the raw food solution

One of the foods that is commonly missed when we start eating a raw food diet is bread. And it is something that can be hard to find an acceptable replacement for.

There are a few different brands of raw bread and crackers designed to fill the gap, but they tend to be very dense and may not exactly satisfy the craving for a traditional bread texture.

So when I had the idea to experiment making raw bagels I was focused more on the idea of a bagel, than actually creating a perfect replica. But I was actually really surprised how great this recipe turned out on the first try.

Traditional bagels tend to be fairly heavy so they are easier to recreate than for example, a soft French baguette. But even for a raw bread I found these to be much lighter than expected with a wonderful texture that really was similar to the real thing.

I started with a base of apple and dried jujube dates, which were blended together and this is what helped to lighten them up in comparison to the other raw breads I have tried, which are usually based on seeds. The apple/jujube mixture is combined with golden flax meal and coconut flour, which give body to the “dough” and help bind everything together.

The golden raisins and apple pie spice are the finishing touches that enhance the flavors and elevate this to a special treat that you can enjoy for breakfast or anytime.

If you can’t get jujubes I would recommend using regular dates but probably only 1/4 of a cup, since these are much sweeter than the jujubes I used for this recipe. You could even try it without the dates altogether, maybe increasing the amount of apple slightly, and adding your choice of sweetener to taste.

Apple Raisin Bagels

Makes 8 bagels

2 1/2 cups peeled and chopped apple (about two medium apples)

1 cup dried jujubes

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon apple pie spice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup golden flax meal

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup golden raisins

Place apple, jujubes, lemon juice, salt and apple pie spice in a blender and blend until smooth. Add to a medium mixing bowl then mix in flaxseed meal, coconut flour and golden raisins.

The mixture should hold together like a stiff dough. If it is too moist add a little extra coconut flour, or if it is too dry add a small amount of water. Divide the mixture into eight equal portions and form into bagel shapes.

Place in the dehydrator for about 24 hours or until they are sufficiently dehydrated. (Dehydration time can vary depending on humidity, the size of your dehydrator, and what other items you are drying at the same time.)

Here they are before they went into the dehydrator.

And this is what they looked like after 24 hours in the dehydrator. They remind me of a really natural wholegrain bread and the flavor was exactly like the raisin toast that I sometimes used to eat for breakfast.

We were really impressed with how similar these are to a traditional bagel. My husband loved them so much he couldn’t stop eating them so I almost didn’t have any left to photograph for you!

Just look how beautiful the golden raisins look when you slice them in half!

And they were absolutely delicious drizzled with raw honey and some probiotic cream cheese, which I made from sprouted peeled pili nuts. (Cashew cream cheese would also be wonderful.)

As you can see, this recipe is guaranteed to dispel any misconceptions about a raw diet being bland or boring. These raw bagels were just as good - no actually better - than traditional ones. And the best part is that you feel great after eating them and can avoid the negative reactions that you might experience if you were to eat a heavy wheat-based bagel.

I’ve been awaiting Victoria Boutenko’s new book for many months now so I was excited when it finally arrived on my Kindle last week. I was expecting something new from the hints in the title - Raw and Beyond: How Omega-3 Nutrition Is Transforming the Raw Food Paradigm- but I was a little bit surprised, in a good way, with the contents.

Actually this book is the creation of three raw food advocates, including Boutenko, as well as Elaina Love and Chad Sarno, who are both recognized raw food chefs, and have been involved in the raw food movement since the 1990’s. All three of them followed a 100 percent raw food diet for many years.

But their experiences eating raw have led all of them to reach the conclusion that eating totally raw is not necessarily the best diet for everyone to adhere to as a long-term approach to healthy eating.

When I first got into eating raw food I admit that I found comfort in sticking with a strict set of ideals, with the most paramount being that cooked food is to be avoided above all. As a former anorexic with a long-term history of disordered eating, a rigid and dogmatic approach to eating raw suited me just fine. It allowed me to categorize everything and feel safe within my choices.

The lines were clear. If it’s raw you can eat it. If its cooked it is going to make you toxic, promote weight gain and produce an inevitable decline in health. There was no anguish regarding decisions because as long as I chose raw food I was “following the rules”.

(In actuality many of the foods I was eating were not truly raw but at the time my knowledge about raw foods was only just beginning.)

In some ways this set of beliefs served me well, since it allowed me to open up my food choices, providing more variety in my diet and making room for healthy foods like coconut and avocados that I would have previously shunned. However, as a long-term approach to healthy eating it was less than ideal.

For example, I would always choose a raw cake or raw ice cream rather than stepping into forbidden territory of steamed vegetables, cooked beans or a baked potato.

At least two or three times a week I would have raw pizza, with a base made from seeds, topped with  cashew cheese, avocado, olives and oil-marinaded sun-dried tomatoes. And on the side I would have a green salad smothered in olive oil dressing. And if that wasn’t enough, for dessert, I would delight in a couple of raw chocolate truffles!

These meals were so rich and contained an extremely high amount of fat that on more than one occasion I became violently ill after what I assumed was a healthy way to indulge my cravings.

Now, with more experience eating raw, my ideas have changed quite a bit and the old dogmatic approach has completed dissolved. I’ve realized that including healthy cooked foods in my diet does not necessarily have negative results, when it is done with awareness and a well-aligned intention. And there are certainly situations where including cooked foods can actually have a positive impact, making it easier to create balance in a high-raw approach to eating.

Similarly all three of the authors of “Raw and Beyond” have fairly recently come to the conclusion that the raw food diet, as it is commonly practiced, contains several potential flaws that may lead to a decline in the health of those who rigidly adhere to the dogma of always eating 100 percent raw.

Even after adding green smoothies to their diet, Victoria Boutenko and her family were still experiencing health issues and had the feeling that something was missing.

Says Boutenko,

“Sooner or later, most raw foodists notice that a diet rich in nuts doesn’t work. Then after trying to sustain a raw food diet without nuts, many of them go back to some cooked food, while others look for different ways to sustain a 100 percent raw food diet.

“It can be tough to maintain a 100 percent raw food diet with such restrictions.”

“Now everyone in my family has acquired knowledge that has enabled us to correct our eating patterns. The best outcome is that we are sharing our valuable experience with other people, helping them to avoid many painful mistakes.”

Boutenko says she now considers herself to be 90-95 percent raw, having removed nuts and oils from her diet, but adding a small amount of steamed asparagus, broccoli, bok choy and some other lightly cooked greens and vegetables. Now she feels much better, her weight is normalizing and she no longer senses that anything is missing from her diet.

All three authors state that they still believe that the best diet for healing is a 100 percent raw food diet and they still may eat 100 percent raw for several days or weeks, as a way of cleansing and detoxing the body. But eating a 100 percent raw diet can sometimes be unbalancing and the inclusion of certain cooked foods promotes a greater sense of balance and has a grounding influence.

Love and Sarno, both raw gourmet chefs, acknowledge that raw gourmet food can play an important role, in offering a healthy alternative and allowing people to transition away from high-allergy foods. However, now they only eat gourmet raw foods very occasionally, following a lighter diet containing about 80 percent raw foods with the remainder coming from cooked vegetables, beans and quinoa.

My personal experience of eating 100 percent raw certainly mirrors the experience of the authors. I have undergone substantial improvement in my own health on a strict raw food diet, with alleviation of almost all of my symptoms of a thirteen year battle with chronic fatigue syndrome. But these improvements only occurred when I followed a low-fat raw diet, high in leafy greens, fresh fruit and omega-3 rich seeds, such as chia, flax and hemp.

Eating gourmet raw produced quite the opposite result and actually triggered a worsening of some of the symptoms that had completely resolved on a raw food diet that was carefully designed to support cleansing and healing.

As recently as six months ago, after completing my gourmet raw chef training at Living Light, I was of course eager to experiment at home with everything I learned, so consequently we were eating gourmet almost every day. It didn’t take me long to realize that this diet wasn’t really working for me, especially the times when raw desserts were on the menu.

Gourmet raw food is some of the most delicious food on the planet, so unfortunately I have been a little resistant in accepting that I can’t eat like this every day if I wish to look after my health. But we can have the best of both worlds, eating a health-centered high-raw diet most of the time, and reserving raw gourmet foods for once or twice a week if we desire.

One of the other subjects addressed in this book is the importance of balancing our ratio of fats and this is something I also talk about in my book, The Raw Food Solution: How to Create Vibrant Health with a Raw Food Diet. Creating an optimal balance between the omega-3 and omega-6 fats is a vital measure that can have a positive impact on a wide range of health concerns.

Also provided in “Raw and Beyond” is a selection of mostly-raw recipes that emphasize raw fruits, vegetables and healthy sources of omega-3 fats. Additionally there are some recipes containing cooked items such as vegetables, lentils, beans, quinoa and brown rice.

Above all what I appreciate most about this book is the message for us to let go of rigid attitudes and beliefs that may be holding us back from achieving our potential to heal and support our optimal wellbeing. In reality, when we follow a strict set of rules, we close ourselves off from being able to truly listen to our body and the messages it sends to us, to assist us to make the best choices.

Personally, I’ve learned that letting go of rigid attitudes and inflexible beliefs, allows for healing on other levels, ultimately supporting greater balance within my relationship with food as well as within all of the other aspects of my life.

And while I do eat high-raw vegan almost exclusively I don’t even label myself as a vegan because I do (very) occasionally consume high-quality animal products. When I am in Costa Rica, I strictly eat only vegan food - with the exception of bee pollen - every now and then.

But every three to six months, my husband and I may travel to another region, where we have more food options, so I might have some  goat cheese or wild salmon, for example. I don’t necessarily believe it is essential to avoid all animal products in order to stay healthy, however we do need to be extremely mindful of the their source and to treat these foods with great respect.

I find myself favoring a 100 percent low-fat raw vegan diet for several weeks or months at a time, when feeling out of balance, and this way of eating can help me feel much better in just a few days. But at certain times, especially when traveling, I take on a more relaxed attitude because it makes for a more enjoyable and nourishing life experience.

Even though I currently eat almost exclusively raw my outlook is now much more balanced. I now base my decisions about what I am going to eat on more than just “Is it raw?” And I’m certainly not going to judge myself for choosing a bowl of steamed broccoli or a baked sweet potato instead of a raw cheesecake!

How about you?

Not too long ago I posted a deliciously indulgent recipe for raw chocolate truffles that everyone seems to love. I’ve offered this to some of the local Costa Ricans as well as some raw foodie friends and they all agree how good they taste. These truffles are incredibly rich and pack a wallop of cacao intensity.

However, there may be times when you’re not in the mood for something so sweet or don’t really want to put extra strain on your adrenals. And while chocolate truffles are a favorite treat they are not really the kind of snack that is suitable for everyday fare.

So here is a recipe for superfood truffles that are satisfying, nourishing and offer a big dose of antioxidants.

There is still a little bit of cacao in here. Just enough to enhance the flavor without providing stimulation. But the star ingredient in these truffles are the high antioxidant berries; acai and mulberries.

The mulberries are the foundation of the truffle and also provide some sweetness which is enhanced by the addition of lucuma, coconut sugar and yacon, which are all low-glycemic sweeteners.

Coconut oil and almond butter add a dose of healthy fats, providing staying power to keep you feeling balanced and energized.

Acai Superfood Truffles

Makes 12 truffles

1 cup dried mulberries

4 tablespoons acai powder

2 tablespoons lucuma

2 tablespoons almond butter

2 tablespoons coconut sugar

2 tablespoons cacao nibs

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 tablespoon yacon

2 tablespoons acai powder (extra for rolling)

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until the mixture starts to stick together. If necessary and your mixture is too dry you can add some extra yacon.

Form the mixture into balls, about a tablespoon in size, then roll in extra acai powder.

Store in the fridge or freezer. These will keep for at least a week.

These superfood truffles are perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up and are a satisfying treat that will keep you going until dinner. What a delicious way to get your daily antioxidants!

 

Hi everyone. Just a quick post today because we are having problems with our internet connection right now.

I know some of you have been waiting for my book, The Raw Food Solution: How to Create Vibrant Health with a Raw Food Diet, to come out in paperback so I am posting to let you know that it is now available. I’ve also reduced the price to $21.95 to make it more accessible for everyone.

You can purchase it online from Amazon or if you prefer you could ask your local bookstore to order it in for you.

For those of you who prefer an instant download click here for the eBook version.

 

I started to transition to a raw food diet more than one year ago. Reading Mizpah’s book helped me a great deal to get on track with my healthy eating habits. The first thing realized upon reading, which also had the greatest impact, was that I was lacking the right amount of daily protein for many years. Adjusting my protein intake, as well as balancing essential fatty acids, combined with my newly started raw food diet, did wonders on the spot and the effect was simply amazing, especially with my physical routines - taught by Lujan Matus, Mizpah’s husband, author of The Art of Stalking Parallel Perception: The Living Tapestry of Lujan Matus and Awakening the Third Eye: Discovering the True Essence of Recapitulation - which were physically demanding at that time.

Although I haven’t been able to try out all recipes, the book has been an invaluable tool in determining what my body needed for optimum vibrancy throughout the day. If greens, goji berries, bee pollen or any other ingredients were not part of one of the recipes from the book, I would take them individually or improvise a combination in some form, using Mizpah’s well-researched tips for balancing protein, fats and greens throughout the day.

Having tried some of the smoothie recipes, the buddha bowl, nori rolls and pad thai, I can say they are simply rawlicious.

Thanks so much for this amazingly well-written guide to raw eating well-being.

You may have heard about so-called “negative calorie foods”. However, the reality is that all foods contain calories so it really is impossible for a food to be negative in calories.

What Are Negative Calorie Foods?

Negative calorie foods have been defined as those that require more calories to digest than they contain. So while these foods don’t actually contain negative calories, they do result in a negative calorie effect in our bodies.

For example, one of the most commonly cited negative calorie foods is celery. One stalk of celery contains about eight calories. However, according to the New York Times, the process of chewing, swallowing and digestion may burn only slightly more calories than the celery contains.

Other foods commonly quoted as having negative calories include asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, lettuce, spinach and zucchini.

Can You Burn Fat Eating Negative Calorie Foods?

In theory if you ate a lot of celery, lettuce or cucumber you could actually be burning calories. Unfortunately the truth is that this calorie deficit is so minimal that its impact on weight loss would be negligible, even if you were eating these foods all day long.

Can You Eat Only Negative Calorie Foods?

While it might seem a good idea to go on a diet of negative calorie foods to quickly lose weight, this is not practical or advisable for several reasons.

1. The diet would quickly become boring because there is a limited number of negative calorie foods. It is also necessary to eat these foods raw to maintain their negative calorie effect. Even gentle steaming can neutralize their negative calorie qualities because it enhances our ability to digest and absorb the calories from these foods.

2. We all need calories in order to function in our daily activities. A diet devoid of calories will result in fatigue and a slowing of the metabolic rate – the rate at which we burn calories – whenever followed for more than a few days. This will actually increase your tendency to gain weight when you resume normal eating.

3. A diet based on negative calorie foods is lacking in a number of important nutrients including adequate protein and essential fats. These substances are of paramount importance for maintaining your health.

Should You Eat Negative Calorie Foods to Lose Weight?

It is clear that negative calorie foods are certainly not a “magic bullet” when it comes to weight loss. However, there are still some advantages of including them in your diet if you want to lose weight.

They are best used as an addition to a calorie-controlled diet, and can be especially beneficial when they are substituted for unhealthy snack foods that are high in calories. Negative calorie foods are high in fiber and water content, which keeps you feeling full and controls your appetite.

Conclusions

You might end up burning a few more calories by eat a lot of negative calorie foods but this effect is insignificant. The true value of including these foods in a diet for weight loss is that they can be used as a replacement for other high calorie foods, in effect allowing you to reduce your caloric intake without feeling hungry.

Reference:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/25/health/25real.html

Spirulina is one of the most nutritious foods available and is a very valuable addition to a raw food diet. But it can be a little tricky to incorporate into recipes due to its strong distinctive flavor.

I first started using spirulina in the early nineties when it started to gain popularity as a nutritional supplement. At that time I was working in a health food store and we sold quite a lot of bottles of spirulina, both tablets and powder, although it seemed the tablets were preferred by most customers.

I also used the tablets for a few years because I found them more convenient at a time when I was working full-time, six days a week, as well as training in gymnastics for four hours each day, and riding my bike to work in the morning and home from training in the evenings.

At this time in my life I didn’t really make any of my own meals, except for the occasional salad, and bought most of my food from the health food store or other local places. After a while, with a change in life circumstances, I stopped using it, and it seemed the spirulina fad was over. But later when I got into raw foods in a big way I rediscovered the benefits of this unique superfood.

So it wasn’t until the last few years that I really started experimenting in the kitchen with spirulina. I had tried it in fruit smoothies right in the beginning but that was about it.

I remember when I first started eating predominantly raw that I didn’t see spirulina as something that I would eat purely for enjoyment. Actually I have a specific recollection of being in the Bali Buddha cafe in Ubud, Bali, making a comment to my husband about an item on their menu; a spirulina superfood smoothie. I said to him that even though it is nutritious I couldn’t understand how anyone could actually enjoy the flavor of this smoothie.

Oh how things have changed! I now appreciate spirulina tremendously but I’ve learned a few tricks along the way to make recipes containing spirulina taste good. (By the way, I did start to love the superfood smoothie at Bali Buddha after a while as well.)

There are three tricks to making spirulina taste great.

1) Choose the right brand.

Quality varies greatly among different brands but so does flavor. It wasn’t until I discovered Health Force Spirulina Manna that I truly started to love spirulina.This brand also has a very dark green color, which relates to its high level of nutrition.

2) Mix with compatible flavors

Combining spirulina with tropical fruits tends to mask the algae flavor. It is perfect in a smoothie with pineapple and banana.

Surprisingly spirulina also combines well with chocolate and it is also wonderful with mint.

3) Don’t use too much

Add just the right amount so the flavor isn’t overwhelming. I’ve actually come to love spirulina in fairly large doses, and so has my husband,  but if you’re just getting started use small amounts and gradually increase it to your preference.

There’s no point using too much and overwhelming the taste of your food if you can’t enjoy it.

The recipe I’m including here is the most common way I like to enjoy spirulina these days. I discovered that spirulina and mango work well together as mango seems to have just enough acid in combination with sweetness to balance out the spirulina flavor.

Mango Spirulina Pudding with Aloe Vera and Bee Pollen

Serves 3

1 leaf aloe vera

3 medium mangoes

3-6 tablespoons spirulina

3-6 tablespoons bee pollen

Pinch of dried ginger (optional)

Sometimes I simply blend some ripe and juicy mangoes with spirulina for a simple green pudding and this is great in itself. But for something with a bit more substance - as well as healing nutritional components - I like to add fresh aloe vera and bee pollen.

Every week I buy two or three leaves of aloe vera from the farmer’s market, which I usually use only for this recipe but sometimes just add it to all kinds of different smoothies.

To prepare the aloe vera, first slice off the spiny edges, then remove the top part of the leaf to reveal the aloe gel inside. Don’t consume the leaf because it is mildly toxic and has a strong laxative effect. You only want the inner gel portion.

Aloe gel is very healing for the gastrointestinal tract as well as being an immune system stimulant.

Then put your aloe in your blender. For this recipe I use the gel from one leaf that is about 8 inches in length. If your aloe leaves are smaller you may need to use two.

I then add three chopped mangoes.

Blend together until nice and smooth.

Next I add the spirulina powder. For three mangoes I usually add five or six tablespoons of spirulina but if you are still learning to love spirulina you might want to start with two or three.

At this stage you have the option to add dried ginger, vanilla or some sweetener such as agave or raw honey. I generally skip this because I appreciate the simplicity of this pudding but if the mangoes are less sweet than usual I might use a little stevia to taste.

You will end up with a dark green pudding that may not look that beautiful but more than makes up for it in nutrition - and I actually like the flavor. It’s certainly not a dish to serve your friends if you are hoping to impress them with your culinary skills or to introduce them to raw foods.

Nevertheless this is a meal I find myself turning to again and again because it is so easy to make as well as being nourishing and satisfying. I have this at least twice a week, sometimes more, usually for breakfast.

Top it with a generous amount of bee pollen for an extra boost of superfood flavor and high quality nutrition. Bee pollen is really high in protein and B vitamins so this recipe is fantastic for a post-workout meal.

If you like you could add some extra diced mango for a contrast of texture and flavor. Below is my husband’s “man-sized” portion. Just a few years ago he was a devoted carnivore but now he loves his green concoctions just as much as I do!

Do you have a favorite spirulina recipe?

Have you discovered any other tricks to make spirulina taste good or do you just love it anyway? I’d love to know what you think about spirulina and the different ways you enjoy eating it.

Almost everyone loves guacamole but unfortunately, because it is so delicious, it can be hard to eat only a small portion. And avocados, being high in fat (even though they are healthy fats), provide us with a lot of calories.

If you love guacamole but don’t like the idea of limiting your portion sizes you are going to love this recipe! It tastes almost exactly like the regular version but with a fraction of the fat.

The secret ingredient is frozen peas, which are combined with avocado, to stretch out the flavor and add bulk. The end result is that you can eat three times as much of this guacamole than normal for the same amount of calories.

Now for the most part I’m actually not a fan of monitoring calories or limiting fat intake. Especially on a raw food diet, foods containing healthy fats can certainly have their place when our intention is to support optimal well being. However, there are times when a small portion just won’t do, but you also don’t want to collapse from exhaustion or experience digestive discomfort after your meal.

So there are situations when low fat recipes such as this can be appreciated. There are also some people who genuinely seem to feel better when they limit their fat intake. If this is you, then you will be happy to realize that it is possible to enjoy guacamole again without any negative effects!

I used a whole avocado in this recipe but if you wish to cut the fat even further you can try making it with just half and it should still be delicious.

Low Fat Guacamole

2 cups frozen peas, defrosted

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon Mexican fiesta seasoning

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pinch of chipotle

1/2-1 avocado, chopped

1 green onion, sliced

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped fine

Combine peas, lime juice, spices and salt in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Place into a bowl and add avocado, green onion and cilantro and stir to combine well.

I prefer chunks of avocado in my guacamole so I mix it gently, but if you like a smoother guacamole you could mash the avocado instead, or add it in the blender with the pea mixture.

You can eat this straight away but the flavors will improve a little if you let it sit for about an hour. Then, right before serving, taste and adjust the lime, salt and spices to suit your preference.

This guacamole is fantastic for snacking with sliced raw vegetables such as red peppers, tomatoes, carrots and cucumber. It also makes a nice, simple light meal on large leaves of romaine lettuce with sliced tomato. And of course it would be a wonderful addition to any Mexican inspired meal.

Even if you are skeptical I recommend you give this low fat guacamole a try. It is surprising how similar it is to the real thing with the added advantage of allowing for a guilt-free indulgence!

For the last few weekends, while the large proportion of the population has been indulging in holiday treats,  I’ve been fasting on watermelons! On reflection I realized that this has kind of become my own holiday tradition by default.

My husband and I don’t celebrate calender events, being very much non-traditionalists when it comes to this. So since there are no customary dinners or other social eating occasions, and no emphasis being given to these celebrations, we are free to be spontaneous at this time of year.

Watermelon fasting is a gentle way to detox and a method of cleansing the body that I have very much come to appreciate. I first undertook a watermelon cleanse about ten years ago. But since living in the tropics watermelon fasts have become  a fairly regular occurrence for me because of the availability and low cost of watermelon, as well as the warm weather, which is really conducive to eating fruit. And watermelon, being the most cooling of fruits, is simply perfect in a tropical climate, such as here in Costa Rica.

If you are new to eating raw or detox diets, a one day watermelon fast is a wonderful introduction to the healing and cleansing power of raw food. If you like you can extend it up to three days but it is generally not recommended to go any longer than this, unless under supervision.

Personally I find a weekend cleanse to be perfect! Firstly, the weekend is a great time to cleanse because for most of us there are no work obligations, so it is possible to rest and recuperate. I also like to take the weekend watermelon fast as an opportunity to have a break from preparing meals, which can sometimes take quite a lot of energy, as I am sure many of you will understand.

There are several ways to do a watermelon fast.

1) Eat watermelon

This is my absolute favorite way to do a cleanse on watermelon. Simply slice or cube your watermelon and consume it whenever you are hungry. Watermelon is so easy to eat and simply refreshing!

For me personally I find that one fairly large watermelon is enough for one day of watermelon fasting. I’m not sure exactly what size our watermelons are but I estimate they are usually around ten pounds.

I eat about a quarter of a watermelon for a meal and have about three or four meals of watermelon each day, depending on my appetite. Since watermelon is so low in calories and about 92 percent water, you can eat as much as you like, as long as you are not feeling over-full. My husband is about twice my size so he has twice as much watermelon as I do, so adjust your intake according to your needs.

I prefer not to place the watermelon in the fridge because it is much easier on the stomach when at room temperature. So I prepare the amount I will use at each meal and plan to consume the whole melon before the end of the day. If there is any leftover I will refrigerate it and use it for smoothies during the week.

2) Watermelon juice

You can also put your watermelon through a juicer to create a refreshing juice. One advantage of this method is that you can include the rind, so long as you can find a source of organic watermelon.

Watermelon rind contains a higher concentration of minerals and helps to balance the sweetness from the watermelon flesh. The rind also has more of the amino acid citrulline, which scientists believe is the main ingredient responsible for watermelon’s Viagra-like effects.

3) Watermelon smoothies

You can also blend chopped watermelon to create a blended juice. Because watermelon is so high in liquid there is no need to strain your juice. Simply fill up your blender with watermelon, blend until smooth and enjoy!

In this method you can also include the seeds, which have an added bonus of helping to cleanse the colon, due to their high fiber content. Watermelon seeds are also a very rich source of zinc.

4) Gourmet watermelon cleanse

If you find the idea of simply eating watermelon and drinking the juice a bit too boring, you can experiment with different watermelon recipes. This may reduce the intensity of the cleanse slightly due to the addition of extra ingredients, but you will still get good results.

Why not try blending watermelon with fresh mint and a squeeze of lime to make a watermelon mojito? Or start with a base of watermelon, adding a mixture of diced tropical fruits and/or vegetables, such as mango, cucumber, tomato, cilantro and chili to make watermelon gazpacho.

You might even consider a watermelon salad with other ingredients such as arugula and avocado. But for the best cleansing results you will want to stick with just fruits, vegetables and fresh herbs.

Health Benefits of Watermelon

One of the primary health benefits of watermelon is that it improves the function of the kidneys and it has a history of use for the treatment of kidney stones and urinary tract infections. This is not only due to its very high percentage of water but also because watermelon is a mild diuretic (promotes urine flow). Another good reason to do a watermelon fast on the weekend is because you will need very frequent trips to the bathroom!

Another advantage of eating watermelon or doing a watermelon fast that will be of particular interest to male readers is that it contains citrulline, which stimulates nitric oxide, relaxing and expanding blood vessels in a similar way to the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra.  It may also have a libido-enhancing effect. In addition, citrulline improves cardiovascular function, helping to maintain blood flow within the heart.

Watermelon also has the highest concentration of lycopene - an important antioxidant - than any other fruit or vegetable, including tomatoes. Two cups of watermelon contains 18mg of lycopene, whereas a medium tomato contains only 4mg. A high intake of lycopene is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and osteoporosis, as well as protection from breast and prostate cancer.

Is Watermelon Fasting For You?

Most healthy adults can safely undertake a one or two day watermelon fast, however there are a few situations where watermelon fasting is not advisable.

Check with your primary health care provider before undertaking a cleanse on watermelon if you have a history of kidney disease, liver disease and cardiovascular conditions. It is also not recommended to do a watermelon fast if you are diabetic, hypoglycemic or have glaucoma, optic nerve disorders, detached retina, or other serious eye problems.

Detox symptoms such as headaches and fatigue are common when undertaking a watermelon fast, especially for those who are new to cleansing and detox diets. Discontinue the fast at any time if these symptoms become too uncomfortable.

A watermelon fast can be a great way to get started with a healthy eating plan because it resets your appetite, eliminating cravings for unhealthy foods. But it is also possible to have too much of a good thing.

I like to do watermelon fasts occasionally, maybe once a month, or sometimes for several weeks in a row, but it is important to be aware that too much watermelon, in those who are sensitive, might place an excessive strain on the kidneys and digestive system.

You don’t need to do a watermelon fast every weekend but they can be very beneficial to increase your motivation at the beginning of a new healthy eating plan, or to promote a feeling of lightness and support detoxification after a period of indulgence.

If you are looking for a way to get back on track after the holidays a watermelon fast may be the ideal way to go. Just remember to introduce other foods gradually, starting with other fruits and then smoothies and simple salads, keeping in mind that your goal is to create a diet that you can happily follow as a lifestyle approach to healthy eating.

Hi everyone. Today’s post is written by Phe Gitsham, a Chinese medicine practitioner who lives in Australia. Phe has some really unique insights to share about what she has learned regarding the raw food diet, in terms of the traditional Chinese medicine perspective.

Generally practitioners of Chinese medicine tend not to be in favor of raw food diets, but Phe has an interesting way of explaining how raw foods affect our body, based on her personal experience eating raw, combined with her knowledge gained through theoretical study as well as  clinical practice.

I am sure many of you will greatly appreciate her writing and if you have been searching for information on this topic I hope this post helps to clarify things for you.

Harmony with Living Raw Foods & Chinese Medical Diet Therapy: The Spleen Qi connection

by Phe Gitsham B.H.Sc. Chinese Medicine

www.acupuncturenaturalmedicine.com.au

If you are familiar with Chinese Medicine and raw food theory you may have come across the idea that the raw food diet goes against Chinese Medical nutritional theory. I’m going to explain how this conflict is not actual, how I believe Chinese Medical theory has sometimes been misinterpreted on the particular idea that raw food = cold food, and how Living Raw Foods are becoming an exciting new dialogue within Chinese Medicine. It is my experience that combining the alchemical wisdom of living foods with the understanding of food energetics from Chinese Medicine forges a nutritional theory of brilliance, where the whole becomes much greater and our food-as-medicine is closer to the harmony of the natural seasonal garden.

First, a little bit about the relevant terms being used in Chinese Medicine. Often when we translate complex words into other languages, we simplify them in a way that doesn’t imply important aspects of their real meaning. Anyone who has attempted to really translate the word Qi, or it’s 30 odd medical variants, into English has discovered this difficulty. The Chinese Medical term “Pi” usually translated as “Spleen” becomes really important when understanding digestion. A key here is to realise that the term Pi refers to spleen and/or pancreas, as the spleen organ system is inclusive of the pancreas. Examining the relationship between Spleen Qi and the pancreas, liver, enzymes and digestion resolves the understanding of how Living Raw Foods are great for nourishing digestion. I will explain more about this after a bit of background.

Chinese Medicine’s ancient treasure trove of medical therapies like acupuncture, bodywork called An Mo Tui Na, extensive herbal medicine & style of nutrition called Shi Liao dietary therapy all share the holistic eastern premise behind comprehending human health. The view is cosmic and fractal, that each human is a microcosm of the macrocosm and that each person’s health can be described with energetic maps of various climates and elements, as if we are each a garden, or ecosystem, influenced by the forces of nature that our planet reflects. ‘Health’ is inclusive of physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, but not limited to this, while aiming for optimum health and prevention of disease. Optimum healthy states are a result of balance and harmony within a living relationship between the elements and between various types of Qi, with different climactic natures like heat, cold, dry, damp and wind.

Chinese Medical dietary therapy, Shi Liao, goes beyond the nutritive components of each food’s value and also looks at the energetic thermal nature of the food, and how this interacts with the energies in the body, and which direction these energies go eg. ascending, descending, dispersing, consolidating, to the hands and feet or to particular channels. Each person is unique and while some may benefit from moisturising foods, others require more drying, some cooling and others warming as well as each person receiving the correct nutrition. It may be of medicinal value to eat a particular food only during some seasons, or even at certain times of day, while the same foods may have a less beneficial or even detrimental effect in a different season. In general, we want to warm in winter and cool in summer, but with each person presenting a unique and complex constitution and many different global climates, you can see that globally there would be a wide variety of foods and advice in actual application.

At the core of Shi Liao dietary therapy is the nourishing of the Spleen Qi. The Spleen Qi is the digestion master and is of the Earth Element. The ’spleen organ network’ includes the humble pancreas and is partnered with the stomach, as the earth element, the centre of the centre. Spleen Qi is responsible for the transformation and transportation of food and subsequent food substances. This means the Spleen Qi is the power or energy provided that breaks down food into its components then moves it along to where it needs go in the body, eg usable nutrients into the bloodstream and leftovers to the bowel for elimination. The stomach, small & large intestine also help with this and a large role is also played by the liver & Liver Qi. If there is a problem, we treat the Spleen Qi as well as any of the other relevant players. The Liver Qi makes things interesting, because while the Spleen Qi is presiding over transformation and transportation, the Liver Qi is the master of the ‘free flow of Qi’. So if anything is not moving or flowing where it should be, there is blockage and it comes back to the Liver Qi. The liver organ is also highly involved. Most of the digestive enzymes in the body are provided by the liver & the pancreas. Wholefoods, in their natural state also contain their own enzymes which can help us digest, if the food is not cooked or processed in a way that destroys the enzymes.

Spleen Qi deficiency can refer to pancreatic hypofunction which frequently means low digestive enzymes. One of the main problems with Spleen Qi deficiency is poor transformation & transportation of the nutritive substances in food, ie. poor absorption of nutrients from whatever you are eating. You can deplete your body, especially your pancreas of enzymes. Over time, enzyme depletion leads to poor digestion, low energy and food stagnation. Food sensitivities and some digestive allergies are extremely responsive to enzyme replenishment.

Living Raw Foods are foods that have not been heated above 47ºC in order to specifically keep their inherent enzymes intact. The idea that is often spoken in Chinese Medicine that all raw food has a cold thermal nature is not accurate. It is helpful to distinguish this from the specific advice that eating thermally cold raw food from the fridge all year round can damage your digestion. The Living Raw Food movement is a modern culinary alchemy incorporating many highly nutritious organic vegetable based foods in amazing ways, often using modern kitchen appliances that means the thermal nature of living foods can be controlled just as well as it can be with cooking, except with the benefit of not destroying enzymes. Infact, with cooking, the cooling nature of foods is damaged, and most meals become warming or hot. With raw food preparation we can enjoy the full spectrum from cold to hot simply by choice of natural ingredients, herbs & spices and a seasonal approach. It can be as simple as adding warming spices, or not eating icy things straight from the fridge in a cold climate. The body needs to convert our food and drinks to its own temperature of 37ºC to digest them. Many foods are also blended and micronized in raw food preparations, which also assists our body in digestion, because the larger particles are already broken down, fresh with enzymes and nutrients to be absorbed.

There are many ways to combine raw living foods and prepare them which can make cool things like salads thermally warm. This can include adding fresh ginger, spinach or spices to vegetables with a cold thermal nature, or occasionally using a dehydrator or steaming blender to gently warm foods. If you have a look at many raw food recipes, you will soon discover the artistry and advanced alchemy of food combining & preparation techniques make the Living Raw Foods nutritional approach a wisdom far beyond eating uncooked things from the cold fridge, or straight from the snowy winters of China prior to kitchen technology.

Living foods have their enzymes intact which makes them easier to digest while also not draining the pancreas and liver of the enzymes they produce. Living vegetables also contain solar photonic energy from the sun, in the process of photosynthesis. This “living light” energy is very abundant for human health & awareness.

The Chinese advice about not eating raw cold foods is referring to literally eating cold, raw items in China’s cold climates, in an otherwise mixed diet, which includes mostly cooked or processed items which contribute to having a stressed liver. The TCM pattern known as ‘Wood Invading Earth’ is a disharmony that results in Spleen Qi deficiency and digestive problems. It means that stress on the liver is interfering with the Spleen Qi’s job of transforming and transporting food nutrients. It is relevant to understanding how eating occasional thermally cold, raw food on a mixed cooked diet has a cold effect on the Spleen Qi. Eating the occasional raw food is also not enough to reveal the positive effects of raw foods as is experienced when approached with the holistic preparation of thermally balanced meals. The benefits for the liver & wood element once someone adopts a primarily living foods diet with enough raw leafy greens for detoxification is what makes the difference. Without this cleansing relief to the liver, the wood element can continue to invade the earth element and digestion is not properly restored.

The power of raw leafy greens leads to the Spleen + Pancreatic Qi increasing so much, its amazing to experience the pure vitality and clear awareness. The wood element no longer invades the earth element because of the cooling and calming effect on the liver of eating enough living leafy greens to support all of its detoxification functions. The medicinal value of eating enough living leafy greens is so important for the liver and Liver Qi and it is missing in many people’s modern diet. With a healthy liver and pancreas, the nutritive & enzyme replenishing benefits of live food takes effect upon nourishing the Spleen Qi.

A live food diet also resolves damp in many cases, because the greatest causes of excess damp are cooked fats & oils. A raw fat or oil is a different molecule to its cooked counterpart. Cooked or processed fats are very hard work for the liver. The liver is also impacted by toxins, stress & negative emotions, which I’ve barely mentioned, so you can see it’s easily one of the most overworked organs in our modern society.

Many people need to eat at least 70-80% living foods to experience this magnificent Qi boost with appropriate thermal combinations for their yin-yang constitution, made from wholefoods, seasonal to local climate. Chinese medical advice about avoiding cold foods is appropriate for a cold climate, so be aware of the thermal nature of foods so you can always combine living foods for complete nutrition.

I began to study Chinese Medicine when I was allergic to a list of foods as well as hypersensitive to much longer list of foods. It felt like i had to avoid most foods on this planet - including rice. I had many different symptoms and every Chinese Medicine doctor would take my pulse and gasp “Spleen Qi Deficiency”.  I have tried and tested many different approaches to dealing with Spleen Qi deficiency. Acupuncture, chinese herbs & Shi Liao dietary therapy is amazing, and for some years it really improved my starting position. After completing my Chinese Medicine degree and some years of practice, I heard about Living Raw Foods and I instinctively began combining Shi Liao’s knowledge of food energetics with organic live vegetable foods. The results really put the icing on the cake for healing & optimum nutrition for me - pun intended! I now see those results with my clients & hear similar stories from many others out there. Its an exciting time in nutritional medicine.

You can contact me via my website www.acupuncturenaturalmedicine.com.au

I highly recommend reading Mizpah’s wonderful book, “The Raw Food Solution“. It was Mizpah and her husband Lujan Matus who really inspired me to fully explore living raw foods, for which I am so grateful. The results I have experienced and put into harmonious theory and practice with Chinese Medicine are just a part of a larger movement of realisation and genuine research that is bringing nutritional medicine to its rightful place, imperative for health, awareness and wellbeing.

Looking for a healthy, crunchy treat to satisfy your cravings? Well today I have a fantastic recipe that is bound to become one of your favorites!

Candied nuts were originally invented in France using almonds with a creamy sugar coating. They came to America as part of the creole cuisine of Louisiana where pecans were substituted  because they were abundant in that region. They were known as pecan pralines and became a common sweet treat in the south.

The usual way to make candied pecans is to coat them with a mixture of egg whites, sugar and spices and then place them in the oven to bake. But for this raw food version we first soak the pecans, which improves digestion and the availability of their minerals, and then mix with maple syrup and spices. They are then dried in the dehydrator until they become nice and crunchy.

These nuts are not only a great snack for the holidays, or anytime, but they also make a lovely gift. There are many ways you can use these nuts, limited only by your imagination. They are wonderful tossed on top of a salad (try spinach and strawberry salad), chopped and mixed into your morning oatmeal or as a topping for banana ice cream.

Sweet Spiced Pecans

Makes 2 cups

2 cups pecans, (soaked at least 4 hours)

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Pinch of salt

Add the maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to a medium bowl and mix well to combine. Add the soaked pecans and toss them with the mixture to coat well.

Spread the pecans on dehydrator trays with the teflex sheets and dehydrate until dry and crispy. This will probably take at least 24-36 hours depending on the humidity.

These nuts will keep for a really long time if placed in a sealed glass jar and kept in the fridge; at least two or three months. However, I seriously doubt they will last that long because they are so delicious and a very tempting between-meal snack.

This is one of the recipes that makes me happy that I finally made the decision to get a dehydrator, as there is no other way to create the same crunchy results and fantastic flavors on a raw food diet. But if you don’t own one yet you could experiment by putting them in your oven on the lowest possible setting.

Granted it’s not the most environmentally friendly way to go about it but you might love them so much that you are inspired to invest in a dehydrator. I love my fresh raw food but for certain recipes a dehydrator really adds that gourmet flavor and gives you much more versatility with your raw food creations.