RAW Living and Learning

The 3 little ones have been enjoying fall very much. Down here in southern Florida we don't have the pleasure of enjoying the leaves changing colors and cool, crisp weather, so we try and create the burst of fall color inside by way of decorations and garlands made with artificial "fall leaves". Hey, it works for us, so that's all that really matters. They had a great time helping me decorate the house a few weeks ago and one of their favorite things to do at night is turn out all the lights and have Mommy light the candles. They have coined it with the term, "Dark and Stormy Night". Don't ask me why, I don't know. So this is what we have been doing each night, enjoying the season and peacefulness that night seems to bring. We also have been enjoying many glasses of Carrot Lemonade.  Today I started making some recipes in anticipation of Thanksgiving. We are going to celebrate a little early this year. Here is the relish recipe I...

I have some great videos that I wanted to share. The first one is Dr. Graham's answer to this very important question. The second video is an interview with a Mother who helped her daughter along her journey of ridding herself of brain cancer by detoxifying their home and diet.  I love the simplicity of Dr. Graham's answer in this video and wanted to share it. I have his book, 80-10-10 and really agree with much of what he wrote in that book. Simplicity is key for success and he clearly shows this with his many, many years thriving as a low fat, raw vegan athlete. Here are some more of his thoughts and links to his information and books. Plus the video below that answers the question. Enjoy! Published on Oct 14, 2013 http://foodnsport.com When your body is exhibiting symptoms of disease, the only place to go is to health. Toxins, drugs, stimulants and all other irritants cannot bring about true health, but merely a temporary illusion conjured by the sup...

3 Ways Citrus and Vitamin C can Help Reverse Signs of Aging by Elizabeth Renter November 15th, 2013 Updated 11/15/2013 at 1:53 am Read more: http://naturalsociety.com/3-ways-citrus-vitamin-c-reverse-aging/#ixzz2kp1reuw0 Everyone ages different as they get older. While some people are comfortable growing old gracefully, there are others who think there’s nothing graceful about it, fighting wrinkles and sagginess with everything they’ve got. Fortunately, you may have some worthwhile solutions to halt and reverse sign of aging in your refrigerator right now—in the form of citrus fruits, juices, and even vitamin C supplements. Citrus fruits– including oranges, lemons, and grapefruits—are loaded with vitamin C. This powerful antioxidant protects cells from damage by free radicals in the air and in our bodies. One way we can get the most benefits from citrus fruits is by eating them to increase our vitamin C consumption. Linked to numerous health benefits including improved ...

It's pomegranate season!!!! We adore these beautiful, jewel like fruits. I have been munching on them all week, sharing them with our oldest son. I think between the two of us we could eat 2-3 of these a day...and I mean the entire fruit!! I like to eat them right out of a bowl or blend them into salad dressings. But just look at what this amazing, God given fruit can do for your health! I'll share a recipe after the article. This article is from Greenmedinfo.com One of my favorite, reliable sources for health information and medical studies on the web.  How To Clean Your Arteries With One Simple Fruit  by: Sayer Ji  Posted on: Monday, May 6th 2013 at 2:00 pm The future of cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment will not be found in your medicine cabinet, rather in your kitchen cupboard or in your back yard growing on a tree. Pomegranate Found To Prevent Coronary Artery Disease Progression A new study published in the journal Atherosclerosis co...

It is so hard to believe that it has been 4 years this month that I began my journey as a raw foodie!! And it was 3 years, five months ago that I began blogging. It took me 7 months to listen to my sister-in-law who kept telling me, "You should start a blog so you can post your recipes." I remember saying, "What the heck is a blog???"  I had actually never heard of one or read one at that point. Yes, I guess I am a bit sheltered, but that is fine by me. So I began my research on blogging. She of course helped me along the way with all of my silly questions. I thought to myself, what the heck, I'll give it a try and if I cannot master it, oh well. It was surprisingly easier than I had anticipated. I just had to get my rhythm down and figure out just "how" I personally liked to share my posts/thoughts. It has morphed over the years and I have had such a wonderful time doing it. There is so much more I would like to do and improve on but my primary focus...

Very cute! +JMJ+ Today I am grateful for a delicious cup of Rooibus tea.

Autumn for us down here in the tropics doesn't mean changing leaves, or cool, crisp days. Our days feel cool to us if it is in the low 80's or high 70's. I'm not complaining that's for sure but I do like to make recipes that remind me of Fall days growing up in Michigan. One of those is caramel apples. Unfortunately today's caramel apples are still just as unhealthy as the ones I enjoyed as a kid. So I decided to create a caramel apple type dip for the children. Let me tell you, it is better than any caramel apple I have had. And a bonus is it doesn't get all stuck in your teeth like biting into those sticky and hard caramel apples that I remember. It is very quick to make and uses simple ingredients. Autumn Apple Dip by Elizabeth @ rawlivingandlearning.blogspot.com 6-8 large Medjool dates, remove pits 1 T raw Almond Butter, salt free! 1/4 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice 1/4 tsp Cinnamon 1-2 T filtered water if needed for processing Organic apples, co...

Green Mango Madness Keeping it super simple these past several months has really helped me avoid burn out while continuing my journey down the path of a low fat, raw vegan. Learning how to improve each and every day is one of my many goals. I tend to get agitated when things become complicated and soon after the agitation comes major stress. Well, I am doing all I can these days to kick stress out of my life. I am such a more joyful person when I can stare stress in the face and make it run away. This has been a long road for me. As each year passed it seemed as if I kept getting more and more stressed; okay, totally flipped out over the silliest of things is more like it. It made my health very toxic and I just had to get serious and work on fostering the virtues of patience and charity. I have been working on this for many years and I am still a work in progress, to say the least. Three things have helped me the most with this difficult task lately are: Offering up each ...

  Lately I have been craving baby bok choy. It happens about two times per year and I am so thankful that I can find it at exactly the same times that I crave it. I get mine from Trader Joe's. Love the price and love the flavor. The children love it too so that is a major bonus.  We try to focus on foods that give us the highest health protecting nutrients as possible and cruciferous veggies are on the top of my personal list! Check out this page with medical studies showing the cancer fighting properties of  cruciferous veggies.   http://www.naturalnews.com/cruciferous_vegetables.html Here is one of our favorite recipes using an entire package of baby bok choy plus a secret extra cancer fighting powerhouse, cauliflower. Enjoy! Raspberry Bok Choy Smoothie (s erves 4-5) by Elizabeth @ rawlivingandlearning.blogspot.com 12 oz frozen, organic raspberries 1/2 of a small Haas avocado 1/2 C raw cauliflower 6.3 oz of baby bok choy 5 ripe bananas 1/2...