Overcoming Food Sensitivities with Healthy Choices
Food is many things to many people. It is a source of entertainment, a source of comfort, a source of energy, and something to help us get through times of stress.
Food is important to our physical, mental and emotional well being. Therefore, it affects our entire way of life when food sensitivities develop.
Sensitivities cause physical reactions to food and can be as mild as hot feet and as severe as depression or anaphylactic shock. Many times attempts are made to cover symptoms with a “band aid” such as pharmaceuticals, pills, herbs, and even surgery. This may temporarily “fix” the problem, but in the end, you can never be truly healthy unless you find out why your body is doing what it is doing.
By becoming more aware of what you eat and how it affects your body, you can find many clues to why you may be experiencing less than optimal results from your dietary choices.
Before discovering my own food allergies, I was cranky, had severe eczema, painful PMS that lasted for days, lower back pain, arthritis, gas, bloating, fatigue and depression. I thought it was just something I had to live with. I had no idea that I had the power to cure myself.
According to www.DrSears.com, some food allergy symptoms include: swelling in hands and feet, puffy eyelids, dark circles under eyes, tongue soreness and cracks, sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, persistent cough, congestion, mucous, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, gassiness, fatigue, migraine headaches, irritability, anxiety and sore muscles and joints.
The top seven food allergies from which 90 percent of all food allergies can be attributed to are:
- dairy products
- soy
- shellfish
- wheat
- tree nuts
- peanuts
- egg whites
To find out if you are reacting to certain foods you can either get a blood test which may be convenient but can be expensive running $500 or more, or do your own research by eliminating the foods from your diet for a week, then reintroducing one food at a time and noticing any reactions.
After I determined which foods I was allergic to, I had some decisions to make. I could either choose to keep eating those foods and live with the symptoms, or decide my health and well-being were more important to me than anything else. The offending foods for me were wheat, eggs, dairy and soy. Because I was a vegetarian who ate meat substitutes which were made with wheat, dairy or soy, my food choices appeared to be severely limited. I began making recipes from allergy free cookbooks, and I looked for prepared and packaged foods that were allergy free. While meticulously reading the labels, looking for the offending ingredients, I found that wheat, eggs and dairy are in countless numbers of packaged foods. Even soy sauce and licorice contain wheat!
During this time I discovered a book on intestinal cleansing. It contained testimonials that inspired me to try an intestinal cleanse for myself. After a month, I had an amazing increase in my energy and many of my previous symptoms were gone. The biggest surprise though, was not what I expected. I thought that after I cleansed my body and got rid of the allergies, I would go back to my “normal” life. That is not what happened. During the cleanse, I discovered raw, living foods made from a base of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. It was the answer to my prayers. Not only did these newly discovered recipes contain none of my reactive foods, they were also so satisfying that they quickly replaced the old comfort foods. I completely transformed my diet and discovered a whole new lifestyle. It is exciting to eat comforting foods that make me feel good and are highly nutritious.
After completing several cleanses and eating primarily raw, living foods, I am now able to eat foods I was previously allergic to and feel just fine. I will never go back to my previous eating habits though because grains and starches make me tired and slow me down, and dairy makes me feel bloated and stuffed-up when eaten on a regular basis. On a diet consisting of mostly raw, living foods, I have increased energy and I look and feel better than I did several years ago.
There are many wonderful resources for making changes for the better in your diet. Some of the resources are listed here.
Websites: For more information on food allergies, sensitivities and intolerances go to www.food-allergy.org, www.livingwithout.com and www.askdrsears.com. For more information on raw, living foods, go to www.purejoyplanet.com
Books: Cleanse and Purify Thyself by Richard Anderson, The Food Allergy Cure by Ellen W. Cutler
Magazines: Living Without
This recipe is recommended for people with dairy sensitivities:
Nut or Seed Milk or Cream
By Elaina Love
Almonds are packed with calcium, fiber, folic acid, magnesium, potassium, riboflavin and Vitamin E (source: The Food Lover’s Companion)
1 cup soaked almonds, sunflower and/or pumpkin seeds (1/2+ cup before soaking)
1 to 3 cups water (less for cream, more for milk)
2 -4 medium dates or 2-4 Tbsp. sweetener of choice (optional)
1 tsp.
Blend all ingredients on high until well blended.
Pour through The Amazing Nut Milk, Juice and Sprout Bag (available at www.purejoyplanet.com) or a clean nylon sock.
Squeeze the bag until all the liquid is released.
Pour the milk or cream over fresh fruit or cereal.
You may want to make extra so you have enough to last four days.
This recipe is recommended for people with wheat sensitivities:
Black Forest Carob Brownies
By Elaina Love
4 cups soaked and dehydrated walnuts
3/4 cup or 9 oz. pitted dates
3/4 cup or 2.75 oz. carob powder
2 tsp. cherry extract or vanilla
1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried walnuts
1/2 cup or 4 oz. coarsely chopped dried cherries
Soak the walnuts for 8-12 hours.
Rinse them well and dry them with a towel.
Dehydrate the walnuts in a food dehydrator at 105 degrees for 12 hours. This is an optional step which will give the brownies a more cake-like texture.
Puree the nuts in a food processor until it becomes a flour.
Add the dates and continue to puree until well mixed.
Add carob powder and extract and puree again.
Mix in the cherries and chopped nuts by hand.
Press with very firm pressure into a brownie pan.
Refrigerate and slice into squares.
Double the recipe for a large pan.
These brownies will keep refrigerated for 2 weeks or more.
This recipe is not recommended for people with tree nut allergies.
This recipe is recommended for people with dairy and nut sensitivities:
Creamy Cilantro Soup
By Elaina Love
Cilantro is a wonderfully fragrant herb that is high in chlorophyll and has been said to pull heavy metals from the body. Enjoy it in this rich and satisfying energy soup.
1 zucchini, chopped
1 large bunch cilantro, stems removed (about 2 cups)
1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped
½ apple, chopped
1 avocado, chopped (add later)
1 Tbs. tamari or Braggs Liquid Aminos
1 tsp. Celtic sea salt
½ tsp cumin (optional)
1 tsp. onion powder (optional)
1/8 tsp. cayenne
Blend all ingredients until smooth except avocado. Add the avocado and blend again. (The avocado is blended last to keep it from getting gelatinous).
Eat immediately or store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for 2 days maximum.
Optional Toppings:
Sprinkle with dulse flakes
Diced bell pepper
Fresh raw corn cut off the cob
Sunflower greens
Chopped Romaine (stir into the soup)
This recipe is recommended for people with dairy, nut and egg sensitivities:
Easy Caesar Salad Dressing
½ cup Bariani or extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. lemon juice
¼-½ cup water
2 large dates or 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 Tbs. light miso
3 medium cloves garlic
¾ tsp. mustard powder or 1½ tsp. prepared Dijon mustard
2 tsp. dulse flakes
¼ tsp. Celtic sea salt
Blend all ingredients in a blender or hand mix, crushing the garlic first and using maple syrup instead of dates.
Store the dressing in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Inspired by Blessing’s Alive and Radiant foods Caesar recipe.
Elaina Love is a professional chef and instructor. You can find her books, learn about her classes and view more of her recipes by going to www.purejoyplanet.com.
Is your food zapping your energy?
What you eat and when you eat has a big influence on your energy levels throughout the day. Morning is when it can either start with a bang or a thud, but it doesn’t just end there. The choices you make throughout the day can have a huge influence on your physical, emotional and mental wellness in life.
If you begin your day with a heavy meal, such as pancakes or even milk and cereal, you may find yourself wanting to go straight back to bed. The other side effect you might get is a mild depression such as a feeling of doom or dread about your day. The reason this happens is that your body is working so hard to digest the food you just ate, that you have no energy left for normal functioning, and even your hormones get imbalanced by the sugar. And when it gets to be too much, your body just puts you to sleep so it can deal with the bombardment.
Another reason you may experience low energy after eating something is when our food choices create an insulin spike. When we eat foods such as white sugar, agave nectar, milk, white bread, pastries, or anything that creates an insulin overload for our pancreas (I had it happen from just eating cantaloupe recently), our hormones kick in to action to balance things in the body. Once your insulin level spikes too high from eating a sugary food, a roller coaster effect begins. As the body secretes hormones, our moods and energy levels move all over the place. This can also be the case if we go without food in the case of hypoglycemic, but usually that is still a case of imbalance. Isn’t food supposed to give us energy and help us function in life? The answer is Yes! We just need to make smart choices, cleanse our bodies of all the excess waste, and feed it the right food to help us stay feeling good.
Here is an example of some items you can exchange to make your energy soar instead of sink. Below are 2 lists. One is foods that make us sleepy, groggy or low energy, as well as moody and even depressed.The second is an alternative that will make you feel energized and good. Some people may at first experience withdrawal or even detox symptoms from some of your unhealthy habits being replaced, but very soon, maybe within a day, you will feel supercharged!
Instead of this:
1.Bananas, protein power and cow’s milk
2. Cereal and Milk
3. Toast with butter or jam
4. Pancakes
5. Sandwich
6. Ice Cream
Eat this:
- Chia-Maca Shake
- Unsweetened almond milk (home-made is better than boxed) with 1 TBS. chia seeds soaked in ½ cup water topped with fresh berries
- Almond bread with tomato slices, sprinkled with fresh chopped basil and a sprinkle of salt
- Green juice made with cucumber, celery, kale, lemon and possibly fresh pressed apple for taste. (I know this one is really far-fetched as usually if you feel like pancakes the last thing you are going to want is a green juice, but you will be surprised by how amazing you feel. Make your juice the night before, then drink it first thing in the morning, then if you still want pancakes, go for it, but instead of high fructose corn syrup which is usually what they put in those fake maple syrups, just top it with some fresh berries and honey) Also, fruit juice is not an option since it is loaded with insulin spiking “sugar”. The best choice by far is leafy green juices! The other thing you can do is to mix 1 TBS of green powder in water and drink it down first before eating anything else.
- Romaine leaf instead of bread with whatever filling you choose. Keep in mind that it is usually the sugar in the bread that makes you low energy. My favorite filling in a Romaine leaf is some mustard, avocado slices and chopped tomatoes sprinkled with Himalayan salt and some sprouts.
- Sweet Nothings fudgesicle (only 100 calories per bar) or a bowl of frozen raspberries or blueberries covered in almond milk and sweetened with stevia (it’s like a berry ice cream).
This will give you something to get started with, and as time goes on, keep trying new recipes that are organic and healthy. You never know how great you can feel until you start putting nutrients in and getting the toxins out.
Elaina Love is a plant-based chef, instructor, author and speaker.
Find out more about her recipes and classes at purejoyplanet.com
You want me to eat that?
Many people I speak with say they find it hard to be in a relationship with a man or woman who is not eating the same as them. In this blog, I will share with you some ways I have found that you can stay happily partnered while enjoying your own autonomy around food.
Some of the obstacles you have shared with me:
- “It’s hard to come home at night to the smell of fresh popped popcorn (or fill in the blank) when I’m trying to stay on a low carb/raw food program”
- “When I go to a restaurant, if bread is on the table, it’s too hard to resist. My partner wants to have it on the table and I’d rather not have the opiate temptation!”
- “I try not to have food in the house that I might eat in a moment of weakness such as ice cream, cookies or breads. my husband loves to have these around, what can I do?”
- “My boyfriend/girlfriend doesn’t eat the way I do, and he/she seems to always be cooking up something yummy smelling in my hungriest moments. How do I resist the amazing smells?”
- “I’m pretty good at eating well when I am home, but when we go on vacation, it seems to get a little out of control. My mate likes to eat at places that have french fries and pastries. I usually come back home feeling depressed and 5 pounds heavier from all the “junk” I couldn’t resist on my vacation.”
- When I visit my parents, my mom gets her feelings hurt if I don’t accept her offerings of processed foods. I really don’t feel well when I eat those foods, what can I do to make everyone happy?
Does any of this sound familiar?
Here are some solutions:
- Start with talking about it. Sometimes our friends family and mates don’t understand how painful it is for us to be trying so hard to do right by ourselves only to feel sabotaged when they order a pizza. If you appeal to their softer side and say something like “How do you feel about some healthy dishes tonight? I’m in the mood for…. How do you feel about that?” The other way is to tell them how much you love them and that it is nothing personal but you don’t want to be around when they are eating those types of foods so maybe they could eat it when you are not with them or let you know so you can wait to come around.
- If the smell of popcorn or fresh toast is intoxicating you, consider: Having your own delicious gluten-free almond bread already made and easy to grab when you are feeling tempted. Top it with Veganaise or smear some avocado on it and sprinkle with your favorite seasoning and you’ve got a delicious treat!
- When your partner orders bread, ask the waiter to also bring out a small salad right away. This will help you have something to munch on instead of just watching the rest of the table enjoy the bread. Yes, it’s true bread has opiates in it, this means even the smell of it kicks in our pleasure-seeking addictions. Another option, which I used to do a lot before I could be around bread without eating it, is to bring your own gluten-free flax crackers or something healthy in your bag. You can slip them out one at a time and munch on them while you are waiting for your healthier choices to arrive. If there is a healthy dip at the table such as hummus or salsa, you can ask for a plate of cut up veggies to dip with.
- Here is what I have done in the past when other household members have foods my hips want nothing to do with: Create a separate snack food cupboard for them that you don’t go into. If even that doesn’t stop you, consider buying your own, healthier versions such as baked corn chips instead of fried, gluten-free, fruit-juice-sweetened cookies instead of Tollhouse, Coconut Bliss instead of Dryers. At least if you are going to indulge, it’s a healthier option. One other trick that has worked for me in the past it to ask your mate to hide the ice cream in the back of the freezer underneath the frozen peas. That way you don’ t see it when you open the freezer. Out of sight, out of mind.
- Smelling a warm, delicious food can be very tempting, especially when you are hungry. The best course of action is to always have things around that will satisfy a craving. For me it’s salads with a hearty dressing such as my vegan ranch (available in Elaina’s Pure Joy Kitchen Book 2) topped with avocado and crunchy pumpkin seeds. Still need more satisfaction? Try Kale Chips. You can buy these at Whole Foods Market or make your own nut free version!
- Bring enough food to share with your mom when you visit. Maybe she will love your flax crackers and hummus. Make her a morning smoothie or green juice. If she offers you something, say I would love some fruit, do you have any? (Most mom’s always have fruit around). That way she feels you are accepting something from her and she feels good. When it’s meal time, offer to make a big salad or something healthy that you enjoy, that way you always have something nourishing to eat. My family loves my kale salad piled high with pine nuts and avocados!
When all is said and done, the last thing we want is for food to come between us and the ones we love. Share your feelings and share your food. If you are persistent, like me, and continue to make super healthy foods and treats that are always on hand, your mate or roommate will love your food and be happy to eat it and maybe even start requesting it!
Bringing pure joy and gourmet bliss to the planet,
Elaina Love
Author, Director of Pure Academy and Public Speaker
LA’s Beaches and Raw Restaurants
Summer is in full swing, and I just returned from a trip to LA where I visited my mom and dad who have lived in the same house in Torrance since I was 2 years old. They live a couple miles from the beach. I feel really blessed to have this opportunity to see my parents and to visit the beaches which are so beautiful. For years, whenever I arrive in Torrance, the first thing I do is make a bee line to the beach to breathe in the negative ions, run along the strand and just stand and stare at the ocean. It is something I will never tire of.
This visit, I brought my partner Chris Whitcoe and his 3 kids. I would wake up, go on a 3-mile run, and then we headed straight down to the beach by 10am. The kids spent the day swimming in the ocean. One day, we rented roller skates and went skating for a couple hours. Skating is a great way to see all the action such as beach volley ball, great beach houses, people of all walks of life on the strand and to get great exercise while having fun. If you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend it (wear knee pads and wrist guards if you are new).
While we were there in Torrance, Chris and I ventured out to Au Lac, raw, vegan restaurant in Fountain Valley (Orange County) and up to the newest Cafe Gratitude in Venice Beach for dinner. I love going to places to eat where I know I can get organic, healthy foods (raw or not) but it is icing on the low glycemic cake when I get to eat somewhere that the food tastes amazing and the environment is uplifting and energetic. Both of these places fit the bill! On Sunday night, we visited Au Lac. My good friend and former student Ito runs this fabulous “Humanese” restaurant. Ito was there on Sunday as he is most nights and we had a nice little “chat” (he has taken a vow of silence since more than 10 years so he makes hand gestures and writes things down) about the new place he will be opening next March in West LA. Ito’s food can only be described as some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. His style unique, and is like no other chef’s I have tasted. And of course, the food is always fabulous! Chris and I had the Raw, Sprouted Curried Wild Rice dish with heaps of avocado and great tasting sauce. When it arrived at the table it was piled high with whole cilantro pieces and looked rich and enticing. The flavors were faboulous. Then we got the raw BBQ Pizza. For the crust he uses a psyllim-flax combination with I’m sure more ingredients. It’s quite bread-like, and the toppings were delicious! We filled up easily and took half home (I hope my mom enjoys it as we forgot it there in her ‘fridge). 
The next night we went to Cafe Gratitude in Venice. The first things we noticed was that instead of there usual black uniforms, every one was wearing white, and the entire restaurant was painted white. It was light and beach-y and I couldn’t stop commenting on how much i liked the lightness and the feel of the place. Of course I ran into lots of people I knew, including chef Koya Webb who was looking beautiful and goddess-like in all white with her love earrings dangling. I saw one of the owners, Ryland, who is featured in the May I Be Frank Movie about one man’s incredible, raw, healing journey, and another friend was there Teresa Yung who I first met at Dave the Raw Truckers international day of juice fasting. Needless to say, going to a raw restaurant in LA is always a social event! We met some friends there and everyone thoroughly enjoyed their food. I had the I AM Festive dish which is a raw, vegan taco salad. I asked them to put arugula in place of the romaine, and it was fabulous! Mmmm! I’m still smiling thinking about it! For dessert we all shared a chocolate-coconut vegan creme pie and a chocolate-banana cheezecake. I highly recommend both restaurants! For more info on the locations and menus, go to: cafegratitudevenice and aulac.com
So after 3 days of sun and fun and great food, I’m feeling quite content and healthy!
Making eating well easy
I know that sometimes the biggest hurdle to overcome in changing to a healthier diet is how to find the time to prepare fresh food.
Here are some tips that may make eating healthy easier:
1. Eat simply: Eating delicious, prepared healthy foods are great and enjoyable, but try thinking a little simpler. A nice big crispy fuji apple with raw almond or pumpkin seed butter (sprinkle with a little cinnamon to balance your blood sugar), a basket of delicious strawberries sliced and mixed with almond milk and 1 TBS soaked chia seeds, or my daily favorite, 1 bag of pre-washed spinach blended with 2 cups of frozen blueberries or raspberries, a pinch of stevia and 1 cup water or almond milk. Eat simply for breakfast and lunch, and save prepared foods for dinner.
2. Buy your salad greens already washed. A lot of markets including Trader Joes carry prewashed baby greens such as arugula, spinach and mixed greens. This makes it really easy to open a bag and throw a salad together.
3. Shop at Farmers Market. Farmers bring produce fresh picked and ripe most of the time so you can buy your foodat its tastiest, ripest and freshest. The flavors are so great that you will enjoy these foods all by themselves, with nothing on them. Think big juicy heirloom tomatoes, sliced and drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with a bit of basil.
4. Make fast salad dressings with tasty oils. There is an amazing array of delicious, exotic oils that now fill the markets such as pumpkin seed, almond, sesame, and walnut oils (for a raw, cold pressed product order from http://www.canada-shops.com) or Bariani cold pressed Olive oil which is my favorite olive oil. Just drizzle your greens with a tablespoon of oil and a little Himalayan salt, then mix your greens well, top them with sprouts, sliced avocados, tomatoes and some sunflower or pumpkin seeds, and you’ve got a healthy, easy salad. For more punch squeeze 1/2 a lemon over the top or 1/4 tsp. of apple cider vinegar.
5. Mash an avocado with some raw sauerkraut and spread on a flax cracker. I love this dish! Just take 1 avocado, mash it with ½ cup of your favorite store bought or homemade sauerkraut and eat it like that in a bowl or spread it on a cracker. (For a great selection of raw sprouted crackers visit any health food store in your area. If you don’t have crackers, put a cup of cooked, alkalizing, protein rich quinoa in the bottom of the bowl.
6. Use presoaked nuts/seeds. Nuts and seeds are full of the good fats and a handful makes a great in between meal snack. However if you don’t soak them you might have a hard time digesting them due to their enzyme inhibitors and acids in the skin. Here are 2 solutions. 1. Keep a couple cups of your favorite nuts such as almonds always soaking. You can keep them in water in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When you are ready to use them, rinse them in 3 % hydrogen peroxide to freshen them. 2. Soak up to 5 pounds of nuts overnight, rinse them well, then dehydrate them at 105° until crispy. (About 36 hours for almonds, 24 hours for walnuts or pecans and only 8 hours for pumpkin or sunflower seeds). Let them cool and store them in an airtight container. When you need them for almond milk, just plain snackin’ or a recipe, they will be ready to use.
7. Pick one or two days a week to do your food production. Make the majority of your prepared foods on that day such as flax crackers, nut/seed pates, veggie burgers, almond mayo, pizza crusts, pesto, etc. which will keep for a length of time. Then on the other days, you have a foundation on which you can put your fresh fruits and veggies. Ideas: Make pasta sauce on your food production day, and on a non-production day, make a green salad and spiralized zucchini on which to put your sauces and dressings. You can also ask friends to help you on production days, and then everyone goes home with something.
8. Get recipe books with easy to prepare recipes like Elaina’s Pure Joy Kitchen or Raw Food Made Easy by Jenny Cornbleet.
9. Think Happy Thoughts. Make eating healthy fun, not a chore. Your energy and mood will improve with each healthy meal, making life more fun and light. If you eat pizza, so what? I’m sure you had a perfectly good reason for eating it. Now, take a deep breath, send lots of love to the pizza in your belly, and move on!
Are you feeling hot, fat, bloated, lack luster or just plain tired?
If so, then you may want to consider doing a short or long fast on juices. Summer is the perfect time for fasting since it is hot and usually our appetites are not quite so strong. A bonus to fasting during the summer (or anytime) is that it reduces all inflammation in the body. So if you feel puffy, itchy, cranky, have eczema or any other skin condition or any ailment for that matter, fasting will clean out your body so you can feel fresh and new again!
I was introduced to fasting in 1997 when I did my first cleanse and wow, what a wonderful experience! Once I got past the initial discomfort of the hunger on day 1 and 2, I found myself loving the feeling that fasting gave me. It gave me such a sense of freedom! I couldn’t believe how much food had kept me from really experiencing my connection to the divine, my own internal intuition and inner voice and from feeling what it really feels like to soar! While fasting, I got to experience more of all of those things. Since then I have fasted on a regular basis for the last 15 years! I usually fast on green juices (about 4 quarts/litres a day) The juices consists of celery, cucumber, kale and lemon. I have fasted for a ranges of 18 hours to 11 days to 84 days
and everything in between. You cannot get it wrong. Even if you just fast through breakfast and lunch, you have fasted. You will find that the more you fast the more benefits you gain such as peace of mind, mental clarity, positive body image, spiritual connection, confidence, intuition, surges of pure joy and healing of illness. The best thing you can do when you are feeling low or are ill is to stop eating. Fasting is the best and quickest way to heal your body! Stop putting in things for it to digest so it can work on internal cleaning!
Here are a few tips to get you started:
1. You can have all the juice you want, there is not limit to how much you can drink. Most people can’t do more than one and a half gallons (or 6 litres) but if you feel you need more than that, go for it!
2. Make your juice all at one time. When you are feeling your best (for most that is early morning) make the whole amount for the day in order to avoid being without juice when you really need it.
3. When you refrain from food, answers seem to come quicker and feel more true. Use this time to journal and get clear on your life purpose or other questions you have.
4. Plan the end of your fast. When you finish your fast and have your first meal, you may feel like you just want to keep eating. Be sure to be smart about it by creating a meal plan before you end.
Here is what it could look like:
Day 1 after the fast:
Breakfast: blended spinach and raspberry smoothie (divide it into 4 servings and drink one serving every hour).
Lunch: Blended Green Soup (avocado, cilantro, apple, lemon and spice-no salt yet) again, divide that up into 4 servings.
Dinner: light green salad with a yummy nut free dressing (try my red bell pepper dressing in my Liver Flush E-book). Avoid nuts and animal products and processed foods for at least 3 days after your fast.
After that choose wisely. Schedule your next fast so you can look forward to another amazing experience of freedom and joy!
Have fun and remember each experience is what you make it!
Recipes:
Go Go! Green Juice
(this will make about 2 quarts/litres)
2 bunches of organic celery
3 large organic cucumbers
1 bunch of cilantro or 7 leaves of kale
juice of 1 or 2 lemons
optional for a sweeter juice: 1 beet and/or 2 green apples (green apples are lower glycemic)
Quick and Easy method:
Chop all the veggies into 1 inch chunks and put in a large mixing bowl.
Fill your blender to the top with the veggies and add about 1 cup of filtered water
Place the lid on and put the plunger in the top (if you have a Vitamix)
Blend until the mixture is well blended but do not overblend! Just enough time to get the mixture blended.
Strain through the Amazing Nut Milk Bag into a large pitcher.
Once you have made all the juice pour it into glass Ball jars (I use quart sized jars).
Store in the fridge for up to 36 hours (the sooner you drink it the more vital it is).
Juicer method:
I use the Green Star Juicer because I know it creates the most vital and nutrient rich juice I can get. It takes a little more time than the blender so I don’t always use it, but I do believe it is the best method for home juicing. If you are not ready to purchase this juicer just yet, then use the Nut Milk Bag for now until you save up for a juicer (put the money you would have spent on food in a juicer funds jar).
Frozen Low Glycemic Purple Pleaser
Yield: 4 servings
3 cups frozen blueberries
2 cups almond or macadamia milk
stevia to taste
Blend well on high until smooth
Optional additions: Freeze dried raspberries (as crunchy topping) Probiotics, Vegan Protein Powder, Maca powder
Creamy Cucumber Cooler
1/2 cup of fresh dill or basil (stems removed)
1 Avocado (reserve 2 TBS of small cubes for topping)
1 Cucumber, peeled and chopped (reserve ¼ cup of small cubes for topping)
3 TBS lemon juice
1 clove garlic
salt to taste (about 1 tsp.)
1 tsp. spice: onion powder, garlic powder, coriander, celery seeds or fennel seeds
Blend with ½ cup water until smooth. Top with a concasse of peeled, cubed cucumbers and avocados and a sprig of mint.
Enzyme Excitement!
(A refreshing, sweet, tropical icy drink)
1 Pineapple, peeled and chopped or 1 bag of frozen pineapple
1 Cucumber (peeled)
1 handful spearmint leaves (stems removed)
2 TBS. lemon juice
1 cup ice if desired
stevia to taste
1 TBS irish moss paste (optional)
Blend with enough water to make it thick and smooth (about ½ cup)
Garnish with a kiwi
Cooling Sweet Pepper Soup
1 small carrot
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Tomato
½ Avocado
1 Garlic clove
3 Tbs. lemon juice
black or cayenne pepper to taste (Curry powder is nice too)
Salt to taste (about 1/2 tsp.)
1. Chop the veggies and blend with ½ cup water until smooth (add more as needed).
2. Garnish with fresh Herbs (Cilantro/Parsley/Tarragon/Chives, whatever’s fresh) and your favorite diced veggies and avocado.
Is Raw Food Safe?
- Refrigerating
- Freezing
- Rinsing produce well before eating
- Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide;
- Vacuum Sealing
Are Sugar and Gluten Killing You?
This might seem like a heavy topic for a Friday, but I feel it is really important to look at. If you really want to heal your body take a look and see if this applies for you.
As with any condition in the body where diabetes, cancer, yeast, mold and fungus are present, the best course of action is to clear your diet of any type of gluten and sugar which means most grains and all foods that raise insulin or blood sugar levels including all white grains (rice, wheat, sugars, syrups and fruit). Gluten, which is in a large percentage of packaged foods and most grains, has been directly linked to allergies, auto-immune disorders, autism, cancer, celiiacs disease, most bowel diseases (Chrons, IBS, Diarrhea, Constipation, diverticulitis, etc.) Candida and so many more dis-eases. Dr. Aronld Erhet who wrote The Mucusless Diet Healing System conveys how all diseases can be traced back to diet. He suggests that gluten and other mucus forming foods such as dairy if eliminated from one’s diet can According to Dr. Gabriel Cousens, MD, author of Conscious Eating, There is a Cure for DIabetes and Rainbow Green Live Food Cuisine, after 3 months on a diet of no “sweets” the body will reset its composting button and you will be able to add moderate amounts of sweets back into your life. You may either begin the program with Phase I or Phase II depending on the severity of your condition. People with cancer, aids, diabetes and extreme cases of Candida, will want to go on Phase I for 3 months or longer, others who just want to do a beneficial clearing, will want to use Phase II. Adopting a sugar-free diet has many benefits. The mind becomes clearer, energy levels increase (after initial detox), you will wake up feeling fresh and clear-headed, moods become even and upbeat. Symptoms such as skin conditions, headaches, depression, low sex-drive, digestive problems, painful menstruation, mood swings, irritability, low energy, joint pain, arthritis, back pain, bloating, and many more may subside. Give it a try, even just for a couple of weeks and see if you notice any changes.
Help with Sugar Cravings 
As with any cleanse, especially one that eliminates sweets, you may find yourself having strong sweet cravings. When you feel the urge to eat sweets, the following recommendations may help
-
Eat a bowl of Sauerkraut -
Drink Green Juice -
Drink Sparkling water sweetened with stevia, lemon juice and cranberry or black currant juice -
Eat Radishes -
Drink Vitamineral greens mixed with water and stevia -
Take probiotics -
Call a friend for support (sometimes just talking about it helps) -
Exercise enough to get out of breath (run, walk up steep hills, bike, jump)
The result of an imbalance due to yeast, fungus, mold and low friendly flora counts are:
- Fatigue
- Itching (all over and/or anal)
- Headaches
- Depression
- Cancer
- AIDS
- Skin rashes
- Low sex-drive
- Food allergies
- Sensitivity to tobacco and odors
- Joint and muscle pain
- Menstrual irregularities and pain
- Digestive problems
- Other immune related disordersTo see a chart of foods allowed on Phase 1 and 2, go to: Gabriel Cousens Phase 1 chart
Enjoy not enjoying it!
Today I am feeling super good in my body. I got up early and did a 30 minute run through the desert hills. Being up early with the birds and watching the day begin brings a sense of peace and joy to me. I love getting up, drinking some water, putting on my Vibram 5-fingers and heading out the door with my ipod in my pocket. I set my music to play (usually dance cardio on Pandora) and ask Siri to set a timer for 30 minutes (or however long I want to go for). Then I go out and enjoy the first 5 minutes of not enjoying it. I got this idea from my friend Dorothy Bauer who would say to me: “Are you enjoying not enjoying it?” It really works for me. I just laugh and say,” Enjoy it because it will pass soon.” As soon as I am warmed up and looking at the blooming cactus, the birds and the sun coming up over the mountains while running in nature, I feel euphoric. Sometimes I do feel tired as I trudge up a hill, but the music motivates me up and soon I am on the decline side of the hill. I will get to the very top of the hill and just stop and observe the beauty of nature around me while my chest heaves for breath. I love that I am doing something so amazing for my body, mind and soul, which outweighs any discomfort. Taking care of my body is such a joy and pleasure. The better shape I am in, the better shape I want to be in, and it works in both directions (sluggishness breeds sluggishness).
Here is one thing to ponder for today: Eating things that move you away from your goal of amazingness and excellence (if that is your goal) is nothing more than a bad habit that has been learned and ingrained through years and years of practice. Stop! Rethink your choices! Is this choice serving you in the long term? Are you really hungry? Check in? Is it just a discomfort in the belly saying to eat? Can you recognize this feeling and choose to move beyond it? Interestingly enough, it is usually a mental thing. Once you tell yourself that you are not going to eat in this moment and that you will delay the eating for meal time or your set goal time, your mind will move on. You may feel the gurgling or pain in your stomach, but that too passes in about 2 minutes. It may come and go, but you can feel good in knowing that you are in charge here, not your addictions or habits.
Fasting for Freedom
Summer is the perfect time in Arizona to fast. As the temperatures climbs above the 100s, food sounds less and less appealing. Fasting on juice is awesome for 3 reasons. 1. You can have all the juice you want without feeling heavy or tired. 2. You stay cool as your body does not heat up from the energy required for digestion. 3. The most important for me: A sense of peace, freedom and Pure Joy! Today is day 3 of juices. The longer I fast, the less juice I desire and require. Feeling peace. Moving slower than usual, mood is great, light depression due to upcoming changes has lifted. If I could give anyone one piece of advice for making big transitions in life and to experience a sense of freedom around moving forward in any way in life, it would be to fast. When you refrain from food, answers seem to come quicker and feel more true. If that does not sound even remotely true or fun for you, then I have one question for you: Have you ever fasted for more than 3 days? If your answer is no, then I will wait to hear from you after you have.
Peace and Love,
Elaina Love
“I fast for greater physical and mental efficiency.”–Plato
“To refuse food and drink is more than a pleasure; it is the joy of the soul!”–Leo Tolstoy
