RAW Living and Learning

Are Microgreens Healthier? May 2, 2013 by Michael Greger M.D. in News   USDA researchers recently published a  study  assessing the nutrition content of 25 commercially available microgreens, seedlings of vegetables and herbs that have gained popularity in upscale markets and restaurants. Just a few inches tall, they boast intense flavors and vivid colors, but what about their nutritional content? No one knew until now. We’ve known that baby spinach leaves, for example, have  higher  levels of phytonutrients than mature spinach leaves, but what about  really  baby spinach–just a week or two old? Microgreens won hands down (leaves down?), possessing significantly higher nutrient densities than mature leaves. For example, red cabbage microgreens have a 6-fold higher vitamin C concentration than mature red cabbage and 69 times the vitamin K. Microgreens are definitively more nutrient dense, but are often eaten in small quantities. Even the healt...

Need a good reason to try your hand at growing your own sunflower greens??? How about 11 good reasons. Read this article I've pasted below,  to discover their amazing benefits and qualities.  by  Christina Sarich, posted on http://naturalsociety.com/11-reasons-grow-eat-sunflower-greens/#ixzz2fLfU63ey In just seven days after planting sunflower seeds, you can munch on some of the most beneficial micro-greens around. Sunflowers offer incredible health benefits, and you can eat many parts of the plant. Finding fresh sunflower sprouts is very difficult, but it is so simple to grow your own. You can also allow a few of the plants to grow into mature sunflowers which will then yield thousands of new seeds for you to grow again – an entirely sustainable way to feed your body and mind. Here are 11 reasons to grow your own organic sunflowers: 1. Sunflower greens offer one of the most balanced forms of a complete plant protein around. Th...

Today's green monster of a soup is a Sweet Energy Soup recipe that I created this morning by just listening to what my body was craving. This made a whopping 42 ounces of green goodness and YES, I ate it all myself....I can put away the raw foods! This will count as two meals, breakfast and lunch. I stay satisfied after eating this until dinner time. My last post discussed the myth that is floating out there that one must consume animal flesh to get protein, well as the articles stated nothing could be further than the truth. I consume more absorbable protein as a vegan that any carnivore hands down. What about iron you might ask?? Don't worry, it's in the dark leafy greens and sprouts! No excuses, vegan is the way to go for optimal health.  This soup is loaded with protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, omega 3's, amino acids and enzymes--over the top nutrient dense. Give 100% vegan a try for a few days and you will not believe how fantastic you feel. The nutrie...

My beautiful, little, homegrown pineapple! It took a loooooong time for this little gem to grow, but it was worth the wait. The flavor was exceptional. But the best part is that it ripened on the plant and was the most brilliant shade of yellow I have ever seen on a pineapple. So juicy and delicious! Very easy to do; simply twist off the top of a store bought pineapple, place in a cup of water and patiently watch the roots begin to sprout. You can click on this link to take you to my post showing how we constructed our own compost bins and you'll also see a picture of the pineapple top sprouting in water. http://rawlivingandlearning.blogspot.com/2011/04/constructing-compost-bin-planting.html I planted it on April 16, 2011 and here is how it looked 7 months later. It took almost 7 more months before my beautiful little pineapple was ready to be picked. I actually transferred it into the ground as soon as the plant reached this 7 month mark, as shown here.   ...

I usually grow my sunflower greens in black sprouting trays like these, right in the house, but I tried growing them on the porch this time. My black trays are being used for growing wheat grass so until I order more I will be using some new pots on the porch for the sunflower greens. One of my favorite things to sprout are sunflower greens! I just love them. I use them in collard wraps, green smoothies, on top of salads and as a salad themselves--garnished with various herbs or vegetables/fruits. Today I made a simple sunflower green and "Santa Grape Tomato" salad. Sunny Tomato Salad 2 C sunflower greens 1 stalk organic celery, chopped 1 C "Santa Grape Tomatoes", sliced Himalayan salt to taste Fresh ground pepper to taste Drizzle of fresh lemon juice Enjoy! +JMJ+ Today I am grateful for my children.

There is PEACE in P-E-N-A-N-C-E . (Can you find it?) It is so easy for me personally, to find true peace in penance because I trust that God's mercy abounds. It is during this time that we prepare to renew our baptismal vows through penance and reconciliation. This is a time to enter into the healing spirit of this season and restore relationships with our household, neighbors and most importantly, God. It can also be a time to heal the body with raw living, life giving foods. When I think of this time of year not only do I think of fasting, abstinence and penance but I think of reconciliation and NEW LIFE. The word "lent" comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for springtime, lencten. The importance of the integrity of life and the preciousness of life. Life represented in new growth and life being protected from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death. And life as seen in the planting, sprouting and growing of life giving plants, nuts and seeds. I...