March 2010
What does your destiny hold?
Coincidence or Destiny? Great question!
The most revealing "spot on" reading I've ever had was from Kathleen Horvath. That is why I'm sharing this opportunity for San Francisco readers who may want to join me at Avra Organic Spa on April 6th for Kathleen's "Harness Your Inner Tiger to Take on 2010" lecture.
Or for the full-on, mind-blowingly-accurate 5 Elements Chinese Astrology Readings - Kathleen is also having a special:
Chinese astrology is incredibly detailed: you'll get a sense of what career direction to move in, how to manage your money, how and when a romantic partnership will appear, how to fully take care of your body, and how to avoid any issues that may present themselves in the future. Kathleen's chart readings are so spot-on, it's almost spooky! Couples may also have their charts read together. 90 min sessions are suggested for couples or for individuals who want more time to ask more questions. Your date of birth, time and location will be needed for your chart. Give us a call in order to schedule a session. Space is limited and last year they filled up fast! Avra Organic Spa
Tuesday, April 13th through Sunday, April 18th
Please call for specific times on each day.50 min $125 (regularly $225)
90 min $165 (regularly $275)
Kathleen Horvath is the founder of 5 Elements Group, LLC and has been a Certified Feng Shui Consultant since 2001. She has attained eight advanced certifications in multiple disciplines of Feng Shui with a concentration in Classical Feng Shui. Kathleen is currently producing a multimedia project of interviews with seven world renowned Feng Shui Masters, entitled Illuminating Feng Shui. She is also the producer and host of "Adventures in Feng Shui" on KUSF 90.3 FM, San Francisco.Avra Organic Spa is a wonderful place to detox and pamper yourself! As part of my raw food living diet I count of their team of colon therapists for monthly detoxing. The benefits I experience with colonic therapy is phenomenal!
Agave Syrup Far Worse than High Fructose Corn Syrup?
Say it isn't so!!...and not on my Birthday!
I was just about to make myself a delicious raw chocolate cake for tonight's celebration, when my friend and nutrition guru, Marnie Northrop of Becoming Health, sent me this article from Dr. Mercola. This news makes me sick..and apparently Agave literally is a sickening ingredient! Here's just one of the frightening exerpts:The Myth of Agave as a "Healthy" Sugar Substitute
It’s important for you and your family’s health to remember that agave syrup is neither healthy nor natural.
As reported by Dr. Ingrid Kohlstadt, a fellow of the American College of Nutrition and an associate faculty member at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health:
"Agave is almost all fructose, a highly processed sugar with great marketing."
Agave syrup is not low calorie -- it has about 16 calories per teaspoon, the same as sucrose (table sugar). The glycemic index is immaterial, once you understand the full extent of the risk this product poses to your health.
The consumption of high amounts of sugar is what is inflating America’s waistline, as well as escalating rates of diabetes, blood pressure and heart disease.
Although overall sugar consumption is definitely something to be concerned about, even more problematic is one type of sugar that wreaks extraordinary havoc on your body: FRUCTOSE.
And if you want fructose, agave products next to pure fructose, have the highest percentage of fructose of any sweeteners on the market, over 50 percent more fructose than high fructose corn syrup.
I will now make my birthday cake with Yacon Syrup instead.Click here for info about alternative sweeteners like Yacon Syrup and why Yacon might be the most healthy raw food sweetener.
Pineapple Vanilla "Spiced" Green Smoothie
Happy Green Smoothie Monday!
Today my HUGE green smoothie - which will take me 2 days to drink (they last in the fridge blended for 3 days) was make with the following:
Pineapple Vanilla "Spiced" Green Smoothie
* one whole (lg) bunch of collard green leaves
* 2 frozen bananas
* a bag (12 oz) of frozen pineapple
* Add ons: 1 T of pumpkin pie spice, 1 tsp of vanilla and 1T of VitaMineralGreens (which is full of whole-foods superfoods, sprouts and more greens...here's what's in it: http://livesuperfoods.com/greens/HFN001.html The spices with the pineapple make it have a fun, slightly exotic flavor. Vanilla extract (or powder) also always makes any green smoothie taste "sweeter" without adding sugar. Since I use 60% greens, 40% fruit, it really helps. I also actually only use greens and no veggies in my green smoothies. I do this because of the advice from the book "Greens for Life" - my Green Smoothie Bible. http://www.greenforlife.com/ Frozen fruit is so VERY convenient and "they" say you don't loose very much of the vital "alive" nutrients. Although fresh is best. I like adding some frozen fruit because my VitaMix heats up the drink so fast that the frozen fruit keeps the smoothie cold and the bananas make it "creamy".
Pineapple Vanilla "Spiced" Green Smoothie
* one whole (lg) bunch of collard green leaves
* 2 frozen bananas
* a bag (12 oz) of frozen pineapple
* Add ons: 1 T of pumpkin pie spice, 1 tsp of vanilla and 1T of VitaMineralGreens (which is full of whole-foods superfoods, sprouts and more greens...here's what's in it: http://livesuperfoods.com/greens/HFN001.html The spices with the pineapple make it have a fun, slightly exotic flavor. Vanilla extract (or powder) also always makes any green smoothie taste "sweeter" without adding sugar. Since I use 60% greens, 40% fruit, it really helps. I also actually only use greens and no veggies in my green smoothies. I do this because of the advice from the book "Greens for Life" - my Green Smoothie Bible. http://www.greenforlife.com/ Frozen fruit is so VERY convenient and "they" say you don't loose very much of the vital "alive" nutrients. Although fresh is best. I like adding some frozen fruit because my VitaMix heats up the drink so fast that the frozen fruit keeps the smoothie cold and the bananas make it "creamy".
I'm LOVING the TRESS right now - they are so beautiful all year round but especially NOW!
More of this kind of passion for food changes, please!
The juice of 6 blood oranges...
Raw Tomato Soup Kit
Every week I buy this "tomato soup kit" at Trader Joe's.
This way I know I'm always 5 minutes away from one of my favorite comfort foods.
Add to the **ingredients in the photo:
- 1.5 - 2 cups of hot water (depending on how thick you want it)
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 1/2 - 1T Agave (optional and only if the tomatoes are not already sweet enough)
- Blend in a high-speed blender until creamy. This delicious soup literally takes 5 minutes.
**Ingredients in photo: Trader Joe's 16 oz pack of organic cherry tomatoes (use the whole 16 oz), organic basil (1/4 cup packed tight), raw pine nuts (1/2 cup), small organic onion (1/2)
Click here to see the full recipe and a South Western Spiced version
Chai Chia Pudding
A gourmet flavored, raw-powerhouse of a meal...or what I call a "Bowl of YUM!"
1/3 cup chia seed- place in a bowl and set aside
In a blender - 1 cup of warm water, 1 T Chai Masala spices, 1 handful of soaked almonds and thenblend on high until you have a frothy, chai almond milk.
Don't strain the milk, just pour the almond chai over the chia seeds and stir.
You can add a dash of vanilla and agave to sweeten and keep stirring until it's pudding-thick.
The almond pulp in the chia seeds will make this pudding thicken quicky.
I topped with some mesquite maple walnuts and ate it for breakfast, but this is also a delicious dessert.
This takes 5 minutes and no cooking is involved. All nutrients and enzymes are alive and well!
Benefits of Chia Seeds:
Chia seed is high in calcium. 5 times the calcium of milk, 631 mg per 100 grams of seed.
Chia seeds are also high in protein, with 18 grams per 100 grams of seed.The optimum ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 should be 3:1. Chia seed provides that ratio.Chia seed is hydrophilic. Absorbing up to 14 times(Mix @ 9-10 times) its weight in water. This helps extend energy and endurance.Chia seed is rich in antioxidant oils.
Chia contains chlorogenic acid, and caffeic acid as well as myricetin, quercetin, and kaempferol flavonols.
These compounds are both primary and synergistic antioxidants that contribute to the strong antioxidant activity of chia.Chia seed is also low in sodium.
Only 19 mg per 100 grams.
Astonishing Carbon Savings by Reducing Meat Consumption
Here are the carbon savings that could be achieved in the USA through a reduction in meat consumption:
If all Americans did not eat meat for one day a week, they would save 99.6 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions. This would save 46 million return flights from New York to Los Angeles and back from Los Angeles to New York.2 days 199.2 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions
If everyone in the US did not eat meat for two days a week, they would
save 199 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions. This would have the
same positive effect on reducing greenhouse gases as replacing ALL
household appliances in the US with energy efficient ones.3 days 298.6 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions
If all Americans did not eat meat for three days a week, they would save
almost 300 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions. This would have a
greater impact on the climate than replacing all US cars with Toyota Prius
models.4 days 398.4 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions
If everyone in the US did not eat meat for four days a week, they would
save 398 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions. This would result in
carbon savings equivalent to halving the domestic use of all electricity,
gas, oil, petroleum and kerosene in the United States.5 days 498 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions
If all Americans abstained from eat meat for five days a week, they
would save 498 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions. This would result
in carbon savings equivalent to planting 13 billion trees in your garden
and letting them grow for ten years. That is 43 trees per American!6 days 597.6 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions
If all Americans did not eat meat for six days a week, they would save
nearly 600 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions. This would lead to the
same carbon savings as eliminating the total electricity use of all
households in the United States.7 days 697.2 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions
If everyone in the United States ate a vegetarian diet for seven
days, they would save around seven hundred megatons of
greenhouse gas emissions. That would be just the same removing all
of the cars in the USA off the roads.
If everyone in the US did not eat meat for two days a week, they would
save 199 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions. This would have the
same positive effect on reducing greenhouse gases as replacing ALL
household appliances in the US with energy efficient ones.3 days 298.6 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions
If all Americans did not eat meat for three days a week, they would save
almost 300 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions. This would have a
greater impact on the climate than replacing all US cars with Toyota Prius
models.4 days 398.4 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions
If everyone in the US did not eat meat for four days a week, they would
save 398 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions. This would result in
carbon savings equivalent to halving the domestic use of all electricity,
gas, oil, petroleum and kerosene in the United States.5 days 498 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions
If all Americans abstained from eat meat for five days a week, they
would save 498 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions. This would result
in carbon savings equivalent to planting 13 billion trees in your garden
and letting them grow for ten years. That is 43 trees per American!6 days 597.6 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions
If all Americans did not eat meat for six days a week, they would save
nearly 600 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions. This would lead to the
same carbon savings as eliminating the total electricity use of all
households in the United States.7 days 697.2 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions
If everyone in the United States ate a vegetarian diet for seven
days, they would save around seven hundred megatons of
greenhouse gas emissions. That would be just the same removing all
of the cars in the USA off the roads.
When it comes to FAT, you really ARE what you eat
Researchers can take fat biopsies off the hips or waist and tell where it came from – pork, dairy, chicken, olive oil, etc. The fat you eat is stored in the exact form in which you ate it!
Dr. Joel Fuhrman suggests that the reason is that calories from carbohydrates are not as easily converted to fat as calories from fat. Studies show that when people eat a very low fat diet, about 15% calories from fat, more calories are burned to convert carbohydrates into fat, so the body cannot store fat as easily. The body has to burn about 23% of the calories consumed in order to convert glucose into fat, but it converts dietary fat into stored fat more easily. 100 calories of fat can be converted to 97 calories of stored fat, burning only 3 calories. Converting ingested fat into stored fat is so easy – the process doesn’t even change the molecules.
Following is the caloric density of a stomach full of food (from Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s book Eat to Live):
Oils 4100 caloriesPotato chips 3000 calories
Meat 3000 calories
Cheese 3400 calories
Chicken 1500 calories
Fish 1400 calories
Beans 500 calories
Fruit 300 calories
Green Veggies 200 caloriesThe bottom line is that when you consume complex carbohydrates (fruit, veggies, whole grains), you can consume so much more food and you will never be hungry. This makes losing weight and maintaining optimal weight easy!
Dr. Fuhrman's ANDI Scale is a chart that lists the nutrient density of whole foods. (see pic) The higher in the list the whole plant-based food is the better it provides nourishment and gives you a feeling of being "full." When you feel hungry, your body is really telling you that it needs nutrients, not bulk, which is why when you choose to eat a bag of potato chips to quiet your hunger pains, you end up being hungry again very soon...because you did get the nutrients you needed.
