensitive.


One of my fears was that I would get tired of green smoothie one day, and I wouldn't want it any more. Yet, after three months of regular consumption I was enjoying it more than ever. Now I couldn't imagine my life without my green smoothies, as it has become 80% of my diet. In addition to smoothies I eat flax crackers, salad, fruit and occasionally seeds or nuts. In order to always have the opportunity to make fresh green smoothie for myself I purchased an additional Vitamix blender for my office. Whenever friends or customers came in, they saw a big green cup next to my computer and I treated them to my new discovery. To my great satisfaction, everybody loved it, despite their different dietary habits. Unexpectedly for me, some of my friends and coworkers started to comment on their health improvements just from the cup of green smoothie they were drinking in my office! No kidding! I can tell you their names. My web designer began to crave more raw foods as a result of rather irregular helpings of smoothie and lost 15 pounds in a couple of months. The woman from the office across the road got rid of her ecsema, drinking a cup of green smoothie almost every day. The UPS guy likes it too.


Inspired by the warm reception, I wrote an article "Ode to Green Smoothie" and emailed it to my entire list. Almost instantly I began to receive strong positive feedback and many detailed testimonials from my friends, students and customers. While I felt compelled to do more research, it looks like the multiple benefits of green smoothie became obvious to everybody who tried them, and the number of people who are drinking green smoothie is growing rapidly every day. This "green wave" makes me more excited than ever! I am busily compiling all the information together with the research into my new book, due out in a few weeks.


1 Source: Chimps belong in the Homo genus? by Michael Matthews and Carl Wieland http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2003/0521chimps.asp
2 http://www.soilandhealth.org/02/0203cat/020305ppnf/PPNF.HTML
3 I would like to explain that the Vitamix is not just a simple blender like the ones you can find at any department store. It is called a high speed blender, because its speed goes up to 240 mph! That means that its blades don't even have to be sharp; even if they were just dull metal sticks they could still liquify something as hard as, for example, blocks of wood. In order to reach such performance, the Vitamix has a 2+ peak horsepower motor. Any simple blender will blend the tough cellulose of greens only so long as its blades are sharp. Unfortunately, when the blades become dull, they just move around pieces of banana and the blender very quickly overheats. Eleven years ago, after burning several blenders, I finally bought myself a Vitamix at the country fair. It still works like new.

Green Smoothies: An Easy Way to Love Greens

By Victoria Boutenko Reprinted from The Raw Family newsletter. Copyright 2005


My husband, our two younger children and I have been on the raw food diet for more than eleven years. We were able to heal all of our incurable, life-threatening diseases. However, after several years of being raw, each one of us began to feel like we had reached a plateau where our healing process stopped and even somewhat began to go backwards. Since then a burning question in my heart grew stronger every day. The question was, "Is there anything missing in our diet?" The answer would come right away: "Nope. Nothing could be better than a raw food diet."


Yet, however tiny, the unwanted signs of less than perfect health kept surfacing, in minor but noticeable symptoms like a wart on a hand, a gray hair, etc. that instantly brought doubts and questions about the completeness of the raw food diet. Finally when my children complained about increased sensitivity in their teeth, I reached a state when I couldn't think about anything else. I drove everybody around me crazy with my constant discussion of what could possibly be missing.


In my eager quest, I started looking at every single food that exists for humans. As my grandmother used to say, Seek and ye shall find. After many wrong guesses, I finally found the right one. Whew! I found one food group that particularly matches ALL human nutritional needs: greens. The truth is, we in my family were not eating enough greens. Moreover, we did not like them. We knew that greens are important, but we never heard anywhere exactly how much greens we need in our diet, just a vague recommendation to eat as much as possible.


In order to find out how much greens we need to eat, I decided to study the eating habits of chimpanzees, since they are the closest creatures to human beings. According to recent scientific research, they share 99.4 % of the same genes with humans.1 I am not trying to say that humans developed from chimpanzees. I am simply grateful for the reality that there is another species in this world that closely resembles us. There are thousands of chimpanzees living in Gombe Valley, Africa. The most remarkable fact is that majority of those chimps of Gombe, as opposed to humans, have not been touched by civilization. I went online and purchased $300 worth of books and DVDs about chimpanzees and their diet and lifestyle. I wrote a letter with my questions to the Jane Goodall University. I traveled to three big zoos that have chimpanzees and spoke to many people who feed them and take care of them every day. I discovered so much fascinating information about chimpanzees that I totally changed my view of them. They became one of my favorite beings. My research gave me a solid idea that humans are supposed to eat a lot more greens than I would have guessed.


As long as I can remember, in books and pictures I always saw chimpanzees depicted with a banana or an orange in their hands. That definitely misled me to the assumption that they eat only fruit. To know that greens compose almost half of their diet became a revelation for me. As far as root vegetables are concerned, the chimpanzees don't eat any of them unless there is a famine and nothing green is left. Based on how much fruit we consume in my family (about 4 or 5 pounds per day per person) I estimate that we need to eat about two good sized bunches of dark leafy greens per person per day, and probably reduce the consumption of nuts, seeds and roots.


Another thing I noticed is that the chimpanzees really love greens. I remember watching at the zoos, how excited they became when given fresh acacia branches, young tender palm tree leaves or kale. I was so inspired looking at them that I went to the nearby bushes and tried to eat acacia leaves, but the truth was that the green leaves were not very palateable for me and that presented another problem. To eat greens was always more like a duty for me. I would think to myself, I have to have my greens. Some days I would "cheat" by juicing my greens. I would quickly drink a cup of green juice and consider myself good for a couple of days. Or I would make a delicious raw dressing and sink my greens into that dressing. That was another way for me to enjoy greens. But I could never imagine sitting and eating two bunches of kale or spinach.


The more I read about the nutritional content of greens. the more I became convinced that greens are the most important food for humans. If I could only find a way to enjoy them enough to consume the optimal quantity needed to become perfectly healthy!


I tried countless times to force myself to eat large amounts of greens in the form of salad, or just by itself, only to discover that I was not physically able to do that. After about two cups of shredded greens I would have either heartburn or nausea. All along, I was aware that my body was missing the nutrients that are available only from greens.


One day, while reading a book on biology, I became intrigued by the amazingly tough composition of plants. Apparently cellulose, the main constituent of plants, has one of the strongest molecular structures on the planet, because it is one of the longest and most complex carbohydrate molecules. From this I understood that in order to assimilate the many needed nutrients from greens, the human body needs to be able to break down these tough structures. However, cellulose is insoluble. That means in order to get nutrients, its structure has to be broken into the tiniest pieces, preferably down to the molecules. In simple words, we need to chew our greens to a creamy consistency in order to get the benefits.


Secondly, in order to digest the released minerals and vitamins, hydrochloric acid in the stomach has to be very strong, pH between 1 and 2.


These two conditions are absolutely, vitally, necessary to the assimilation of nutrients from greens. Apparently, I did not chew my greens well enough and possibly did not have a high enough level of hydrochloric acid in my stomach.2 As a result, I experienced unpleasant signs of indigestion, after pushing myself to eat greater quantities of greens. Hence, I didn't like eating greens altogether!


However, after more than a century of eating mostly heavily proccessed foods, mordern people lost their ability to chew normally. Our jaws became so narrow that even after extracting our wizdom teeth, we still need to wear braces.3 Our jaw muscles became too weak to thoroughly chew rough fiber. In addition to these compromizing conditions, many people have lots of fillings, fake or missing teeth. These conditions make chewing greens to a necessary consistency virtually impossible.


That is why I decided to try to "chew" my greens in the Vitamix blender. 4 First I blended a bunch of kale with water. I was thinking, I will just close my eyes and nose and drink it. But as soon as I opened the lid, I closed it back again quickly because I felt queasy from the strong, wheatgrassy smell. That dark green, almost black mixture was totally unconsumable. After some brainstorming, I added several bananas and blended it again. And that was when the magic began! When I slowly and with some trepidation removed the lid and sniffed the air, to my greatest surprise this bright green concoction smelled very pleasant. I cautiously tasted a sip and was exhilerated, because it was better than tasty! Not too sweet, not too bitter, it was the most unusual taste I had ever tried, and I could describe it in one word: freshness.


In four hours I emptied all I blended, which was one bunch of kale, four bananas and a quart of water. I felt wonderful and made more. Triumphantly, this evening I realized that this was the first time in my life that I consumed two good-sized bunches of greens in one day. Plus, I ate them without any oil and salt! And I enjoyed the whole experience.


That was in August, 2004. The solution was so unexpectedly simple. To consume greens in these way took so little time that naturally I continued experimenting with blended greens and fruits day after day. At first I didn't tell anybody. I didn't have any big health problems and I didn't expect any dramatic changes, I just didn't want to age. However, after about a month when a couple of my warts and moles peeled off my body and when I definitely felt more energized than before, I started sharing my experience with my family and friends. The next thing I noticed was that those little cravings I'd had once in a while for heavy foods like nuts or crackers, especially in the evening, had totally disappeared. I noticed that many of my wrinkles on my face went away and I began to hear compliments from other people about my fresh look. Also my nails became stronger. Another bonus I got was a wonderful taste in the mouth, all the time, even upon waking in the morning. I hadn't had this pleasure since childhood.


When my husband Igor saw the noticeable benefits in my health, he joined me in drinking green smoothies. He started to ask for a cup of "that green stuff" whenever I was making it. Let me point out that although I didn't like greens, Igor simply couldn't tolerate them, which is pretty typical of Russian men. Another two months later his mustache and his beard started growing blacker, which made his face look a lot younger. Igor got so excited about this that he became the green smoothie champion of my family. He would wake up early and make two or three gallons of smoothie every day: one for me, one for him, and one for Sergei and Valya to share. Both of our children enjoyed including this tasty green drink in their daily menu and even though they were already experiencing great health, noticed even more benefits, like the ability to sleep less, more complete elimination, stronger nails, and most of all the improvement in their teeth, which became less sensitive.


One of my fears was that I would get tired of green smoothie one day, and I wouldn't want it any more. Yet, after three months of regular consumption I was enjoying it more than ever. Now I couldn't imagine my life without my green smoothies, as it has become 80% of my diet. In addition to smoothies I eat flax crackers, salad, fruit and occasionally seeds or nuts. In order to always have the opportunity to make fresh green smoothie for myself I purchased an additional Vitamix blender for my office. Whenever friends or customers came in, they saw a big green cup next to my computer and I treated them to my new discovery. To my great satisfaction, everybody loved it, despite their different dietary habits. Unexpectedly for me, some of my friends and coworkers started to comment on their health improvements just from the cup of green smoothie they were drinking in my office! No kidding! I can tell you their names. My web designer began to crave more raw foods as a result of rather irregular helpings of smoothie and lost 15 pounds in a couple of months. The woman from the office across the road got rid of her ecsema, drinking a cup of green smoothie almost every day. The UPS guy likes it too.


Inspired by the warm reception, I wrote an article "Ode to Green Smoothie" and emailed it to my entire list. Almost instantly I began to receive strong positive feedback and many detailed testimonials from my friends, students and customers. While I felt compelled to do more research, it looks like the multiple benefits of green smoothie became obvious to everybody who tried them, and the number of people who are drinking green smoothie is growing rapidly every day. This "green wave" makes me more excited than ever! I am busily compiling all the information together with the research into my new book, due out in a few weeks.


1 Source: Chimps belong in the Homo genus? by Michael Matthews and Carl Wieland http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2003/0521chimps.asp
2 http://www.soilandhealth.org/02/0203cat/020305ppnf/PPNF.HTML
3 I would like to explain that the Vitamix is not just a simple blender like the ones you can find at any department store. It is called a high speed blender, because its speed goes up to 240 mph! That means that its blades don't even have to be sharp; even if they were just dull metal sticks they could still liquify something as hard as, for example, blocks of wood. In order to reach such performance, the Vitamix has a 2+ peak horsepower motor. Any simple blender will blend the tough cellulose of greens only so long as its blades are sharp. Unfortunately, when the blades become dull, they just move around pieces of banana and the blender very quickly overheats. Eleven years ago, after burning several blenders, I finally bought myself a Vitamix at the country fair. It still works like new.

I've noticed people reach for gardens and growing their own vegetables, the way others reach for God, if that's their thing. There's something inherent in us that reaches for

I've noticed people reach for gardens and growing their own vegetables, the way others reach for God, if that's their thing. There's something inherent in us that reaches for

Eating Raw for Humans and Pets

The Raw Food Diet
by Sylvia Riley

The raw food diet is as much a lifestyle as an eating plan; a naturalistic approach which excludes, in addition to cooked and animal foods, processed and refined ingredients.

In the ever-hungry quest for new fads and health panaceas, the raw food diet, with adherents such as Woody Harrelson and Donna Karan, is growing in mainstream popularity. Unlike many other bandwagons however, raw foods (also referred to as 'living foods'), offer unarguable health benefits and one can reap rewards even as a 50% dabbler. To be a 100% extremist takes commitment, discipline and education and is best introduced gradually to avoid the overwhelm of inevitable detoxification.


A food is essentially 'raw' if it is kept below 115 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature above which enzymes are destroyed. Eating raw food ensures an opulent intake of nutrients, fibre, healthy oils and life-giving enzymes. Raw food is much more easily digested, taking half to a third of the time of cooked food, around 24-36 hours compared to 40-100 hours. Raw vegetables and fruits, are also predominantly alkaline so help to optmize the pH balance of the body (around 60-80% alkaline foods being recommended for an internal environment resistant to disease).


Whole foods, sprouts and raw juices are favoured in a raw food diet, and dehydrator 'ovens' effectively concentrate the flavour of certain raw foods to assist in the creation of a mind-boggling array of as-cooked dishes. I've eaten a raw food pizza that unbelievably contained no wheat, no cheese and no cooked ingredients! It tasted delicious and I was stumped to figure out what it was actually made of!

Raw Power

Raw plant foods are healthy, regenerative, cleansing, energising, predominantly alkaline, and packed with vitamins, minerals, healthy oils, enzymes and antioxidants that promote health, beauty and longevity. As well as enhancing digestion and protecting against aging and disease, a raw food diet has noted weight loss benefits and promotes clear, beautiful skin. The benefit of raw food becomes even more apparent in view of the effects cooking can have on constituents in food.

The Effects of Cooking

Arthur Baker writes in Awakening Our Self-Healing Body, "Overly cooked foods literally wreck our body. They deny needed nutrients to the system since heat alters foodstuffs such that they are partially, mostly, or wholly destroyed. Nutrients are coagulated, deaminized, caramelized and rendered inorganic and become toxic and pathogenic in the body."
The indigestible end products of cooked foods can linger in the gut, clogging the intestines and interfering with healthy elimination. They can cause a build-up of toxins, mutagens and carcinogens. Carbohydrates ferment, proteins putrefy and fats become rancid, creating free radicals that enter the blood stream. Lipufuscin, the 'aging pigment', is an example of a waste product created from damaged proteins and fats. It accumulates in the skin and nervous system and is visible as brown 'liver spots' on the skin and eyes.
Toxic by-products and excess free radicals from cooked foods can weaken the immune system and accelerate the aging process.

Enzymes

Cooking destroys enzymes in our food. These delicate, heat sensitive proteins can destabilise at temperatures as low as 115 degrees Fahrenheit, hence even light steaming can render them inactive. Enzymes, so abundant in a raw food diet, are highly functional catalysts involved in various health-regulating tasks in the body, such as breaking down food in digestion, delivering nutrients, carrying away toxic wastes and strengthening the endocrine and immune system. All living cells contain enzymes which function in cooperation with other minerals. As there is not an unlimited supply of enzymes, eating them in our food lifts the burden off organs to produce digestive enzymes which allows a greater use of enzymes for other metabolic purposes, freeing up more energy for the performance of other tasks.

More Bio-available Nutrients in Raw Foods

In cooking food we can loose up to 97% of water-soluble vitamins (B and C) and 40% of fat-soluble vitamins (namely A, D, E and K).

Proteins

Heat denatures proteins, modifying their molecular structure and rendering them unusable. The bacteria in the gut feeds upon undigested proteins that tend to putrefy, giving rise to toxins. Raw foods provide healthy, readily available protein in greater supply without undigested residue.

Fats

Oils are heat, light and air sensitive. Heating can destroy the goodness of an oil and alter molecules generating toxins and free radicals. Unrefined oils that are cold-pressed contain all their natural healthy substances (olive oil for example is rich in phytonutrients, flaxseed oil a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and so on). Oils should be kept refrigerated in dark sealed containers.

Fibre

Fibre is essential for health and helps to flush out the intestines, scrubbing them clean and aiding elimination. With cooked food fibre becomes a soft substance, loosing its brush-like quality. It can partially rot, ferment and putrefy in the gut, causing toxins, gas and heartburn.

Raw Superfoods

Eating superfoods enhances a raw food diet even further. Superfoods are the most potent, antioxidant rich, nutrient dense, disease fighting, anti aging, beautifying, mood enhancing, immune boosting foods on the planet. Raw superfoods ensure an optimum intake of nutrients and phytochemicals for optimum health.

Raw Food Diet For Your Pets

A raw food diet for dogs and cats is both natural and species-appropriate. Not only does it provide a rich supply of nutrients, antioxidants and enzymes, but ensures a move a way from the low grade, inappropriate, highly processed and toxic ingredients found in commercial pet foods that can damage your pet's health. If embarking on a homemade raw food diet for your pet (sometimes referred to as BARF–biologically appropriate raw food), thoroughly research the area first as nutritional balance is essential.

Eating Raw for Humans and Pets

The Raw Food Diet
by Sylvia Riley

The raw food diet is as much a lifestyle as an eating plan; a naturalistic approach which excludes, in addition to cooked and animal foods, processed and refined ingredients.

In the ever-hungry quest for new fads and health panaceas, the raw food diet, with adherents such as Woody Harrelson and Donna Karan, is growing in mainstream popularity. Unlike many other bandwagons however, raw foods (also referred to as 'living foods'), offer unarguable health benefits and one can reap rewards even as a 50% dabbler. To be a 100% extremist takes commitment, discipline and education and is best introduced gradually to avoid the overwhelm of inevitable detoxification.


A food is essentially 'raw' if it is kept below 115 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature above which enzymes are destroyed. Eating raw food ensures an opulent intake of nutrients, fibre, healthy oils and life-giving enzymes. Raw food is much more easily digested, taking half to a third of the time of cooked food, around 24-36 hours compared to 40-100 hours. Raw vegetables and fruits, are also predominantly alkaline so help to optmize the pH balance of the body (around 60-80% alkaline foods being recommended for an internal environment resistant to disease).


Whole foods, sprouts and raw juices are favoured in a raw food diet, and dehydrator 'ovens' effectively concentrate the flavour of certain raw foods to assist in the creation of a mind-boggling array of as-cooked dishes. I've eaten a raw food pizza that unbelievably contained no wheat, no cheese and no cooked ingredients! It tasted delicious and I was stumped to figure out what it was actually made of!

Raw Power

Raw plant foods are healthy, regenerative, cleansing, energising, predominantly alkaline, and packed with vitamins, minerals, healthy oils, enzymes and antioxidants that promote health, beauty and longevity. As well as enhancing digestion and protecting against aging and disease, a raw food diet has noted weight loss benefits and promotes clear, beautiful skin. The benefit of raw food becomes even more apparent in view of the effects cooking can have on constituents in food.

The Effects of Cooking

Arthur Baker writes in Awakening Our Self-Healing Body, "Overly cooked foods literally wreck our body. They deny needed nutrients to the system since heat alters foodstuffs such that they are partially, mostly, or wholly destroyed. Nutrients are coagulated, deaminized, caramelized and rendered inorganic and become toxic and pathogenic in the body."
The indigestible end products of cooked foods can linger in the gut, clogging the intestines and interfering with healthy elimination. They can cause a build-up of toxins, mutagens and carcinogens. Carbohydrates ferment, proteins putrefy and fats become rancid, creating free radicals that enter the blood stream. Lipufuscin, the 'aging pigment', is an example of a waste product created from damaged proteins and fats. It accumulates in the skin and nervous system and is visible as brown 'liver spots' on the skin and eyes.
Toxic by-products and excess free radicals from cooked foods can weaken the immune system and accelerate the aging process.

Enzymes

Cooking destroys enzymes in our food. These delicate, heat sensitive proteins can destabilise at temperatures as low as 115 degrees Fahrenheit, hence even light steaming can render them inactive. Enzymes, so abundant in a raw food diet, are highly functional catalysts involved in various health-regulating tasks in the body, such as breaking down food in digestion, delivering nutrients, carrying away toxic wastes and strengthening the endocrine and immune system. All living cells contain enzymes which function in cooperation with other minerals. As there is not an unlimited supply of enzymes, eating them in our food lifts the burden off organs to produce digestive enzymes which allows a greater use of enzymes for other metabolic purposes, freeing up more energy for the performance of other tasks.

More Bio-available Nutrients in Raw Foods

In cooking food we can loose up to 97% of water-soluble vitamins (B and C) and 40% of fat-soluble vitamins (namely A, D, E and K).

Proteins

Heat denatures proteins, modifying their molecular structure and rendering them unusable. The bacteria in the gut feeds upon undigested proteins that tend to putrefy, giving rise to toxins. Raw foods provide healthy, readily available protein in greater supply without undigested residue.

Fats

Oils are heat, light and air sensitive. Heating can destroy the goodness of an oil and alter molecules generating toxins and free radicals. Unrefined oils that are cold-pressed contain all their natural healthy substances (olive oil for example is rich in phytonutrients, flaxseed oil a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and so on). Oils should be kept refrigerated in dark sealed containers.

Fibre

Fibre is essential for health and helps to flush out the intestines, scrubbing them clean and aiding elimination. With cooked food fibre becomes a soft substance, loosing its brush-like quality. It can partially rot, ferment and putrefy in the gut, causing toxins, gas and heartburn.

Raw Superfoods

Eating superfoods enhances a raw food diet even further. Superfoods are the most potent, antioxidant rich, nutrient dense, disease fighting, anti aging, beautifying, mood enhancing, immune boosting foods on the planet. Raw superfoods ensure an optimum intake of nutrients and phytochemicals for optimum health.

Raw Food Diet For Your Pets

A raw food diet for dogs and cats is both natural and species-appropriate. Not only does it provide a rich supply of nutrients, antioxidants and enzymes, but ensures a move a way from the low grade, inappropriate, highly processed and toxic ingredients found in commercial pet foods that can damage your pet's health. If embarking on a homemade raw food diet for your pet (sometimes referred to as BARF–biologically appropriate raw food), thoroughly research the area first as nutritional balance is essential.

WOW

http://pathtofreedom.com/journal/

WOW

http://pathtofreedom.com/journal/

Natural Hygiene

Natural Hygiene is the concept that the body contains all the wisdom it needs to live a long, healthy, vibrant life. That it is hard-wired for vigorous health; that this is our natural state.

That when we get sick, say, a cold or flu, it's the body taking care to expel something that doesn't belong. It's detoxing. In other words, the cold is the cure. Adding something to the mix, like medicine, gives a body something else it has to detox on top of it.

Natural hygiene is about letting it work itself out by itself.

The body has all it needs to repair itself. Taking anything at all interferes with its natural job of healing.

I love this, even when I struggle with this. The part I struggle with is ~t r u s t~.

I've mentioned on here before how we as a society are trained from birth to rely on authority, media, and various outside sources of so-called wisdom. Hard, then, to re-train ourselves to trust ourselves.

What if it's that simple? That glowing health is our birthright, and that we have all we need to live in health, and short of that, to repair ourselves? I believe it.

I know for one thing, I'm not making anyone any money when I'm well. And if I'm sick, no one is making a dime off me by selling me a potion or a lotion. Well, the growers and the farmers, but only until I have a garden big enough to feed myself and my family.

Now that I know first hand that asthma, high blood pressure, obesity, joint pain, eczema, digestive issues, etc are reversible and altogether unnecessary, I have such a different outlook on what wellness can mean. By taking away the beer, junk foods, and indiscriminate eating, and replacing it with nutrient dense, fresh, live foods, my chronic disease states, which I see now were precursors to bigger, more frightening diseases...have healed.

Raw, live foods are just that. Unheated, therefore with enzymes unchanged, they are absolutely mind-blowingly delicious. (I still run into folks who think, "Wow, celery combined with carrots...soooo tasty, not) but it's not about that. The way cooked foods smell delicious and enticing, raw food dishes taste intensely delicious.)

Simpler yet, the more raw foods ya eat, the healthier and better you'll feel. At first, you'll detox the old stuff that's been dragging your health down, but with every cycle of detox, you achieve greater and greater health.

Trust becomes easier over time, and natural hygiene becomes more viable.

Natural Hygiene

Natural Hygiene is the concept that the body contains all the wisdom it needs to live a long, healthy, vibrant life. That it is hard-wired for vigorous health; that this is our natural state.

That when we get sick, say, a cold or flu, it's the body taking care to expel something that doesn't belong. It's detoxing. In other words, the cold is the cure. Adding something to the mix, like medicine, gives a body something else it has to detox on top of it.

Natural hygiene is about letting it work itself out by itself.

The body has all it needs to repair itself. Taking anything at all interferes with its natural job of healing.

I love this, even when I struggle with this. The part I struggle with is ~t r u s t~.

I've mentioned on here before how we as a society are trained from birth to rely on authority, media, and various outside sources of so-called wisdom. Hard, then, to re-train ourselves to trust ourselves.

What if it's that simple? That glowing health is our birthright, and that we have all we need to live in health, and short of that, to repair ourselves? I believe it.

I know for one thing, I'm not making anyone any money when I'm well. And if I'm sick, no one is making a dime off me by selling me a potion or a lotion. Well, the growers and the farmers, but only until I have a garden big enough to feed myself and my family.

Now that I know first hand that asthma, high blood pressure, obesity, joint pain, eczema, digestive issues, etc are reversible and altogether unnecessary, I have such a different outlook on what wellness can mean. By taking away the beer, junk foods, and indiscriminate eating, and replacing it with nutrient dense, fresh, live foods, my chronic disease states, which I see now were precursors to bigger, more frightening diseases...have healed.

Raw, live foods are just that. Unheated, therefore with enzymes unchanged, they are absolutely mind-blowingly delicious. (I still run into folks who think, "Wow, celery combined with carrots...soooo tasty, not) but it's not about that. The way cooked foods smell delicious and enticing, raw food dishes taste intensely delicious.)

Simpler yet, the more raw foods ya eat, the healthier and better you'll feel. At first, you'll detox the old stuff that's been dragging your health down, but with every cycle of detox, you achieve greater and greater health.

Trust becomes easier over time, and natural hygiene becomes more viable.

The Power of Enzymes
by Ron Harder

One of the most common health problems in North America today is poor digestion.

There are several reasons for poor digestion, but the two biggest reasons are the inability of your body to produce enough enzymes, and the lack of digestive enzymes in the food that you eat.

What are digestive enzymes? They are organic protein molecules that break down food particles such as proteins, carbohydrates, and fats; and convert them into smaller absorbable nutrients that your body can use to build cells, tissues, and organs.

What do they do? Digestive enzymes are responsible for breaking down the food that you eat so that your food can be more easily absorbed and digested by your small intestine. It works something like this. You put some food into your mouth and by chewing it you break this food up into smaller segments and mix it with saliva. The enzymes in your saliva start the pre-digestive process in your mouth, and this continues while your food is on its way to your stomach. In the stomach your food is mixed with hydrochloric acid that helps to digest starches.

More enzymes are added at this point which helps to break down your food even further and turn it into a paste-like substance called chyme. After several hours this chyme moves from the stomach to your small intestine where pancreatic enzymes are added to help with further digestion. The more enzymes you have available the better your digestion will be. Any food that you are not able to digest will be passed along to your large intestine where it will await elimination from your body.

Where do digestive enzymes come from? You obtain most of your digestive enzymes from the food that you eat, and your body also produces enzymes of its own. Unfortunately, because of soil depletion, herbicide sprays, etc., we do not obtain anywhere near the number of enzymes that we need. Another major problem is that modern processing and preserving techniques, such as boiling and pasteurization, destroy most of the enzymes that ever were in your food. Enzymes are also destroyed by exposure to air, exposure to light, alcohol consumption, temperatures over 118 degrees, caffeine, cigarette smoke, and prescription drugs. Parasites, pesticides, pollutants, ultra-violet radiation, and fluoridated water also destroy enzymes. Enzymes are either obtained from plants, or they are manufactured by the pancreas. Pancreatic enzymes are animal based and only function in your small intestine. If pancreatic enzymes are taken with food they will be destroyed by the acids in your stomach, and therefore, they are not nearly as effective as plant enzymes.

Plant enzymes are much more effective because they begin pre-digestion in your mouth, they are not destroyed by the acids in your stomach, and they function in both an acid and in an alkaline environment.

As we age, our body looses its ability to produce its own enzymes, and so we have to include them in our diet. There are only two ways to accomplish this.

One method is by eating raw organic food, and the other method is by taking enzyme supplements. Some good food sources for enzymes are alfalfa, barley grass, chlorella, spirulina, kelp, peppermint, and sea vegetables. Most fruits, especially bananas, are also a good source. You should make very sure that you get enough enzymes, because a lack of digestive enzymes will cause a number of things to occur in your body, and here are some of the more common.

You may develop abdominal bloating, abdominal cramps, constipation, crohn's disease, colitis, diarrhea, eczema, heartburn, indigestion, IBD, psoriasis, skin rashes, and many other conditions that can cause you a lot of problems. Low levels of enzymes can lead to a toxic colon because undigested food in your intestines can ferment and turn toxic. The toxic byproducts that accumulate in your intestines will be absorbed through your intestine wall and will end up in your blood stream, and when these toxins enter your blood stream they will come into contact with all the cells throughout your entire body. When this occurs, all kinds of nasty things, like cancer for example, can and do develop.

Up to this point we have only discussed digestive enzymes, but there is another type of enzyme we should briefly discuss and that is metabolic enzymes. Metabolic enzymes are protein-like substances that act as a catalyst in all metabolic actions within your body. In other words, metabolic enzymes are the workers within your body that allow the minerals, vitamins, and proteins to do their job. Metabolic enzymes are your body's labor force, and they are responsible for all the anabolic or catabolic activity in your body.

If you eat cooked food, fast food, or processed food, your body needs all the help it can get. There are virtually no enzymes in these kinds of foods, and without enzymes, you will not be able to digest any of the nutrients that may be present. If your diet consists of these foods I would strongly suggest changing your diet to raw vegetables and fresh fruits so that you can maximize your enzyme intake. Above that, I also strongly recommend taking enzyme supplements as part of your daily diet. This will ensure that you are getting all the enzymes that you need for your good health.

Enzymes are very selective in that each enzyme can only do one specific job. One enzyme cannot do another enzymes job, so a shortage or absence of just one enzyme can have a very serious impact on your health. As you can see, enzymes are an extremely important part of your diet.

How important are they? Enzymes are the first of the "workers" in your body. They are the catalyst that allows the minerals and vitamins in your body to do their job. They are responsible for all metabolic functions. They are responsible for life itself. The following are the eight major digestive enzymes that you should have in your body to make sure that you maximize your digestion. The first four are absolutely essential for optimum health, and the last four are generally manufactured by your body on an as- required basis. However, all eight of these enzymes perform a very specific function that cannot be performed by a different enzyme, and so they are all very important.

PROTEASE Responsible for digesting proteins in your food, which is probably one of the most difficult substances to metabolize. Because of this, protease is considered to be one of the most important enzymes that we have. If the digestive process is incomplete, undigested protein can wind up in your circulatory system, as well as in other parts of your body. When you take protease in higher quantities, it can help to clean up your body by removing the unwanted protein from your circulatory system. This will help to clean up your blood stream, and restore your energy and balance. One of the tricks of an invading organism is to wrap itself in a large protein shell that the body would view as being "normal". Large amounts of protease can help to remove this protein shell, and allow the body's defense mechanisms can go into action. With the protective barrier down, your immune system can step in and destroy the invading organism. Additional amounts of protease are also helpful in fighting such things as colds, flu's, and cancerous tumor growths. Protease helps in the healing and recovery from cancer by dissolving the fibrin coating on cancer cells, and thereby giving your immune system a chance to do its job. It can effectively shrink these tumors by helping to remove the dead and abnormal tissues, and by stimulating healthy tissue growth.

AMYLASE The second most important enzyme that we have, amylase is responsible for digesting carbohydrates in food. Because of this, it could be considered a natural antihistamine. Incomplete digestion of carbohydrates has been linked to blood sugar imbalances, allergies, and asthma. Amylase is also very effective in helping to relieve the symptoms of allergic reactions to such things as insect bites, pollen irritation, or contact with poison oak, poison ivy, or sumac. A possible reason why some people appear to be more immune to these poisons is because of a higher amount of amylase within their bodies.

LIPASE Responsible for digesting fats in food. When taken in higher quantities it will also find its way into the blood stream and help to remove excess fatty deposits from the inside of your veins and arteries. When this occurs, the arteries and veins are more open and allow the blood to flow more smoothly throughout your body. It is well understood that clogged arteries cause a rise in blood pressure, and that this in turn leads to heart problems. Using extra lipase during the pre-digestive phase can help with overall fat control both in the stomach and in the arteries of your body. Additional lipase can also be helpful in a weight management program, because it converts fat to energy instead of allowing it to be stored in your body.

CELLULASE Responsible for breaking down fiber. It is also an excellent antioxidant because it binds to heavy metals and other toxins and carries them out of your body. We generally consume a combination of soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber is effective in binding to excess cholesterol and toxic material and removing them from the body. Cellulase helps with this process because it breaks down the soluble fiber and allows it to be more efficient. Insoluble fiber provides the necessary bulk to keep the intestinal tract properly inflated, and acts as a "push broom" to keep the walls of both the small and large intestines clean.

MALTASE Responsible for taking the complex sugar found in malt and grain products and changing it into glucose.

LACTASE Responsible for digesting the milk sugar found in dairy products.

PHYTASE Helps with digestion in general, and is especially effective in producing vital nutrients of the B-Complex.

SUCRASE Responsible for digesting the sugars that are found in most foods. You may not always get enough enzymes from the food that you eat, and because of that you may sometimes have problems with your digestion.

To help you with that I have included a few suggestions that you may wish to consider.

a) Chew your food well. This will help to break down your food so that your enzymes can do their job more effectively.

b) Eat your meals slowly. This will allow your food to proceed along your digestive tract in an orderly and continuous fashion.

c) Take time to relax after you eat so that your body will have the energy to start the digestive process.

d) Eat smaller more frequent meals during the day to help your digestion, and to promote better metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and fat.

e) Do not eat a heavy meal within three hours of bedtime.

f) Drink plenty of water or herbal tea with and between your meals to promote better digestion and system regularity.

g) Eat plenty of fresh raw fruits and vegetables to maximize your enzyme intake.

Do your very best to obtain all the enzymes that you can. The more enzymes you consume, the better your digestion will be, and the more value you will obtain from your food. And you do not have to worry about ever getting too many enzymes, they are not something that you can overdose on.

Eat well, and be healthy.

This article written by Ron Harder, Nutritional Health Consultant, Iridologist, and Author of "How To Defeat Cancer - Naturally - without Chemo, Radiation, or Surgery". For more health information please visit his web site at http://www.defeatcancer.ca. Other articles by Ron Harder are available at www.shift.to/health/

The Power of Enzymes
by Ron Harder

One of the most common health problems in North America today is poor digestion.

There are several reasons for poor digestion, but the two biggest reasons are the inability of your body to produce enough enzymes, and the lack of digestive enzymes in the food that you eat.

What are digestive enzymes? They are organic protein molecules that break down food particles such as proteins, carbohydrates, and fats; and convert them into smaller absorbable nutrients that your body can use to build cells, tissues, and organs.

What do they do? Digestive enzymes are responsible for breaking down the food that you eat so that your food can be more easily absorbed and digested by your small intestine. It works something like this. You put some food into your mouth and by chewing it you break this food up into smaller segments and mix it with saliva. The enzymes in your saliva start the pre-digestive process in your mouth, and this continues while your food is on its way to your stomach. In the stomach your food is mixed with hydrochloric acid that helps to digest starches.

More enzymes are added at this point which helps to break down your food even further and turn it into a paste-like substance called chyme. After several hours this chyme moves from the stomach to your small intestine where pancreatic enzymes are added to help with further digestion. The more enzymes you have available the better your digestion will be. Any food that you are not able to digest will be passed along to your large intestine where it will await elimination from your body.

Where do digestive enzymes come from? You obtain most of your digestive enzymes from the food that you eat, and your body also produces enzymes of its own. Unfortunately, because of soil depletion, herbicide sprays, etc., we do not obtain anywhere near the number of enzymes that we need. Another major problem is that modern processing and preserving techniques, such as boiling and pasteurization, destroy most of the enzymes that ever were in your food. Enzymes are also destroyed by exposure to air, exposure to light, alcohol consumption, temperatures over 118 degrees, caffeine, cigarette smoke, and prescription drugs. Parasites, pesticides, pollutants, ultra-violet radiation, and fluoridated water also destroy enzymes. Enzymes are either obtained from plants, or they are manufactured by the pancreas. Pancreatic enzymes are animal based and only function in your small intestine. If pancreatic enzymes are taken with food they will be destroyed by the acids in your stomach, and therefore, they are not nearly as effective as plant enzymes.

Plant enzymes are much more effective because they begin pre-digestion in your mouth, they are not destroyed by the acids in your stomach, and they function in both an acid and in an alkaline environment.

As we age, our body looses its ability to produce its own enzymes, and so we have to include them in our diet. There are only two ways to accomplish this.

One method is by eating raw organic food, and the other method is by taking enzyme supplements. Some good food sources for enzymes are alfalfa, barley grass, chlorella, spirulina, kelp, peppermint, and sea vegetables. Most fruits, especially bananas, are also a good source. You should make very sure that you get enough enzymes, because a lack of digestive enzymes will cause a number of things to occur in your body, and here are some of the more common.

You may develop abdominal bloating, abdominal cramps, constipation, crohn's disease, colitis, diarrhea, eczema, heartburn, indigestion, IBD, psoriasis, skin rashes, and many other conditions that can cause you a lot of problems. Low levels of enzymes can lead to a toxic colon because undigested food in your intestines can ferment and turn toxic. The toxic byproducts that accumulate in your intestines will be absorbed through your intestine wall and will end up in your blood stream, and when these toxins enter your blood stream they will come into contact with all the cells throughout your entire body. When this occurs, all kinds of nasty things, like cancer for example, can and do develop.

Up to this point we have only discussed digestive enzymes, but there is another type of enzyme we should briefly discuss and that is metabolic enzymes. Metabolic enzymes are protein-like substances that act as a catalyst in all metabolic actions within your body. In other words, metabolic enzymes are the workers within your body that allow the minerals, vitamins, and proteins to do their job. Metabolic enzymes are your body's labor force, and they are responsible for all the anabolic or catabolic activity in your body.

If you eat cooked food, fast food, or processed food, your body needs all the help it can get. There are virtually no enzymes in these kinds of foods, and without enzymes, you will not be able to digest any of the nutrients that may be present. If your diet consists of these foods I would strongly suggest changing your diet to raw vegetables and fresh fruits so that you can maximize your enzyme intake. Above that, I also strongly recommend taking enzyme supplements as part of your daily diet. This will ensure that you are getting all the enzymes that you need for your good health.

Enzymes are very selective in that each enzyme can only do one specific job. One enzyme cannot do another enzymes job, so a shortage or absence of just one enzyme can have a very serious impact on your health. As you can see, enzymes are an extremely important part of your diet.

How important are they? Enzymes are the first of the "workers" in your body. They are the catalyst that allows the minerals and vitamins in your body to do their job. They are responsible for all metabolic functions. They are responsible for life itself. The following are the eight major digestive enzymes that you should have in your body to make sure that you maximize your digestion. The first four are absolutely essential for optimum health, and the last four are generally manufactured by your body on an as- required basis. However, all eight of these enzymes perform a very specific function that cannot be performed by a different enzyme, and so they are all very important.

PROTEASE Responsible for digesting proteins in your food, which is probably one of the most difficult substances to metabolize. Because of this, protease is considered to be one of the most important enzymes that we have. If the digestive process is incomplete, undigested protein can wind up in your circulatory system, as well as in other parts of your body. When you take protease in higher quantities, it can help to clean up your body by removing the unwanted protein from your circulatory system. This will help to clean up your blood stream, and restore your energy and balance. One of the tricks of an invading organism is to wrap itself in a large protein shell that the body would view as being "normal". Large amounts of protease can help to remove this protein shell, and allow the body's defense mechanisms can go into action. With the protective barrier down, your immune system can step in and destroy the invading organism. Additional amounts of protease are also helpful in fighting such things as colds, flu's, and cancerous tumor growths. Protease helps in the healing and recovery from cancer by dissolving the fibrin coating on cancer cells, and thereby giving your immune system a chance to do its job. It can effectively shrink these tumors by helping to remove the dead and abnormal tissues, and by stimulating healthy tissue growth.

AMYLASE The second most important enzyme that we have, amylase is responsible for digesting carbohydrates in food. Because of this, it could be considered a natural antihistamine. Incomplete digestion of carbohydrates has been linked to blood sugar imbalances, allergies, and asthma. Amylase is also very effective in helping to relieve the symptoms of allergic reactions to such things as insect bites, pollen irritation, or contact with poison oak, poison ivy, or sumac. A possible reason why some people appear to be more immune to these poisons is because of a higher amount of amylase within their bodies.

LIPASE Responsible for digesting fats in food. When taken in higher quantities it will also find its way into the blood stream and help to remove excess fatty deposits from the inside of your veins and arteries. When this occurs, the arteries and veins are more open and allow the blood to flow more smoothly throughout your body. It is well understood that clogged arteries cause a rise in blood pressure, and that this in turn leads to heart problems. Using extra lipase during the pre-digestive phase can help with overall fat control both in the stomach and in the arteries of your body. Additional lipase can also be helpful in a weight management program, because it converts fat to energy instead of allowing it to be stored in your body.

CELLULASE Responsible for breaking down fiber. It is also an excellent antioxidant because it binds to heavy metals and other toxins and carries them out of your body. We generally consume a combination of soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber is effective in binding to excess cholesterol and toxic material and removing them from the body. Cellulase helps with this process because it breaks down the soluble fiber and allows it to be more efficient. Insoluble fiber provides the necessary bulk to keep the intestinal tract properly inflated, and acts as a "push broom" to keep the walls of both the small and large intestines clean.

MALTASE Responsible for taking the complex sugar found in malt and grain products and changing it into glucose.

LACTASE Responsible for digesting the milk sugar found in dairy products.

PHYTASE Helps with digestion in general, and is especially effective in producing vital nutrients of the B-Complex.

SUCRASE Responsible for digesting the sugars that are found in most foods. You may not always get enough enzymes from the food that you eat, and because of that you may sometimes have problems with your digestion.

To help you with that I have included a few suggestions that you may wish to consider.

a) Chew your food well. This will help to break down your food so that your enzymes can do their job more effectively.

b) Eat your meals slowly. This will allow your food to proceed along your digestive tract in an orderly and continuous fashion.

c) Take time to relax after you eat so that your body will have the energy to start the digestive process.

d) Eat smaller more frequent meals during the day to help your digestion, and to promote better metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and fat.

e) Do not eat a heavy meal within three hours of bedtime.

f) Drink plenty of water or herbal tea with and between your meals to promote better digestion and system regularity.

g) Eat plenty of fresh raw fruits and vegetables to maximize your enzyme intake.

Do your very best to obtain all the enzymes that you can. The more enzymes you consume, the better your digestion will be, and the more value you will obtain from your food. And you do not have to worry about ever getting too many enzymes, they are not something that you can overdose on.

Eat well, and be healthy.

This article written by Ron Harder, Nutritional Health Consultant, Iridologist, and Author of "How To Defeat Cancer - Naturally - without Chemo, Radiation, or Surgery". For more health information please visit his web site at http://www.defeatcancer.ca. Other articles by Ron Harder are available at www.shift.to/health/

Basil Pesto

Yum, yum, furthermore: yum.

Basil Pesto

2 cups fresh organic basil leaves, stems chopped off

3 large garlic cloves

1/2 cup olive oil

juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)

1/2 teaspoon himalayan salt (or sea salt)

black pepper to taste

Directions:

Throw it all in a blender.

Seriously, that's it.

Mmmmmmmmmmm...so good.

And SUPER easy, too.

We spiralize zuchinni and stir the pesto in and WALLA

a gorgeous raw dinner!

Basil Pesto

Yum, yum, furthermore: yum.

Basil Pesto

2 cups fresh organic basil leaves, stems chopped off

3 large garlic cloves

1/2 cup olive oil

juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)

1/2 teaspoon himalayan salt (or sea salt)

black pepper to taste

Directions:

Throw it all in a blender.

Seriously, that's it.

Mmmmmmmmmmm...so good.

And SUPER easy, too.

We spiralize zuchinni and stir the pesto in and WALLA

a gorgeous raw dinner!

I'm finding that 'RAW' is a choice ya keep making.

Some things are now a natural part of how I live; for instance, I wouldn't dream of eating anything fried or 'fast food'... so that's gone.

I make green smoothies every day and that's second nature. I eat fruit, and I eat salads daily.

The thing that still gets me sometimes, and maybe this is just a winter thing, is dinner time. I still find myself feeling like I need 'more' at dinner time. I guess a lifetime's worth of 'full meal deals' doesn't leave overnight, or in 7 months, as the case may be.

I don't want meat n' potatoes, but I want something ELSE, something more substantial. And with raw, that means preparing in advance. Which is great, when I have done so... aheh... but pitiful when I have not!

When I haven't prepared, which is often these days, I get in my car and drive to the salad bar at the health food grocery store and eat a bowl of soup and have a salad. This, in perspective to my health goals, has become my McDonald's. (hey, it's all relative!)

And round and round I go. Is this entitlement? A reward for a good girl? Laziness?

Why yes, yes to all!!

I also think it's that it's the very fact that I give in to those hot SAD soups I keep reaching for these winter months. As you may know for yourself, the more cooked you add in, the more cooked you want.

And blech, nothing appeals to me less, intellectually. I still want that raw glow.

Maybe the lack of sunshine in this dreary, rainy Vancouver winter is messing with my thinking. It all seems easier in the summer!

But, I have to look at what I'm doing and put it in perspective. I still start my days with a green smoothie, supplemented with super foods, I still choose raw all day long, I still feel energetic. All in all, I'm still rawkin'!!

So.... um, never-mind. ;)

I'm finding that 'RAW' is a choice ya keep making.

Some things are now a natural part of how I live; for instance, I wouldn't dream of eating anything fried or 'fast food'... so that's gone.

I make green smoothies every day and that's second nature. I eat fruit, and I eat salads daily.

The thing that still gets me sometimes, and maybe this is just a winter thing, is dinner time. I still find myself feeling like I need 'more' at dinner time. I guess a lifetime's worth of 'full meal deals' doesn't leave overnight, or in 7 months, as the case may be.

I don't want meat n' potatoes, but I want something ELSE, something more substantial. And with raw, that means preparing in advance. Which is great, when I have done so... aheh... but pitiful when I have not!

When I haven't prepared, which is often these days, I get in my car and drive to the salad bar at the health food grocery store and eat a bowl of soup and have a salad. This, in perspective to my health goals, has become my McDonald's. (hey, it's all relative!)

And round and round I go. Is this entitlement? A reward for a good girl? Laziness?

Why yes, yes to all!!

I also think it's that it's the very fact that I give in to those hot SAD soups I keep reaching for these winter months. As you may know for yourself, the more cooked you add in, the more cooked you want.

And blech, nothing appeals to me less, intellectually. I still want that raw glow.

Maybe the lack of sunshine in this dreary, rainy Vancouver winter is messing with my thinking. It all seems easier in the summer!

But, I have to look at what I'm doing and put it in perspective. I still start my days with a green smoothie, supplemented with super foods, I still choose raw all day long, I still feel energetic. All in all, I'm still rawkin'!!

So.... um, never-mind. ;)

Coffee Alternative

I tried 'Ginger's Best Coffee' yesterday morning, instead of my usual industrial 80-proof coffee.

Tagged as 'The Official Drink of Superheroes Everywhere', I was drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

Here are the ingredients:

*a scoop of Cacao powder
4 capsules of Fo-ti , minus the capsules (also called Ho Shou Wu)
a scoop of Maca
a tbsp of lucuma aka Lucmo
a squirt of yacon
a squirt of Agave
1/4 inch Vanilla Bean
dash of Nutmeg
handful of Cashews
cup of Ice
cup or so of Water

Where do these Superheroes live, anyway? I hadn't heard of half this stuff!

Off I went, determined to crack the mystery.

First I went to Capers, upstairs to their wellness department. This is where you'll find vitamins, protein powders, Bach's flower remedies, natural shampoos, toothpastes, that kind of stuff.

After showing the woman my coffee ingredients, I was (kindly) sent packin' across the street, to see if the Chinese Herbalist had any Fo-ti. He did, but only in 'bark' form...the hardcore stuff. I just wanted capsules because apparently, you open 4 and pour them into the blender. (Oh, did I mention this is a blender drink?)

She hadn't heard of yacon, either, and I didn't yet know it was a South American fruit-like vegetable, related to the sunflower, often made into a sweetener, tasting kind of like a cross between molasses and agave.

Nevermind Lucuma, we just looked at each other and shrugged.

So from these two places, I drove to Commercial Drive, to a place called Sweet Cherubim, known for its health foods and potions. They had had Fo-ti but none of the other stuff. I left, happy to at least know where to find it when the time came that I gathered my other ingredients. I was beginning to wonder if I would.

I was really eager to try it, because I have been really interested for a long time now, in quitting my morning coffee. This was apparently very satisfying and coffee-like, giving you great energy, in a natural way, unlike the whipping coffee does to your system. What I mean here is that I once read coffee stimulates your body in the same way a whip moves a horse into action...setting off movement based on negative stimulus.

I went home, wondering if I'd ever be a Superhero.

Later that evening, I had to go back to Capers and for no other reason than being a dog with a bone, I walked back upstairs to the wellness department. Maybe I missed something?

This time, a different woman was on shift, and she asked if I needed any help finding anything. I told her, "Well... I was in earlier, and I've been trying to gather ingredients for this coffee..."
and I pulled out my list.

Right away, she started nodding and talking.

"Okay... the Fo-ti, we have, but only in tincture form, but I can order capsules. The yacon I can also order in, and the lucuma is not available in Canada as far as I know, but I'll check my computer."

Well now!

I was bowled over with renewed hope, and I left my name and number so she could call me when my stuff comes in.

That was a week ago; tap tap tap tap tap.

Meanwhile, I have been collecting the other ingredients, so with cacao, maca, agave, vanilla bean, nutmeg, cashews, ice, and water, I set my blender a-crunchin' and a-whirrin'. I coulda woke up the dead with the noise it made. Steve was still asleep so I threw my down jacket over it to muffle the noise, but he still came out, squinting, and scratching his armpit. Ooops. Aheh.

Bjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjklkskljjjjjj that's the blender, back on.

After a minute or so, I poured out what looked like a latte into a tall glass.

Holy cow, it tasted like one too. This drink was surprisingly coffee-like! It was delicious and went down easily! Typing about it now makes me want one again.

About 1/2 hour after ingesting it, I started to burp cashews (sorry, tmi) and realized that DOH! I hadn't soaked them overnight, so they would be harder to digest. Within an hour I was ok again, so it was a mild reaction, and otherwise, I felt clear and primo all day.

Not having Fo-ti and yacon in it, well, I don't know what I was missing, and it still tasted good. The Fo-ti is for energy, and I'm not convinced I need more of that ;) but it's on order, so I'll deal with it when it comes in.

I have a new drink. Now I need a cape. :)


*not cocoa powder...this is very different. Cacao ('ao' switch) is raw, unrefined, pure chocolate, and cocoa is the common 'Quick' stuff we all throw mini marshmallows in. In its raw state, it is ripe with antioxidants and dare I say, medicinal properties. I haven't yet found the powder, so I threw 'nibs' into the blender and it seemed to do the trick, though as I say, I don't know what I'm missing. :)

Coffee Alternative

I tried 'Ginger's Best Coffee' yesterday morning, instead of my usual industrial 80-proof coffee.

Tagged as 'The Official Drink of Superheroes Everywhere', I was drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

Here are the ingredients:

*a scoop of Cacao powder
4 capsules of Fo-ti , minus the capsules (also called Ho Shou Wu)
a scoop of Maca
a tbsp of lucuma aka Lucmo
a squirt of yacon
a squirt of Agave
1/4 inch Vanilla Bean
dash of Nutmeg
handful of Cashews
cup of Ice
cup or so of Water

Where do these Superheroes live, anyway? I hadn't heard of half this stuff!

Off I went, determined to crack the mystery.

First I went to Capers, upstairs to their wellness department. This is where you'll find vitamins, protein powders, Bach's flower remedies, natural shampoos, toothpastes, that kind of stuff.

After showing the woman my coffee ingredients, I was (kindly) sent packin' across the street, to see if the Chinese Herbalist had any Fo-ti. He did, but only in 'bark' form...the hardcore stuff. I just wanted capsules because apparently, you open 4 and pour them into the blender. (Oh, did I mention this is a blender drink?)

She hadn't heard of yacon, either, and I didn't yet know it was a South American fruit-like vegetable, related to the sunflower, often made into a sweetener, tasting kind of like a cross between molasses and agave.

Nevermind Lucuma, we just looked at each other and shrugged.

So from these two places, I drove to Commercial Drive, to a place called Sweet Cherubim, known for its health foods and potions. They had had Fo-ti but none of the other stuff. I left, happy to at least know where to find it when the time came that I gathered my other ingredients. I was beginning to wonder if I would.

I was really eager to try it, because I have been really interested for a long time now, in quitting my morning coffee. This was apparently very satisfying and coffee-like, giving you great energy, in a natural way, unlike the whipping coffee does to your system. What I mean here is that I once read coffee stimulates your body in the same way a whip moves a horse into action...setting off movement based on negative stimulus.

I went home, wondering if I'd ever be a Superhero.

Later that evening, I had to go back to Capers and for no other reason than being a dog with a bone, I walked back upstairs to the wellness department. Maybe I missed something?

This time, a different woman was on shift, and she asked if I needed any help finding anything. I told her, "Well... I was in earlier, and I've been trying to gather ingredients for this coffee..."
and I pulled out my list.

Right away, she started nodding and talking.

"Okay... the Fo-ti, we have, but only in tincture form, but I can order capsules. The yacon I can also order in, and the lucuma is not available in Canada as far as I know, but I'll check my computer."

Well now!

I was bowled over with renewed hope, and I left my name and number so she could call me when my stuff comes in.

That was a week ago; tap tap tap tap tap.

Meanwhile, I have been collecting the other ingredients, so with cacao, maca, agave, vanilla bean, nutmeg, cashews, ice, and water, I set my blender a-crunchin' and a-whirrin'. I coulda woke up the dead with the noise it made. Steve was still asleep so I threw my down jacket over it to muffle the noise, but he still came out, squinting, and scratching his armpit. Ooops. Aheh.

Bjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjklkskljjjjjj that's the blender, back on.

After a minute or so, I poured out what looked like a latte into a tall glass.

Holy cow, it tasted like one too. This drink was surprisingly coffee-like! It was delicious and went down easily! Typing about it now makes me want one again.

About 1/2 hour after ingesting it, I started to burp cashews (sorry, tmi) and realized that DOH! I hadn't soaked them overnight, so they would be harder to digest. Within an hour I was ok again, so it was a mild reaction, and otherwise, I felt clear and primo all day.

Not having Fo-ti and yacon in it, well, I don't know what I was missing, and it still tasted good. The Fo-ti is for energy, and I'm not convinced I need more of that ;) but it's on order, so I'll deal with it when it comes in.

I have a new drink. Now I need a cape. :)


*not cocoa powder...this is very different. Cacao ('ao' switch) is raw, unrefined, pure chocolate, and cocoa is the common 'Quick' stuff we all throw mini marshmallows in. In its raw state, it is ripe with antioxidants and dare I say, medicinal properties. I haven't yet found the powder, so I threw 'nibs' into the blender and it seemed to do the trick, though as I say, I don't know what I'm missing. :)

My dreams are back.

Just 7 months ago, I was thinking I was just on the glide path to old age, sickness, and death. I knew my habits were killing me, and that no good could come of it, that it was not going to end well if I continued to go in that direction, but I was sooooo stuck. I was buried under feeling horrible. It was a heavy blanket on me, pressing me down. My thoughts looped about what I should do instead...round and round it went, making me feel worse because I knew better... yet, I felt too lousy to do any better. Where to even start? I was hurtin', and angry, and deeply sad, addicted, trapped, lonesome, depressed, scared of being utterly doomed.


Ok, shake it off! I can really go there in my feelings when I climb inside to type about it. Shake. It. Off. <<<<<<<&#&*#*@)^)!>>>>>>>>


Alright. Yeah, my dreams are back. Life has opened up again, and I'm engaged in life again. I had forgotten, I mean, completely forgotten, what life can be like. What an evil trick the mind plays. Just when you need the most reminding, the blinders and the fog kick in, the vision tunnels, the lights go dim.


<<<<<<<&#&*#*@)^)!>>>>>>>> I'm back.

Life is sweet, my world is open, my plans are competing with each other again, just like back when I was ~young~. Ahhhhh what a lovely feeling.

I have music goals again...I'm putting my band back together, I'm in the studio recording.

I have art goals again...I've bought in at a small local gallery, where my art will hang for sale, and I now belong to an artist collective, where I look forward to learning and growing, and I'm approaching venues for solo art shows. My paintings are changing and blooming in new directions, and the process is light and fun again.

I have life dreams with my partner, Steve. More property hunting, more camping, more creative sex, yes, you read it here first. :)

Life is so sweet when you love it. I had no idea what awaited me back in my bleak winter.

What does this have to do with raw foods? Raw food = live food = life-giving = energy = wellness = physical renewal = emotional renewal = lightness of being = happiness.

Life still throws its curves; it always will. It's life. I find that with energy, wellness, and happiness, I'm able to handle things better, because it no longer feels like "NOW WHAT?"

It's infinitely easier to love myself now. I used to think when I felt better about myself, then I would treat myself better, and take care of my health. I have since learned that I had it all backwards. I feel better about myself *because* I treat myself better and take care of my health.

As I said, it was so hard to see past the hole I'd dug myself. Putting one foot in front of the other walked me right out of the darkness I was in. I never thought I'd feel better, let alone fabulous. Who knew this awaited me?

It's so great to have my dreams back~!

My dreams are back.

Just 7 months ago, I was thinking I was just on the glide path to old age, sickness, and death. I knew my habits were killing me, and that no good could come of it, that it was not going to end well if I continued to go in that direction, but I was sooooo stuck. I was buried under feeling horrible. It was a heavy blanket on me, pressing me down. My thoughts looped about what I should do instead...round and round it went, making me feel worse because I knew better... yet, I felt too lousy to do any better. Where to even start? I was hurtin', and angry, and deeply sad, addicted, trapped, lonesome, depressed, scared of being utterly doomed.


Ok, shake it off! I can really go there in my feelings when I climb inside to type about it. Shake. It. Off. <<<<<<<&#&*#*@)^)!>>>>>>>>


Alright. Yeah, my dreams are back. Life has opened up again, and I'm engaged in life again. I had forgotten, I mean, completely forgotten, what life can be like. What an evil trick the mind plays. Just when you need the most reminding, the blinders and the fog kick in, the vision tunnels, the lights go dim.


<<<<<<<&#&*#*@)^)!>>>>>>>> I'm back.

Life is sweet, my world is open, my plans are competing with each other again, just like back when I was ~young~. Ahhhhh what a lovely feeling.

I have music goals again...I'm putting my band back together, I'm in the studio recording.

I have art goals again...I've bought in at a small local gallery, where my art will hang for sale, and I now belong to an artist collective, where I look forward to learning and growing, and I'm approaching venues for solo art shows. My paintings are changing and blooming in new directions, and the process is light and fun again.

I have life dreams with my partner, Steve. More property hunting, more camping, more creative sex, yes, you read it here first. :)

Life is so sweet when you love it. I had no idea what awaited me back in my bleak winter.

What does this have to do with raw foods? Raw food = live food = life-giving = energy = wellness = physical renewal = emotional renewal = lightness of being = happiness.

Life still throws its curves; it always will. It's life. I find that with energy, wellness, and happiness, I'm able to handle things better, because it no longer feels like "NOW WHAT?"

It's infinitely easier to love myself now. I used to think when I felt better about myself, then I would treat myself better, and take care of my health. I have since learned that I had it all backwards. I feel better about myself *because* I treat myself better and take care of my health.

As I said, it was so hard to see past the hole I'd dug myself. Putting one foot in front of the other walked me right out of the darkness I was in. I never thought I'd feel better, let alone fabulous. Who knew this awaited me?

It's so great to have my dreams back~!

Skin Deep

If you've ever wondered what's in your makeup, moisturizer, shampoo, etc... this is for you.

They say a woman slathers on over 200 chemicals before she walks out the door in the morning.

EW, EW, EW.

Skin Deep is a website where you can type into a search the product you're curious about, and up comes the data. In their own words:

Skin Deep pairs ingredients in nearly 25,000 products against 50 definitive toxicity and regulatory databases, making it the largest integrated data resource of its kind. Why did a small nonprofit take on such a big project? Because the FDA doesn't require companies to test their own products for safety.

Soon after going raw, I stopped buying products like makeup and shampoo (I wash my hair with various mixtures that I change up according to what's in my fridge and cupboards: castor oil, avocados, eggs, lemons, baking soda, apple cider vinegar, etc). I did buy some 'health food store' eye shadow and mascara, but in general, don't feel I need much of anything in the way of 'turd polisher', which is what Steve and I call cosmetics. I know! SO RUDE! Not that people are turds. Oh, you know what I mean.

Anyway, I do hope you get something out of looking at that site. Awareness is the start of everything!

I've said it before: what goes on your skin, goes in your skin. (Preach much?)

ANYway...

Skin Deep

If you've ever wondered what's in your makeup, moisturizer, shampoo, etc... this is for you.

They say a woman slathers on over 200 chemicals before she walks out the door in the morning.

EW, EW, EW.

Skin Deep is a website where you can type into a search the product you're curious about, and up comes the data. In their own words:

Skin Deep pairs ingredients in nearly 25,000 products against 50 definitive toxicity and regulatory databases, making it the largest integrated data resource of its kind. Why did a small nonprofit take on such a big project? Because the FDA doesn't require companies to test their own products for safety.

Soon after going raw, I stopped buying products like makeup and shampoo (I wash my hair with various mixtures that I change up according to what's in my fridge and cupboards: castor oil, avocados, eggs, lemons, baking soda, apple cider vinegar, etc). I did buy some 'health food store' eye shadow and mascara, but in general, don't feel I need much of anything in the way of 'turd polisher', which is what Steve and I call cosmetics. I know! SO RUDE! Not that people are turds. Oh, you know what I mean.

Anyway, I do hope you get something out of looking at that site. Awareness is the start of everything!

I've said it before: what goes on your skin, goes in your skin. (Preach much?)

ANYway...