Mush it up!

Have I told you about pudding? Pudding is wonderful. Pudding is creamy and chocolaty and well, I want to make some right now.

Here's how I'll do it:

Chocolate Peppermint Pudding A Go-Go

1 avocado (I know it sounds weird. Just go with it.)
1/4 cup water (Kristen of Kristen's Raw turned me on to using Metro Mint water...oh yeah. So good.)
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons raw agave
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Blend all ingredients until creamy and serve or let chill in the fridge. Voila! I can't even tell you how good this is. I will sprinkle dried, unsweetened coconut flakes over the top for added crunch and flavor sometimes, too.

I am constantly amazed at how rich, delicious and satisfying raw treats are. Drawing from nature, I see how things were intended to be. And they were intended to be g-o-o-d.

And before I sign off, let me again lighten the raw load. I was on the phone with a very good friend and fellow raw foodist who suddenly had to put me on hold and sounded really flustered. Finally, she laughed and said, "I'm sorry! I am at Taco Bell and I have to order. I am so sorry!"

Puh-lease. I will eat at Taco Bell. I don't like Taco Bell. I never feel as good from a bean burrito as I do a raw nori wrap or even just carrot juice, but I live a real life. I need to eat sometimes and sometimes nothing else is available.

But if you do have a sweet tooth and are around a blender, try this pudding. It will blow your mind. Enjoy!

He just ate what?

With family in town for a cousin's wedding, we've been around all kinds of eaters. But last Sunday, we watched a boy eat the tail off a shrimp. Apparently, he used to live in Japan (his father is in the military) and they do it all the time. Most of us just stared in shock.

This does remind me, though, of the importance of eating sea vegetables. Now, please don't eat the tail off of a shrimp. I have no idea if this is nutritious or not, but there are plenty of other ways to get sea nutrients.

First of all, the benefits of sea vegetables (Don't just take my word for it...):

"Ocean water contains all of the minerals and trace elements of blood. Seaweed vegetables supply all of these minerals and trace minerals needed for human health. ...The generous nutritional portfolio of sea vegetables is considered to be very bioavailable, meaning it is very easy for our bodies to digest and assimilate the nutrients. Seaweed is up to 38 percent protein. It is an excellent source of vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2, B6 and precious B12. Seaweed also has a magnificent substance called ergosterol, which is converted to vitamin D in the body." (-Living Cuisine by Renee Loux Underkoffler)

"Marine phytochemicals found only in sea vegetables have been shown to absorb and eliminate radioactive elements and heavy metal contaminants from our bodies. Other recent research demonstrates the inhibition of tumor formation, reduction of cholesterol, and anti-viral properties of sea vegetables. " (-Marine Coast Sea Vegetables, http://www.seaveg.com/)

I worry about raw foodists, or even vegetarians for that matter, who do not eat sea vegetables. Even cooked, it is critical to get this plant-based nutrition into our bodies. We all need the powerful nutrients found so readily available and tasty in raw seaweed.

I don't think we can obtain the health we desire and need without sea veggies. But rest assured that I am not advocating chewing on the orange colored grapevine-like bundles that pile up on the beach to nourish ourselves. There are actually several types of seaweed that can be found in most whole food/health stores.

Here are some common options:

• Dulse. Rather salty for my taste, dulse is reddish-purple and breaks easily into chewy bits. A lot of recipes call for this as a garnish, but it's rather palatable and can be chewed on as a snack. Very high in iron, protein, vitamin A, B-complex vitamins and chlorophyll.


• Nori. Think sushi. Nori comes in shiny black sheets and can be rolled into burritos, veggie sushi or cut up and thrown into any dish for a little chewiness and salt. 48% protein (the highest of all seaweed), good source of vitamin A, thiamine and niacine. (See nori recipe at the bottom.)


• Alaria. This one is new to me and a little fishier in taste, but easy to snack on. It has the greenest coloring, making it look the most like something from the ocean, and comes pretty tightly bound together. I break off little pieces, though, and chew away. This has more dietary (45%) and soluble fiber (16%) than oat bran, is a good source of chlorophyll, enzymes, beta carotene and B vitamins.


• Kelp. This is my favorite. Easy to eat, great in salads, this veggie is thin and green without being too fishy (for me at least). I just carry it with me (especially if I notice any bruising and/or anticipate my monthly cycle) and pull of pieces to chew on during the day. Highest in iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium and lots of vitamins B.

There are other sea veggies but the above are the ones I have the most familiarity with. Like with any vegetable, mix it up. Don't just eat one kind and don't eat too much. But do snack on them. Do add them to salads. Buy a bag of one kind either once a month or each time you're at the store. Keep them handy and chew, chew, chew.

I have been amazed by the energy I get just from chewing on it and it does wonders to heal bruising. (I am often worried about developing anemia, so any bruise will strike up concern. It's not founded on much scientific evidence, but this fear does keep me eating lots of iron which can't be bad.) Plus, the more I learn about these veggies the more I love them. I often think about our Asian models of health and how much seaweed they are known to eat regularly, so I buy it often and always keep a bag in the pantry.

For more info, check out my favorite brand, http://www.seaveg.com/. And, as always, do your own research to discover what sea veggies can do for you.

Recipe A-Go-Go For Today:
Nori Wraps/Burritos

One untoasted, organic Nori wrap
Spoonful of tahini and/or nut cheese of your choice (not nut butters)
1/2 avocado thinly sliced
1/4 sweet pepper thinly sliced
Handful of sprouts of your choice
Nama Shoyu (for dipping and/or to drizzle inside the roll)

Lay your nori sheet out flat and spread the tahini/nut cheese in a thin layer on one side. Top with avocado, pepper and sprouts. Drizzle nama shoyu or set aside to dip. Roll the nori just like a sushi roll (or burrito in this case) and enjoy. You can slice the roll into smaller pieces or just eat like a burrito. Feel free to add whatever veggies you have in the house: carrots, cucumbers, onions, marinated tomatoes, etc. I have even heard of using guacamole in place of the tahini and making it a real southwest style treat. Use your imagination. Voila!

Rules are made to be broken

Ok, if you know me at all, then you know that title is totally out of character for me. But I think it's important to mention it when discussing a raw food diet.

To preface this, let me explain that I am an extremist by nature. I don't do anything half-hearted. And, this is where it gets kooky, I love rules. I love 'em. Live by 'em. Make up my own, even. So before I ate raw, I would have trillions of random rules running through my head about what to eat, what not to eat, when to eat, how to eat, etc. I don't think I realized it, but it was very stressful and exceptionally taxing. (I believe it resulted from not fully understanding food and health--a lack of knowledge/understanding.)

This kind of piggy-backs on my last post about defining your own diet, but I really want to explain that eating raw foods is not about NOT EATING. For example, I can go all day and not eat sugar, wheat, dairy, cooked and/or processed foods and still not get any nutrition. Creating limitations and regulations on the food you eat will not ensure great health. In fact, it will stress you out and burn you out way before your time.

So please, please, please do not define your lifestyle by what it's not, but what it is. For me that means eating colorful, living food. It's the only food I buy and keep at home. But I am not afraid to eat a tortilla chip!! In fact, the foods I eat give me the freedom to enjoy whatever dish is in front of me. I know that I am nourished, healthy and vibrant. A tortilla chip won't ruin that! I know that. The reason I don't eat it, though, is because it isn't appetizing. A diet of raw food is so rich, varied and energizing that regular, SAD food begins to lose its appeal. I don't force this. It is a natural effect of the lifestyle.

Anyone trying to push this effect on you or create rules around what you should/shouldn't eat, doesn't know what they're talking about.

A friend of mine once commented (and not very subtly at that) that she didn't understand how people could deprive themselves all day without cheating sometime. As if cheating implies fun and health implies deprivation. This same friend drinks at least two cans of soda each afternoon at work, has a "health" bar as her only lunch and cooks extravagant dinners (lasagna, enchiladas, etc.). She never refuses a sweet "treat" and has no energy. From my side of the coin, she is the one depriving herself. I wanted to explain that my lifestyle has nothing to do with depriving myself, but that I really have no desire any more to stop at Starbucks or "sneak" a candy bar.

I am so sad to see friends and even family that have never experienced the freedom and vibrancy of eating the way I have. But I trust that they are adults and can make their own decisions. I don't live by rules anymore--rather I eat what I really like, whenever and however I want to. I hope that all of us can say the same.

Recipe a go-go for today:

Raisinettes

These little treats not only taste amazing but actually help hydrate your body thanks to the coconut oil

1.5 cups coconut oil
1.5 cups raw, organic cacao powder

1 cup raw, organic agave

1 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla

Handfuls and handfuls of raisins

Mix oil, cacao, agave and vanilla in mixer on low until creamy. Stir in raisins by hand. Drop on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze. Give 'em about twenty minutes and enjoy. Voila!

And a recipe, too!

From my dear friend Stephanie who had the gumption to create this on her own:

Cabbage Cole Slaw

Shredded cabbage (green works best, but purple is great, too)
Sliced bell pepper (green is hard on digestion, stick with red or yellow)
Shredded carrots
Diced cucumber
Equal parts white wine vinegar and olive oil
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Cabbage, bell pepper and carrot amounts are all to taste, as well. I prefer mostly cabbage, with half a bell pepper and just a little carrot--but make it to your own taste. Mix in a bowl, serve and eat. Voila!

def-in-ish-un

I like fluid terms. Words like clean, fun, delicious, and love all mean different things to different people. Add healthy, vegetarian, vegan and raw to that same category.

When my husband and I first told people we were vegan, suddenly the animal protein police came out in full-force. Random folks and friends alike all wanted to "help" us stay on the diet. Raw has been a similar experience.

But I am reminded to share with you the importance of defining your own diet. And let me encourage you to fight against the legalistic urge--eat for health, eat for life. Pray about it. Study and research it. Watch your body's responses. And above all, DO NOT stress yourself out about it. Do not create unrealistic goals or add extra pressure. Give yourself grace and eat for life--the kind of food and preparation of food that most gives you life and adds to your life.

For instance, when my husband and I first started raw, we went cold-turkey and hard-core. I would head to the farmer's market, buy all the fresh veggies and fruit I could find and then come home and eat it all week long. I didn't know about raw food recipes! I didn't realize that people lived this way and educated others. (This is a short-sight on my part. My very own mother-in-law had been talking about this for months, but I just didn't make the connection.)

At any rate, this unconventional method worked for us. And now, after 8 months of hard-core raw, we have incorporated about 10% cooked food into our diet. But we are still raw-foodists. We get to define it. Because we get to live it.

When it comes to your diet and lifestyle, don't be afraid to experiment. There are no hard and fast "rules." Don't be afraid to go extreme or keep it mainstream. But do your own research. And do follow your heart.

Even after the classes, the books, the websites and all the research, my favorite way to prep food remains going to the market, picking up the freshest of produce and just eating it! My heart knew what to do all along. And I love the confidence and comfort that comes from following it. It helps keep me in love with raw food and my life.