Archive for Food
Fruit & Nut Choc Eggs
I shared this recipe in my ezine last Easter, and I thought I’d share it with you here, so that you have a healthy alternative to conventional chocolate eggs this Easter!
Unfortunately, most conventional chocolates are chock-full of sugar, milk compounds and emulsifiers – do yourself a huge favour this Easter by making these sweet chocolatey treats from natural, health-giving ingredients. They’re still an indulgence, but I guarantee you’ll feel better!
Remember… the higher your vibration (through good health and eating living foods), the higher your power for attracting all of life’s good things.
Ingredients
1 cup coconut oil
40–50g raw cacao (chocolate) powder
1½–2 tablespoons dark agave nectar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup sultanas
¼ cup cashews, finely chopped
Method
1. Place the coconut oil in a medium-sized bowl. If it’s cold at your house and the oil has turned hard in the jar (becoming coconut butter), place the jar in a pitcher full of hot water. If this fails to melt the oil, scoop out spoonsful of the coconut butter and melt it gently and slowly in a saucepan over low heat. It should definitely be liquid, without lumps.
2. Add the cacao powder, agave nectar and vanilla extract to the coconut oil, whisking until combined.
3. Add the sultanas and finely chopped cashews to the mix, whisking well.
4. Use a teaspoon to gather up a good distribution of the chocolate-coconut liquid, fruit and nuts, and tip carefully into mini half-egg moulds.
5. Chill for at least 3 hours in the fridge, or for at least 1½ hours in the freezer.
6. Carefully tip the egg halves out of their moulds, and serve while chilled.
If you wish to make whole eggs, you can place the back of the eggs on a very hot plate to melt the chocolate a little, and then press two halves together to form one egg. However, half-eggs are just the right size to pop easily into your mouth…
Bonus tip: for extra juicy sultanas, soak them in water (or orange juice – yum!) for at least an hour before adding to the mix. Make sure you drain the sultanas well.
Raw Food on the Run
I just want to share something rather special with you.
You may have noticed that the collective vibration of the planet is increasing, and there are more and more healthy-food alternatives cropping up all over the world. Hallelujah, I say!
Eating raw foods helps increase our body’s vibration, yet when we’re out of the house there sometimes aren’t that many options around for eating tasty, pre-made takeaway food. We have to take what’s available (which could be kinda healthy), or bring our own food.
So I love it when I hear of the spread of live-food eateries, it makes me happy!
On Facebook recently I saw a video of health crusader Paul Nison, of the Raw Life Health Show, interviewing a lady who has set up an amazing raw-food take-away venue… underground, in a train station! She sells all sorts of wonderful foods, including salads, burritos, sandwiches, smoothies, juices and sweet treats (tiramisu, anyone?). All RAW! And many customers don’t even know they’re eating raw food when the owner offers them a sample.
Imagine if we had a venue like this in every train station, bus station and airport over the world?
People would have the option to eat ‘on the run’ food with incredible taste and life-giving potential, rather than settle for the less-than-optimal options.
Congratulations to the amazing women who started and run this cafe, which is called RAW period.
If you have a venue like this near you, be sure to give it your support… and perhaps even consider opening your own.
Isn’t this story inspiring?
High-Vibration Halloweeeeeen!
If you know me at all, you’ll know that I’m big on health.
I know what a difference it makes to your vibration when you experience superb health (and a high vibration means you attract ‘the good stuff’ of life), and I also know that if we ‘get kids while they’re young’, we can help them avoid many of the health issues that plague adults today.
So, with Halloween coming up, I’d love for you to consider making some healthy treats to give out to trick-or-treating children (or your own little munchkins).
Dr Ritamarie Loscalzo has a whole ebook dedicated to Halloween treats, and it’s available instantly as a download.
With 28 fun recipes like Banana Ghosts, Chocolate Spiders and Blood Punch, the kids will love it! The ebook also contains a vast amount of down-to-earth health information, so that you can feel even better about giving those sugar- and additive-riddled junk Halloween foods the flick.
If you want the children of today to be the healthy, high-vibration adults of tomorrow, why not create some Halloween goodies that are good for them AND taste amazing?
Head here to check it out (click on ‘Books’ and scroll down to the ‘Healthy Halloween Treats’ link for more info).
PS I think there may be a $5 discount on this book for a short time, so hurry on over to check it out!
PPS You know, these healthy Halloween treats aren’t just for kids…
Lessons from French Women
I’ve always LOVED France. French people always seem to enjoy themselves, indulging in leisure and beauty every day. And then there’s the sumptuous French accent… j’adore!
A Facebook friend of mine recently posted a link to an article revealing the difference between we goal-oriented, Protestant work ethic countries and the vacation-loving French. There’s so much to learn from the French approach to life (even if you’re not a lover of all things French) – and we don’t need to give up our goals, dreams and successes in order to enjoy our lives to the max.
I approached the author of this beautifully written blog post, Tonya Leigh, and asked her if I could share her wisdom and observations with you. She agreed! (Thank you, Tonya.) So here’s the article. Be sure to let me, or Tonya, know YOUR approach to life. May this give you food for thought.
French Feminine Secret #6: Work to Live
“People who know how to employ themselves always find leisure moments, while those who do nothing are forever in a hurry.”
– Marie Jeanne Roland
I just e-mailed a friend of mine who lives in the South of France, and here is the automated response I received:
Bonjour, je suis en vacances du 28/7 au 26/8.
(Hello, I will be on vacation from July 28 through August 26.)
We can call the French lazy and lacking ambition and drive. However, while we are cranking out 60+ hour weeks, shuttling our kids to the moon and back, stressing our bodies to the max and spiraling into states of depression, they are probably sitting on the beach of Ibiza sipping a Pina Colada (scratch that; the French are not Pina Colada drinkers), and laughing at how we Anglo-Saxons just don’t get it.
French life is centered around quality and pleasure. Excessive work is not pleasurable to the average French woman. So, while the average Anglo-Saxon seems to always be in pursuit of The Next Big Thing, our French sister is likely to be basking in the Big Thing of Now – her morning café, 3-course lunches and, of course, frequent holidays and vacations.
The French woman certainly doesn’t have an arsenal of productivity tools and her time management system seems to nothing more than being present wherever she is. In fact, to the outsider looking in, she seems to have time on her side. Just like us, she has a job, maybe a husband and kids and a home to run. However, you’ll find her reading a book during lunch (that is, if she’s not indulging in a multi-course dejeuner), stopping off at her favorite market on the way home to pick up a fresh baguette and sitting down with her family for dinner.
The French woman doesn’t forget that her life is not her career, just a means to offer her what she’s really after: a life of play and pleasure.
This reminds me of a story I once heard:
A group of French people were working for an American businessman. Every day, they would leave at lunch and wouldn’t return for two hours. The American businessman was frustrated. “We need to be more productive, and your 2 hour lunch breaks are interfering, so tomorrow bring your lunches with you. You’ll be eating on the job.”
The following day, the American businessman was looking forward to increasing his production. At noon, the French workers, having agreed to eating on the job, went to the back of a truck, brought out tables and chairs and covered them with beautiful linen. They placed vases of fresh flowers on each one and set up each place setting. For le menu, they grilled steaks, roasted potatoes and cooked haricot verts. Of course, no French lunch would be complete without a glass of red wine and cheese.
Two hours later, the French finished their lunch and went back to work.
The French woman can thank her country, which has made her seemingly tranquil lifestyle possible. The government has certain laws in place that takes the fear out of job security. The 35-hour work week leaves plenty of time for love and passionate pursuits. And, everyone, from the banker to the plumber, receives 5 weeks of paid vacation, which you’ll never hear a French person say they’re too busy to take. This makes it very easy for the French girl to relax in her life.
Across the ocean, we’ve been raised very differently and afforded opportunities that the average French woman doesn’t have (and for which I’m extremely grateful). We live in a country that allows us to go after our dreams and do work that we love. Not every French woman gets to pursue her passion in the workplace, so thank goodness she has the time off to do it outside of the office.
On the other hand, with our protestant work ethic, we seem to always be in pursuit of something – more happiness, health and wealth – making it extremely difficult to slow down and savor life.
As an entrepreneurial female, I love my work and can get lost in whatever project I’m working on. I adore our clients, so spending time with them is a great pleasure. And, I love the freedom that running my own company affords me, so it doesn’t seem to be a problem.
However, deep down, I know it can be. I can’t fool life, and neither can you. Spending hours on the computer, neglecting our families and home, and most importantly, abandoning ourselves, we forget one key principle: our work is simply a means to live a beautiful life.
After speaking with many of my French girlfriends, I realize that most French people aren’t spending hours on Facebook, perusing books on how to make their life better or pressuring themselves to be, do and have more. Perhaps, it’s because they live in a society where they can’t or maybe they just don’t want to. As my French friend, Catherine, once said, “Life is too short for so much self-induced pressure.”
During my first visit to France, I remember feeling like life suddenly made sense – the way people dined, walked, presented themselves to the world, loved, lived. Beauty and leisure were sought out each day, not when you reached some non-existent finish line. Like the French, time felt like it was on my side. I bottled that feeling and set the intention to recreating that French essence back at home in the States.
Il était difficile pour moi. Being an ambitious and driven woman, I kept getting sucked back into the vortex of working madness. However, over time, I’ve learned to live in my own world where pleasure and play are a priority. I let go of feeling that I was behind when everyone around me seemed to be so far ahead. I stopped caring about what others are doing in their businesses, and focused on what works for me and my life. I even take sabbaticals like the French to renew and revive.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I want to create, grow and inspire. I have desires that I absolutely love seeing come to fruition. However, I do not want to be that girl who never enjoyed what she had because she was always in hot pursuit of the next thing.
Anglo-Saxons have perfected making a living, but the French girl has perfected creating a life!
I want to do both!
In all honesty, I’m still learning what that looks like for me. However, I’ve noticed when everyone is stressed and talking about how busy they are, I pour myself a glass of wine, take a deep breath and remind myself that there is no hurry. Right now is pretty damn good!
What about you?
As always, I want to hear from you. Which side do you air on? Are you more of a Frenchie when it comes to your work life? Or are you the driven, ambitious American woman who’s always striving for the next big thing? Or, maybe you’re a bit of both.
Leave your comments below, or at Tonya’s blog.
Master Life Coach Tonya Leigh has a simple credo: French Kiss Life. Cherish The World. And The Rest Will Follow. With chic travel retreats, solo & group coaching, and her infectious blend of joie de vivre & practical mind-play techniques, Tonya helps dynamic & driven women turn the world into their own personal playgrounds. She’s changing the way her clients think about power, seduction, and luxurious living—and challenging women to live their own self-made romances, one fearless choice at a time.
Explore Tonya’s Le Voyage Paris: The Art of Being a Woman Immersion at TonyaLeigh.com or check out her blog and get on her love list by clicking here.
International Raw Food Day
Eating food that’s ALIVE is so good for you – did you know that?
Fresh, raw food has a high vibration, and when you consume it, it helps you raise your vibration, too.
I mean, really: look at the pic above. Doesn’t it make you feel good just looking at those colourful, vibrant foods? And wouldn’t it be great to glow like the girl in the pic, too? Raw foods can help you do that!
If you’re new to the whole concept of raw food and health, you might be interested to know that today is International Raw Food Day, with the benefits of raw food (including its taste) are being celebrated and promoted around the world.
This Raw Food Day is the brainchild of the original raw food coach, Karen Knowler – I’ve been a student and champion of Karen’s for years, and I love her mission to help change the planet through raw food.
Karen wrote a fab book for beginners recently, called Raw Food Made Simple. If you’re keen to dabble, and would love a full-colour, friendly introduction to raw foods, head here to purchase a copy of this nifty, easily digestible little book.
Or, you could always start with a free copy of my The Green Smoothie Glow ebooklet, which features eight green smoothie recipes and a little explanatory info. Green smoothies are made from fresh fruit and dark leafy greens, all blended into an exquisite elixir that tastes good and does you good!
Also, feel free to register for my complimentary monthly ezine (if you haven’t already – simply enter your name and email address in the box on the top right of this page), which always features a raw food recipe – and if you click on the ‘recipe’ blog category to the left, you’ll discover a heap of my recipes.
And here’s one more fab resource for you: the website Tera Warner.com, which has loads of free resources (including a great blog), plus books for sale, and life- and health-enhancing live programs. In face, Tera is soon to run a 10-day Juice Cleanse with a group, so if the sound of that has piqued your interest, simply click on the link below.
So there you have it. A wealth of fresh resources to start you on your journey towards better health. Thank you to Karen for creating International Raw Food Day – and here’s to your health, and to gooood vibrations.
PS Oooh! A HUGE PS! If you’re at all interested in creating magical raw food dishes, you must check out the work of my beautiful friend, Shakaya Leone of Earth Empress.
You’ll love her Nude Food, an exquisite e-collection of recipes, featuring mouth-huggers such as ‘Shakaya’s Sublime Key Lime Mousse’. Honestly, check it out!
The Generosity Cleanse
I recently heard about something rather intriguing, and I just had to tell you about it.
An Arizona-based wellness educator and health coach is offering access to her five-day raw-food cleanse – and you get to choose what price you pay!
But the brilliant bit about this cleanse is that it’s:
…infused with daily opportunities to practice generosity towards yourself and others
Isn’t that lovely? As well as getting to try out the benefits of raw foods over the course of only five days, you also receive guidance on generosity explorations, daily affirmations, self-care practices (*love*), hints of wisdom, and a checklist.
This is such an original idea, and I love that it combines raw food with the energy expansion that’s fostered by generosity practices and self-care.
If you’d like to check it out, head here.
I haven’t seen the inner workings of this course, but it sounds phenomenal. If you’re new to raw foods and would love to try it, let me know what you think of it, won’t you?
10 Easy Ways to Make Green Foods Part of Your Everyday Diet – and Love Them!
Eating living (raw) foods and having supreme health is a sure-fire way of raising your vibration, so I’m all for it! But I know it ain’t always easy to find ideas for healthy eating that are interesting – and that taste good.
Now, every week, I receive an inspirational ezine from the UK”s Karen Knowler, who’s known as The Raw Food Coach. In last week’s edition of her ezine, Karen featured a superb article that reveals just how easy it is to add more life-giving leafy greens to your everyday eating. I asked Karen if I could share this article with you, because I just know you’re going to find it so helpful.
So, you don’t have any more excuses for not including more greens in what you eat. Go forth and be healthy!
Here’s the article (and be sure to sign up for Karen’s fabulous ezine!):
‘It’s rare that you come across someone who LOVES eating green foods, but that doesn’t have to be the case for any of us. Not only can green foods be delicious, they can make us feel fantastic, helping to cleanse and rebuild even the most jaded of bodies and spirits.
When I first got into raw foods I admit I was one of those raw fooders who relied heavily on fresh juicy fruits, dried fruits and nuts, and most days I’d eat a salad, but it wasn’t what I’d now call a ‘decent’ salad. And that’s because I’ve since learned that it’s nowhere near enough to have some green on your plate and think that’s sufficient, because it’s not! We need dark greens, ideally wild greens, and plenty of them. A plate of iceberg lettuce simply won’t make the grade.
So in this article I’m sharing with you 10 different ideas to get greens into your daily diet and love them, because not only is it possible, it’s vital!
1: The Green Smoothie
Through various mediums I’ve shared what I consider to be the easiest/most yummy green smoothie recipe – Mango & Spinach, so hopefully you’re up to speed with what they are? (Brief explanation: A large amount of leafy green vegetables blended with some great-tasting ripe fruit of your choice to a soup or smoothie consistency.) So how do we incorporate them into our diet? Good times of the day for drinking a green smoothie are: first thing for breakfast (start as you mean to go on – if you start your day with this you’ll feel set up for the day ahead and plenty full enough until lunch time); as a brunch if you get hungry between breakfast and lunch time; as a liquid lunch if you are pressed for time; as a pre-dinner course, perfect served as a drink or even a soup; as a supper if you’re not hungry enough to eat a ‘proper’ dinner, or if you’ve come in late from work or a night out and don’t want to eat before bed.
2: Variety is the Spice of Life
We are all guilty of falling into ruts with our eating habits, eating the same things over and over again, but it’s important in all diets to eat a wide variety of foods for pleasure and nutrition. So too is it important to choose a wide variety of greens from the vast range of green leafy vegetables (and herbs) and not just finding one and sticking with it. Here’s a starter list of green leafies that you can use as a checklist. Whichever ones you haven’t eaten for a while (or ever!) make it your personal project to hunt them down and try them out – starting this week!
Beet greens * Chicory * Chard * Endive * Kale, flat green * Kale, curly * Lamb’s lettuce * Lettuce, Batavia * Lettuce, Cos * Lettuce, flat * Lettuce, iceberg * Mizuna * Rocket (arugula) * Spinach * Turnip greens * Basil * Chervil * Chickweed * Chive * Comfrey leaves * Coriander * Dandelion * Dillweed * Garlic mustard * Lovage * Mallow * Marjoram * Mint * Nettle * Oregano * Parsley * Peppermint * Purslane * Raspberry leaf * Rosemary * Sage * Salad burnet * Shepherd’s purse * Sorrel * Spearmint * Watercress * Wild celery * Wild garlic * Yarrow
3: Green Soups
Green Soups are similar to green smoothies but are thicker, and obviously are looked on as meals rather than drinks. There are some great green soup recipes around. One of my personal favourites is Green Ginger Soup which goes like this… Simply take the following ingredients and blend in your food processor, blender or Vita-Mix until smooth: 1 cup diced tomatoes, ½ cup water, 2 cups spinach, ½ avocado, ½-inch fresh ginger, juice of ½ lemon, 1Tbsp olive oil. Serves 1. It’s truly delicious.
4: Take a Walk on the Wild Side
It’s rarely mentioned but I need to here – it’s vital for all of us to eat wild greens. These greens are (for the most part) as natural and potent as you’re going to get because they’re (typically) untouched by man and have not been treated in any way. So arm yourself with a guide book such as Food for Free and a carrier bag (and gloves if you’re going to pick nettles) and take yourself off for a walk to your nearest wood, farm or leafy park and see what you can find. Of course the great thing about this route is that the food is free, abundant and it’s going to be fresh, fresh, fresh! AND you really feel the difference when you eat wild foods – they’re electric! Great in juices, smoothies, various savoury recipes and of course any salads too.
5: Green Juices
Green juices are of course another great way to get the greens in. The difference between smoothies and juices is fibre – juices have no fibre, whereas smoothies have ALL of the fibre, however, if you find smoothies too bulky or you just don’t like them, then juicing is a great alternative. The secret of a good green juice is to work with 1–3 strong green leaves such as kale, spinach, watercress, parley, wheatgrass etc, then add cucumber and/or celery for more liquid and extra vitamins and minerals, and if you feel your juice needs sweetening, add a little apple, pear, carrot, red bell pepper, lemon or lime. There’s nothing like a green juice for lifting your energy and mind, especially first thing in the morning. Don’t forget, to juice greens you need a juicer that is capable of handling them, such as a Green Star – most centrifugals won’t be able to handle them.
6: Herbs
Herbs are nature’s medicine and also one of the chef’s best allies. Herbs are so delicious and so fresh tasting that I encourage you to eat fresh herbs at least once per day. Add them to your smoothies, juices, to your salads and your savoury recipes. Line your window sills with them, they look stunning! Fresh herbs really do make all the difference.
7: Wheatgrass
Wheatgrass is the mother of all greens, really. There are many ways you can take wheatgrass, but obviously freshly juiced is best. For more information about wheatgrass, including the many ways to take it and its benefits, click here.
8: The Kale & Avocado Salad!
I’ve published this recipe a number of times but for those who missed it, you can watch me demo it in person right here. This salad is something that I rave about constantly. Everyone who tries it seems to adore it AND then goes on to incorporate it into their everyday life, not just now and again but daily! Why? Because it’s quick, easy and delicious and very versatile AND it enables you to happily eat tons of dark leafy greens! This is what you do:
Finely chop as much kale as you think you can eat plus a little more (it shrinks). Make the pieces fairly small, say 1–2cm square, and set aside in a bowl. Then pour on some olive oil (flax oil is good too, as are others) and sprinkle on a little good quality salt such as Celtic sea salt or Himalayan Crystal Salt, or Herbamare. Next, massage the oil and salt into the leaves until the kale becomes ‘wilted’ and glistens. At this point the kale suddenly appears extremely appetizing and you can start to see the potential! Next add half to one avocado and massage that in to the leaves as well. Now you have coated kale. Next, give a good squeeze of lemon juice and mix it all in by hand. Taste test. Add more lemon if you want/need to. Finally, add in your favourite ingredients. For me this means sundried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, occasionally spring onions (scallions), and sometimes I’ll sprinkle on some garlic or onion powder, or even curry powder! Whatever takes your fancy. And sometimes I dress it with a cup of macadamias blended with ½ cup water and onion powder added. When you have all your ingredients well mixed in, sample a little and add anything that you think might be missing (highly unlikely!) and then sit down, exhale and enjoy!
9: The Superfood Smoothie
Superfood smoothies are never going to be as good as real live fresh green smoothies, but when your fridge is bare then turn to your cupboards and pull out your Nature’s Living Superfood (Vita Mineral Greens in USA) or other favourite green superfood powder and whip up a smoothie with it and other chosen ingredients.
10: Your Own Special Way
Each of us develops favourite ways of doing things over time. Periodically, for example, I will take E3 Live or wheatgrass juice, and then ‘let go of it’ when my body no longer asks for it. Similarly, green superfoods work the same way, as do herbs and all manner of other raw foods in my dietary vocabulary. Follow your own way with greens, whatever that way is, adding more into your daily regime can only be a very good thing!’
© 2012 Karen Knowler
Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach publishes “Successfully Raw” – a free weekly ezine for raw food lovers everywhere. If you’re ready to look good, feel great and create a raw life you love get your FREE tips, tools and recipes now at The Raw Food Coach.
Something to Love – Raw Buckinis!
I used to love eating cereal out of a cup.
There, I said it. I confess.
But since pretty much moving away from consuming grains and cow’s milk, I don’t often get the chance to re-live that naughty little snack, unless I purchase a raw muesli (a ‘grawnola’) and have it with nut-milk.
When I was at the health-food store this week I noticed this new product from one of my favourite companies (Loving Earth).
It’s a bag of ’organic activated buckinis’, and I nabbed myself the ‘deluxe’ version.
Let me just reveal the ingredient rundown:
- caramelised buckwheat (agave syrup, mesquite powder, cinnamon, maca powder, Himalayan crystal salt)
- sour cherries
- goji berries
- white mulberries
- cacao nibs
- caramelised pecans
- coconut chips
- Incan berries
Is your mouth watering? Oh, and by the way, buckwheat isn’t actually a type of wheat, and it’s not a grain, either. It’s a type of fruit, and it’s super good for you.
Just before I had my first taste of this, I listened to a WISH Summit call with the beautiful, wise Shakaya Leone of Earth Empress, who reminded us of how wonderful it is to SLOW DOWN and absolutely savour, treasure, each mouthful of food we take.
So I tipped the buckini mix into a small bowl, and doused it with fresh almond milk. And you really don’t need much of a decadent little treat like this – the bowl in the earlier pic is very small (that’s a teaspoon resting in it).
From the very first mouthful, I made sure I savoured the sublime flavours (including the dense, rich flavour of the tiny cacao nibs) and textures (crunchy and chewy), and appreciated just what a luxury it is. Oh my goodness, it was good. Very, very good.
And we all know what feeling very, very good does for one’s vibration, don’t we?!
Do you have ‘something to love’? A little treat that you look forward to every day? (And hey, if it’s a healthy treat, all the better!)
I’d love to hear what it is that you love to treat yourself with. Just leave a comment below.
PS If you live in Australia, I’d recommend trying a Loving Earth product as one of your treats – they’re mostly organic, and taste fabulous.
Sugar, What is It Good For?
Guess what I’ve been reading lately? My latest bedside reading is this bold book – Sweet Poison, by Australian David Gillespie. It’s been out since 2008, but I heard about it on my recent summer holidays, through some friends who live in Queensland.
It’s been a riveting read. The author lost 40 kilos simply by cutting sugar (well, the fructose type of sugar) out of his diet.
In the world of ‘law of attraction’, it’s often said that if you believe something will or won’t harm you, then your belief will play itself out. So, if you don’t believe that sugar will make you fat, then you won’t get fat.
However, I beg to differ with this view. I believe that certain chemical reactions take place in the human body when we imbibe or ingest certain drinks or foods. Individual reactions will vary based upon a person’s biochemistry, but there are prevailing trends. We’re all human, after all, and are bound to react in similar ways to an oversupply of a certain toxin.
And so, with sugar, we now know that an oversupply of sugar does harm to the human body. You know it, and I know it!
This book, written by a layperson (ie, someone not in the medical or nutrition fields), explains WHY sugar is so bad for us, looking at trends in health over the past few hundred years (and with detail about the last 100 years).
David explains concepts in a clear and humorous way, although it may still take a bit of brainpower to get your head around some of the terminology.
If you know of someone who is carrying extra body weight, then tell them about this book. I’ve loved reading it because it reinforces much of what I believe about health, but I’ve also learned a few things! While my diet is pretty good, I know there are still a few areas for improvement.
Life can be all the sweeter when we look after ourselves!
PS Yep, fruit contains fructose, but its high fibre content prevents most people from overindulging in it. Soft drinks, however…
From Earth & Water
In case you don’t know me by now, I love eating (and drinking) raw food. Doing so is a SUPERB way to feel great and keep your vibration high. Oh, and it tastes fantastic.
So any time I find an opportunity to visit a raw-food restaurant – meaning that I don’t have to prepare the food! – I take it.
While on vacation on Queensland’s Gold Coast recently, I visited a fantastic raw-food restaurant called From Earth & Water.
It was recommended to me by my super tech dude, Jimmy Gilker. Last year, Jimmy had been living in northern New South Wales and had driven up to this Queensland restaurant a few times. He raved about it. He was right to rave.
I headed there one hot, sunshiney day with my dear friend Tracey. That’s Tracey in the pic above, enjoying the refreshing green juice that featured pineapple juice and a dash of spirulina. SO good. We also ordered a mango, banana and coconut-water smoothie… so thick and creamy, and full of smooth flavour.
We then shared this gorgeous main meal – it’s a Summer Vegetable stack with ‘almond herb crisps layered between sundried tomato cheese, caramelised shallots, broad beans and zucchini wedges served with salsa puttanesca, basil aioli and organic leaves’. My goodness. My mouth is watering just looking at this photo, remembering the intense, rich flavours and satisfying textures.
I have a heap of almond meal in the freezer (left over from batches of nut milk), so I plan on having a go at making dehydrated ‘almond herb crisps’ myself! If they work out, I’ll feature them in an upcoming edition of my ezine (if you’re not already a subscriber, just leave your deets in the box on the top right of this page).
And, my friends, for the magnificent ending to our meal – a generous slice of Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake. I mean, look at it! Chocolatey, silky, rich… heavenly. And without all the dairy, wheat and refined sugar that features in traditional cooked cheesecakes.
I think people sometimes don’t realise that raw food can be just as rich and flavoursome as cooked foods – and it’s usually a LOT healthier. I wouldn’t go crazy overindulging in raw cheesecakes, but trying nut-based cheeses and sumptuous juice combinations is something we can all add to our everyday menus. Along with plenty of green leaves, of course!
If you’re ever on Queensland’s Gold Coast, I would HIGHLY recommend taking yourself to From Earth & Water. Its opening hours are limited, so check out the website for details.
PS I was also very impressed with how the chef worked in the very limited space he had available. Everything was so neat and clean and orderly – it inspired me to get my raw kitchen working more smoothly!
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...if there’s something that you’ve been putting off doing, because it’s so big and overwhelming, then by coaching with Joanne you'll definitely find a way to do it, to finally reach your goal.”
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