RAW Living and Learning

  WEGO Health Network did  their own Health Blogger version all month long and I was happy be part it. "As part of our ongoing mission to empower Health Activists, educate, and raise awareness, WEGO Health will be recognizing health bloggers during the month of November. You may have heard about National Blog Posting Month or NaBloPoMo, a month dedicated to the art of blogging, taking it to a new level by pushing all participants to blog every single day of the month."  I must admit I was a little bit concerned about posting every single day for 30 days straight..too much pressure..but it turned out to be fine. My saving grace was the two break days we were given. I am happy to return to my schedule of posting--whenever I want to. Unfortunately I wasn't able to share a recipe every single day because I ran out of storage space for photos and need to figure that one out. Arrrghhh. +JMJ+ Today I am grateful for a perfect 811 day :) plus a great wor...

My mind is already racing just thinking about what I will prepare this year. Having to prepare food  for vegan, gluten free, carnivores and a raw foodie (me) can be quite the task. I have to find the perfect marriage of combinations to please everyone and it can be tough! But, to prepare myself mentally I need to think clearly and that means simplicity. For me simplicity will take the form of a "vacation" from preparing my foods as I visit Banana Island for a few days. Here is what the menu for me on Banana Island looks like: Eat Them When They Look Like This! Breakfast 10 banana smoothie Lunch 8 bananas cut up, smothered in banana milk (2 bananas blended) Dinner 5 bananas eaten the old fashion way--peel, bite, chew! See the pattern here? It is simply mono meals all day long of JUST bananas. Simplicity, clarity, healing. Now its time to focus on the meal plans for Christmas Eve and Christmas. That involves searching all of my GF, DF, v...

I consider eating the Standard American Diet a "condition". Why? Because so many illnesses stem from it. I am talking about those who consume the SAD diet 100% of the time. Rarely eating any fresh, raw, fruits or vegetables, but consuming only cooked, toxic foods like animal products , white sugar, and processed packaged foods. Not to mention frequenting fast food restaurants several times a week. You know who I'm talking about. Well take a look at this list of the top food additives to avoid and it will pretty much eliminate this "condition" because their won't be anything left for you to eat except for whole, fresh, unprocessed foods--the way we were created to eat. How can it even be legal for these things to be added to our food???? And if you have the time look into the film FOODMATTERS , it will change your perspective on what you choose to put into your body. They have slashed their products by 50% for a limited time...check it out your health depen...

Honeybees are the latest weapon in the War on Cancer. By Dr. Mercola Propolis, the "caulk" honeybees use to patch holes in their hives, has been used as a natural remedy since ancient times, treating ills ranging from sore throats and burns to allergies. New research has revealed another exciting use for this seemingly miraculous substance, this time in the fight against cancer. Propolis Slows Tumor Growth Propolis has a number of well-known therapeutic properties, including potent antioxidant and anti-microbial action, and healing, analgesic, anesthetic, and anti-inflammatory properties. In the hive, bees use it as a disinfectant against bacteria and viruses, helping to seal cracks and "embalm" invaders that are too large to carry out. It's been used for thousands of years in folk medicine, but despite its plethora of active components, research on this compound, and therefore its modern medical uses, is limited. Researchers from the University of ...

I am going to share Sayer Ji's "poster" today.... Do some research on vaccines before you consent to them for yourself or your precious children. Wish I would of known then what I know now! That sounds like a song lyric. Click on the link below to begin your own research through the medical studies. Food For Thought Greenmedinfo.com provides the public with an alternative medical and toxicological resource for ascertaining the true risks and/or unintended consequences of conventional medical interventions such as vaccinations. The research below represents under-reported, minimized and otherwise overlooked peer-reviewed data on adverse effects associated with vaccination. http://www.greenmedinfo.com/guide/health-guide-vaccine-research +JMJ+ Today I am grateful that I stopped vaccinating.

Because of having to travel for 12 hours straight, I will take today as my second break day from  blogging. +JMJ+Today I am grateful for the glorious 5 days with my family enjoying our favorite mountain hideaway spot.

"If I had more than 24 hours in a day…" Very simple, I would sleep more. I feel like I never have enough time in the day to do things, at a leisurely rate, this extra time would allow that and then I would still have time to get my 8 hours of sleep at night! +JMJ+Today I am thankful for the sun peeking up above the Blue Ridge Mountains each morning--my peaceful wake up call.

My doctor taught me just how ignorant he was when it comes to health and its relationship to nutrition and lifestyle choices. I have heard that MD's only have about 2 weeks worth of nutrition classes/instruction and it was proven to me by his ignorance/denial of the facts. "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food", as Hippocrates so wisely said many moons ago. Chemicals with every bite...unless you choose organic! Think I'm wrong, guess again. Educate yourself and KNOW where your food is coming from, that is if you care about your health. +JMJ+ Today I am grateful for eyes wide open. Fresh The Movie "This film is a must-watch! It will help you understand where your food comes from, the dangers of conventional agriculture and shows you how to choose local, healthy and sustainable options." - James Colquhoun. Producer, 'Food Matters' and 'Hungry For Change' In Fresh You'll Discover How to eat healthy on a budg...

Happy Thanksgiving! Giving thanks today and everyday, for ....... my loving Father in Heaven my precious husband our wonderful children my loving & understanding parents my father-in-law all of my family members through blood and marriage good food our home on the water kind neighbors the pleasure that nature brings my silent struggles and crosses grace forgiveness our home school freedom the ability to workout peaceful nights around the fire under a blanket of stars and the list goes on...  

I am trying to relax for 5 days and enjoy some laid back, slow paced, mountain life. Traveling while eating raw has become second hand to me now. I just pack up the home grown wheat grass, my manual juicer, some broccoli sprouts, fresh fruit, travel blender, and buy the rest when we arrive at our destination. Easy!   This year will be quite the vacation, as I do not have to cook up the Thanksgiving meal. We are going to a great restaurant here in the mountains and will be treated to a home cooked meal. This restaurant treats everyone like family and makes most everything from scratch. They even are going to provide a vegan option for our daughter and salads for me. All I had to do was call ahead and speak to the person in charge and it was done. Don't be afraid to ask for special favors when dining out. You will be pleasantly surprised just how accommodating some establishments will be. +JMJ+ Today I am grateful for crisp, mountain air and fall foliage littering the...

  Write about alternative treatments / regimens / medicine. What do you support? What is crazy?   Here is the crazy!!   taken from greenmedinfo.com This is what I support! As I've written before I think that approaching health care should include a balance between traditional medicine and alternative. I believe we can benefit from both but the key is educating ourselves so that we, as the patient, can determine what the proper balance is. One of the authors of the book below lives right here in our town and we are so blessed to have such a wise man right within our reach. I would like to support his new book because I know that almost all of us have been touched by cancer. Perhaps a family member, friend or you personally. Here is a powerful example of alternative regimes that truly balanced the scale for this cancer patient. Hope this information can help at least one person. The truth about cancer must be told!     +JMJ+ To...

  I wanted to share with you my favorite blogs. I have oh so many but will try to limit the list to a handful. Note that I am not putting them in any particular order. Also some of these sites are not raw or vegan. But there are things about each one that I enjoy and therefore felt worth sharing. They are fun to read and I enjoy discovering how others are living their lives. vegsource.com animal friendly eating raw on $10 a day or less blossoming joy Subsistence Pattern The Sunny Raw Kitchen green med info The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen Homestead Revival Fully Raw A few posts ago I shared some info on eating mono meals. Well Monday has turned out to be my mono meal day for some unknown reason. It has just developed into a pattern. So here is an example of an entire days worth of mono meals. Keep in mind, if one is trying to do a major detox or give their digestive system a rest you would want to pick ONE fruit and eat that at every meal. I am not doing that...

I Want to Change THIS About Health care..... Today's blog prompt--wow, a good one yet again. There are so many things I'd like to change about health care but the two biggest are: The lies. Do your research! Don't always take your doctor's word for things. You as the patient must be educated. "Pharmocracy" If you want to read about why health care costs so much and  "how today's bureaucratic stranglehold ruthlessly denies human beings access to lifesaving medical technologies," get a copy of Pharmocracy , by William Faloon. The other day I made a very simple, oil free dressing that I'd like to share. I have been really indulging in organic raspberries the past several weeks. Pricey little berries that they are, but I really enjoy them so much so it is worth it for me to spend almost $4 for a small container. Raspberry Ginger Dressing by Elizabeth @rawlivingandlearning.blogspot.com Juice of 1 ruby red grapefruit 1/2 heaping cu...

I believe I am entitled to a day off from posting and today I will take advantage of it considering the fact that I look and feel like this photo taken from http://www.superfoods-for-superhealth.com/ezine-subscription.html         Although I am not a man! But you get the picture. +JMJ+ Today I am grateful for my warm, cozy bed.

Mono Meal of Truly Ripe Bananas I'd like to share a video to inspire you to try, or continue eating, a high carb, low fat, raw vegan diet. This is a link to a support page for LFRV's (low fat raw vegans). It does contain some pretty extreme stuff/people but it is fun to weed through it all and discover the true gems. Freelee the girl in the video is very passionate about this life style and I do appreciate her honesty and motivation. She gives her TOP 5 Reasons to eat High Carb Raw Vegan. http://www.30bananasaday.com/video/top-5-reasons-to-eat-high-carb-raw-vegan +JMJ+ Today I am grateful for some quiet time all to myself. I actually had an hour or two with an empty house. It seemed so strange having pure silence. Peaceful.

I just nominated someone for a 2012 Health Activist Award with @wegohealth! You should too: bit.ly/haawards12 I mentioned in a previous post the phenomenal site Green Med Info . I nominated Sayer for this Health Activist Award because I believe he deserves it. If you are remotely interested in health and wellness this is a site you want to visit often. Be prepared to relearn all that you thought you knew about health and wellness. You will be shocked when you learn the TRUTH. It may be a hard pill to swallow at first but keep an open mind and educate, educate, educate yourself. You will be glad you did. Make sure you sign up for their free newsletter, it is wonderful. Cranberries are in season and I have been buying bag after bag of organic cranberries. I put them in any recipe that I can, just for an excuse to eat these amazing little berries. I have been using them in the morning green smoothies and the taste has been amazing! Cranberry Raspberry Sm...

Advice for dealing with negative feedback in your community This is today's blog prompt and I love what Angela Stokes said someone once taught her about this very subject. She said that it is best to make comments on someone's blog the same as if you were making a comment in their home. Therefore if one gets a negative comment posted to their blog, if it is rude in tone or belittling, then they should act the same way they would if that person were in their home. The comments should be removed from the blog the same way the person should be removed from ones home. Made sense to me. Some what of a wake up call to be aware of how we comment and the tone our comments may make, when responding on other's blogs. Good advice. Today I wanted to share how I like to use dates to sweeten recipes.  I make a thick date paste by soaking as many dates as desired in fresh coconut water. Simply cover the dates, remove all pits from dates first , with the coconu...

"The Hands Down Most Effective Health Secret On the Planet... "* "What You're About to Learn Has Been Proven to Eliminate Hundreds of Health Conditions Including Diabetes, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Obesity and Much More... "* "Imagine being completely healthy...no medications, no health conditions, clear skin and an ideal weight with an abundance of energy. "* *These are the words from the site www.rawfor30days.com A movie that could save your life or that of a loved one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=P0Le4VjQPlg Here is the link to the web site where you can read more. Think food isn't powerful--think again! (my words) http://rawfor30days.com/RawFor30/11-2012-sr_half_off.html How about a delicious recipe?? If you could make just ONE easy health change--leading you closer to a clean, pure diet, would you do it? Here is a super easy, super sweet and delicious way. By adding just...

Today's topic: Call BS on something. What’s something that is just ridiculous? I feel it is ridiculous to think that one cannot stay raw during the winter months. I mean, does food really warm you up?  I am assuming that since humans are warm blooded mammals we do not need warm food to keep us warm in the winter. If we did we would have to be eating the warm foods constantly to stay warm. Plus the fact that most of us live in homes that are comfortably heated during the cool winter months! Now if it is one's CHOICE not to remain fully raw that is one thing but if it is an excuse, that is the ridiculous part. Hint: Get a dehydrator and you can warm up your raw foods safely without destroying the enzymes. You also can safely warm raw soups on the stove. Use a food thermometer as you warm it and do not allow it to reach 112 degrees. Take off immediately and pour it out of the pan because the temp will continue to rise. Just my opinion. How about a...

Write about your favorite thing that is not health-related but likely improves your life Since I don't like narrowing down things to "my favorite", because many things share the number one spot, I will say one of my favorite things that is not health-related, but may likely improve my life, is CAMPING. In particular, one of my favorite parts of camping is sitting around the campfire at night for hours. I feel so relaxed and at peace. I have been enjoying organic apples so much and am so happy it is apple season! The other day I threw together this super simple lunch. This also would be nice with some pine nuts sprinkled on top. 3 organic apples, diced 3 organic pears, diced handful of organic raisins, that have been soaked 30 min. 3 stalks of organic celery, sliced thin drizzle of fresh lemon juice cinnamon to taste +JMJ+ Today I am grateful for my daughter's achievements.

Here are some funny food quotes that had me laughing out loud: "Food, one assumes, provides nourishment; but Americans eat it fully aware that small amounts of poison have been added to improve its appearance and delay its putrefaction." John Cage "Heart disease has changed my eating habits, but I still cook bacon for the smell." George Carlin "Adam was but human-this explains it all. He did not want the apple for the apple’s sake, he wanted it only because it was forbidden." Mark Twain "Melon is a good fruit: you eat, you drink, you wash your face." Enrico Caruso This one, not funny, but I like it because it's so true and such a great quote! "Rich, fatty foods are like destiny: they too, shape our ends." Author Unknown And on the opposite end of the spectrum..... "The act of putting into your mouth what the earth has grown is perhaps your most direct interaction with the earth." Frances Moore Lappé Eat ...

If I had to create a care package for the members of my blog it would contain the following: A copy of the book, The Hippocrates Diet and Health Program , by Ann Wigmore A copy of the book, The Wheatgrass Book, by Ann Wigmore Organic sprouting seeds (broccoli, wheat grass, sunflower) Sprouting jars and lids Sprouting trays A few days ago I mentioned I would share my recipe for Raw Cranberry Sauce, just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas; I like it at both. I also have a killer Cranberry Pear Salad, made two ways, that I will share soon. Raw Cranberry Sauce by Elizabeth @rawlivingandlearning.blogspot.com 3 organic apples, rough chop 6 Medjool dates, soak for 30 min, save soak water 1 1/2 Cups organic cranberries 1 clementine, peeled Cinnamon, optional In a food processor add the cranberries. Pulse until chopped into small chunks. Next add the  apple,dates and clementine, pulse. Add some of the saved soak water if needed to get the consistency you pre...

Today's blog prompt--pretty creative I must say. Whom ever thought up these daily prompts is really challenging us bloggers to focus and think about our health! Thank you. Dear Health,      Always focus on the green. Greens hold the key to unlock healing potential in the body. Peace and Raw Health, Elizabeth +JMJ+ Today I am grateful for relief from my back strain!