Raw Food: Struggling or Thriving?

I would love to know how you are doing on your raw food journey? Since I often share how I am doing on my journey, I thought it would be great to see how everyone else is doing.

I know that some of you are totally new to trying to implement raw food into your life and that is okay. While others have been raw foodie for years. Wherever you are at I would love to hear about it?

Here are a few questions relating to you and your raw food consumption.

On average how much raw food are you eating?

Are you struggling with keeping raw food in your diet?

Do you feel like you just run out of time in the craziness of the day to make raw food?

Are you doing Awesome and keeping on track?

Have you converted your friends and family to raw foodies too?

Do your family members eat a non raw diet?


If any of the above questions feel like you, I would love to hear from you. In the meantime keep up the good work and give yourself a pat on the back for all of your hard work and awesome changes that you are making in your life.

Thanks for sharing and I am sending you all a big virtual tropical smoothie!! Yummy.




Stay tuned for another "Super Food Series" post coming up soon.

If you haven't yet joined me on facebook, come check it out.

Raw Food At It's Easiest!

Raw food can be a lot of things. It can be complex, detailed, tasty and delicious. It can also be easy. Easy works for me this week, as many of you busy moms know, time is limited some days. Other days I have lots of time to play and experiment in the kitchen and make detailed creations. Don't get me wrong, I love those days and I have quite a few of them. However there are days well.... you know? Days were the clock goes faster than you thought possible.

But please don't grab for the undesirables on these days. You can actually still eat really well on these hectic days. They may just be in the form of a blended juice or a quick salads like this one.




I have been making a ton of salads and veggie plates this week because I have been multi tasking a little more than I normally do. Who would have thought that was possible. Anyways, I have been so inspired and in love with making "crazy salads" this week. They have been filling, messy and quick, but oh so yummy.

As long as you have a plentiful supply of vegetables and some staples on hand, you can make a super charged salad in a few minutes. Here are a couple of mine from the weekend. Be warned I am on a zucchini kick this week.


Veggie Plate # 1:



Chopped Spinach
Sliced Beets
Sauerkraut (Bubbies)
Sliced Zucchini
Chopped Tomatoes
Sprinkle of Kelp Powder
Sprinkle with a little Sea Salt or Himalayan salt

Process the beets and zucchini in a food processor. Do a large quantity so you will have lots for the week. Decorate you plate to make it visually appealing. Add bunches of veggies. You can use carrots, parsnip, broccoli or kale. I don't put any dressing on my salads lately. However you could always mix a little oil, apple cider vinegar, sweetener and spices for your own creation.

Salad Plate # 2 Or Nacho Plate:





Sliced Zucchini
Guacamole (avocado, lime and sea salt)
Sunflower Seed Cheese (sunflower seeds,lemon juice, tamari, garlic)
Sliced Red Pepper
Cilantro (chopped and sprinkled on top)
Nutritional Yeast

I used this plate while I was watching one of my season finale's last week. (Sorry just could not give up my shows). I added some salsa and it was so yummy and actually very filling. Love guilt free eating. The sky is the limit with what you want to add to this plate.

Then of course who could forget the green juice. This little glass of green liquid can help give you a good energy punch. This is always a staple in my home. I added arugula to my regular mixture of kale, lemon and apples. Not bad at all. Arugula is a good source of sulfur, so it is great for your skin, hair and nails. A powerhouse veggie that you will want to pick up or even start to grown.




What are your favourite salads? Do you have any ingredients that you always turn to when you are pressed for time? Love to hear from you.

Please be sure to join "Blyssful Health" on Facebook. I would love to see you there!

Nut Smoothies & Goji Chia Jam

One of my favourite things to drink besides a fresh green juice is a nut based smoothies. I haven't had one for a while and after I made one this week, I could not figure out why I haven't been making this.

I think this is also a great drink to share with your friends who have never tried raw food or drinks. If you have someone who is skeptical that raw food tastes good then this is one to share. I love nut "mylk" because they are so nutritious and filled with trace minerals. They taste amazing and they don't have any negative anti-nutrients in them. They are not filled with sugars, chemicals or other additives.



This week I have made an Almond & Brazil Nut Smoothie and Protein Smoothie.

For almond milk, you will need to soak the almonds overnight. Put them in water before you go to bed and drain them and rinse them in the morning. Then you are ready to start. I use a Vitamix so I have some pretty powerful blending happening. However, you could use whatever blender you have on hand.

Almond & Brazil Nut Goodness:

1 cup almonds soaked and drained
5-6 Brazil nuts
Frozen banana
1 date (pitted)
Vanilla- I use powdered organic vanilla that is lovely.
Water

First add water to your blender with the nuts. Blend until the nuts are liquefied. You will need to strain the mixture with a nut bag. You will need to strain the mixture with a nut bag. Once you have strained you nut milk put the pulp aside for another dish. DON'T THROW THIS OUT. If you don't know what you are going to use it for you can freeze it. Add the milk back into the blender and add the rest of the ingredients.

I didn't put the exact measurements, because you can play around with the amount of dates and banana to get the sweetness you would like. As well if you are on a budget add a little more water to make the nut milk or "mylk" stretch.

Bring on the protein:

Later in the week I was feeling a little tired and this was in part due to the fact that I was rushing around doing to many things. Now who can relate to that? So I choose an nice protein packed smoothie to give me a lift. I am so loving Sunwarrior protein. I will give you my honest opinion, that I think it is the best out there. In this drink, you can not taste anything but pure goodness.

Vanilla Protein Punch:

1 scoop Vanilla Sunwarrior Raw Protein
Frozen Banana
Hemp Seeds
Vanilla (powdered vanilla)
2 spoons or almond butter
Water




This had the same amazing profile of the almond & brazil nut smoothie, however it was packed with a protein punch. Enjoy and take a moment to relax while sipping on this.


Now on to Goji Jam:

I have been eating a lot of goji jam this week. One raspberry and goji jam, one orange and goji jam and one ginger jam. However I think the best profile is with orange. If you don't like the goji flavour, then the raspberry mixture is a good one to choose. I originally got this idea from David Wolfe's recipe. However, I felt like trying something a little different.



Blyssful Health Goji Chia Jam:

1/4 cup goji berries
1/2 to 1 whole date (I don't have a huge sweet tooth, so you can up the dates to your liking)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup of chopped orange segments
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp of fruit zest (I used lemon and orange)
1 tbs of chia seeds soaked for a minute in 1 tbs water
pinch of salt (optional)
1/2 tsp coconut oil( optional)

Soak the goji berries in the freshly squeezed orange juice. Let the date sit in the water as well. I let it sit for about an hour or more. Place the goji berries and the liquid in your food processor. Add in the fresh orange segments and blend until smooth.Then stir in the lemon juice, fruit zest and chia seed mixture. You can add a pinch of salt. If you find the jam is to thick add a little more orange juice to the mixture. I also added about half a spoon of coconut oil to my mixture at the end.

If you want to hide the goji flavour, add some frozen raspberries to the mixture. You may need to add another date.

You can eat this on it's own, put it on some raw crackers or even use it in a salad.



Enjoy.

Please let me know what you think of the new layout? I would love the feedback.

Awesome Raw Deal: Only good for today!!!

Hi All

This is a quick post. I am actually heading out of town. However I just got an e-zine from Russel James and he is offering a great deal on his e book collection. He is offering them for $50.00 instead of this regular price of around 90.00. If you are in a tight squeeze for cash and are still interested into getting his 6 book collection, he GRACIOUSLY is offering you another option. Pay what you can.!!!! So please check it out. I think this is so great for those that want to learn about raw food, but can't normally afford to purchase the books and resources needed. Click here. You can find the description of the 6 books on the link. I also posted it on my sidebar.

Sorry for the short post. I am in a rush, but just wanted to share the great deal.

Raw Weekend Part 1: A Rawsome Potluck!!

As many of you may know I started up a raw meet-up in my community a few months ago. I wanted to connect to other's with an interest in eating healthy with a focus on raw food. We have met once prior to this weekend at WOW, a raw cafe.

For our second meeting we had a Raw Potluck on Saturday, that was hosted at a members house. Let me tell you it was a lot of fun. Fun to meet all of the new members and also great to eat all of the wonderful food.

Here is a picture of our RAW FOODIES who attended. I am taking the photo, so I am not in the picture. Also two members had to leave early. We had 15 people attend, so a big thank you to all that came.



As you can see we had lots of fun things on the table. Raw food book, a couple of bottles of kombucha, some marinated mushrooms and raw homemade salsa and dip.

Here is our raw food feast.


I am so happy that we had a great turnout and so much yummy raw food to share. Thanks to everyone for all of your raw food dishes. Take a look at this spread of raw eats. This is most, but not all because we could not fit it on the table.

Menu included:
Thai Coleslaw
Nori Rolls
Almond Nori Rolls
Pesto and veggie noodles
Cheesecake (not in photo)
Carrot Cake
Fudge
Mok Tuna
Mixed Seed and Fruit Salad
Kale Salad
Kombucha
Marinated mushrooms
Real raw salsa, veggie chips and guacamole
Cookie Dough Balls
Several Salads
Broccoli and Veggies
Fruits
and more (sorry if I missed anyone)


Can I just say how RAWSOME it was to have this great table of raw food to eat. I think everyone had a great time and had lots to eat.

This is one of the dishes that I brought. Thai Coleslaw from Rawvolution. It is always a hit.




We played a fun bingo icebreaker game and I also had two raw treats to giveaway. Some kale chips and a goji bar.




I had a great time and can't wait to meet up again and for our community to grow!!! Thanks everyone who came.


Stay tuned for the rest of the weekend in the next post.... and a belated MOTHER'S DAY to all my blogging friends.

Superfood Series: Goji Berries Jam

I am happy to announce that in the next couple of weeks I will be doing a weekly post on superfoods. I love adding superfoods to my diet to help boost my immune system, increase my nutritional intake and to maximize my health.

Today I will be sharing about this wonderful little gem called Goji Berries. I often use goji berries in my diet, however to be honest I did not love them at the start. Since I have learned more about them and how to use them, they have become a favourite.



The Goji berries are small but they pack a nutritional punch that you will not want to miss out on. There are over 40 species of the goji berry. The Chinese culture view the goji berry highly and rightfully so:

Protein
They are a good source of protein!!! A lot questions always arise on where do I get my protein from? Goji berries can help you out in this area. They are a complete source of protein and they contain all eight of the essential amino acids that our body needs, but can not synthesize on it's own. Meaning we need to get these essential amino acids from our food and therefore goji berries are a great addition to your diet.

Fiber
A 1/4 cup or 30 grams per serving can offer you 10 grams of fiber to your day (organic traditions)

Antioxidants
They are a rich source of antioxidants. Luetin, zeaxanthin, beta-caroten are some of the antioxidants found in goji berries. The "goji berries contain more beta-caroten than carrots" (David Wolfe, Superfoods)

Trace Minerals and Vitamins
Goji berries are a good source of trace minerals and vitamins. They contain zinc, iron, copper, calcium, germanium, selenium, phosphorus, B6, and vitamin E. They are a source of Vitamin C and high on the ORAC Scale. However the amount of vitamin C in them seems to be a debatable point.

Immunity
Goji berries have been use to help deal with stress and build the immune system. Often suggested for people who need to rebuild their energy and strength.

How to Use Goji Berries:

1. Can be used as a fun easy snack and eaten on it's own.

2. You can soak and rehydrate them. Use the soak water in your smoothies. Or alternatively add the dry berries to your smoothie to add some bulk to your smoothies.

3. Make your own homemade trail mix or cereal. Mix some into a bag of nuts, buckwheat grouts, coconut and cacao nibs or dried organic fruits.

4. Add them to steep in your favourite herbal teas. Yummy. This is one of my favourite ways to have them.

Or use them in elaborate desserts, sauces and condiments. Put them in your homemade chocolate creations. The options are endless.

This is a my Goji Berry Chia Seed Jam. This jam is packed full of goji berries, fruit zest, chia seeds and lemon juice. Then blended in the food processor. I got this idea from one of David Wolfe's books and decided to make a few changes. Mainly adding chia to the mixture and a few other ingredients.

I have to tweak it a bit before I share the recipe. However it will be a keeper on my list. The really interesting thing about this jam is that it could be sweet or savoury depending on your choice of ingredients.


Goji Berries Jam on sprouted hemp bread.


I am excited to say that I will be growing my own goji berries this year. They will be the North American species, so we will see what happens.

Do you use goji berries in your superfood arsenal? What is your favourite way to use them?


Stay tuned for more on Superfoods.....

Living Libations: Natural Beauty!

Truth be told, I love trying new health care products and seeking out the best of the best. This includes beauty products.

I am sure you don't know this about me, but I am a trained make-up artist and used to work in the make-up industry for a while. Of course this was many years ago. I have never lost my love for beauty products: creams, hair products and cosmetics. However I am proud to say that I focus on natural products these days as I am very careful as to what I put on my skin.

I have found this great company called Living Libations. Nadine makes the most amazing products. Last weekend when I went to the David Wolfe event, I knew that Living Libations was going to be a vendor. So I stocked up on a few things:

I bought a few things for myself. The Healthy Gum Drops and Rosemary Oil for my hair.
I also bought two things for my son. Dew Drops (For tiny lines, little bumps and blemishes) and SoothSayer Serum for a scar on his face that he has.

Can I just tell you how much I LOVE the Healthy Gum Drops!! You can use it by putting a drop on your toothbrush or on your dental floss. It is such an amazing product that I just had to share it with you. I have also used the SoothSayer Serum on my sons scar.

I highly you suggest you take a peak if you are looking for some new amazing beauty or oral care products. Nadine who owns the company has been featured in the Adoley Wellness Revolution Series and is well known for her amazing combinations and products. You should check out their bio.

Let me know what you think? What is your beauty regime like? Are you using all natural products? Wanting to make the switch to natural products?

**please note the above link is my affiliate link and if your purchase through me I get a small commission on the sale**

David Wolfe Live & In Person!

This weekend I went to see David Wolfe speak for two evenings at Downward Dog Studio in Toronto. It was awesome and I am so glad that I went. I first learned that he was coming to Toronto about month ago, so I jumped at the chance to go since I have never seen him do a lecture or seminar before.

I am taking David Wolfe's Ultimate Raw Food Course and just loving it. The course is filled with lots of information on superfood, herbs, raw foods, oils, seaweed and more.

To be honest I was trying to see if I could get an interview done with him to ask some key questions (comments from my lovely followers-you guys and gals). He did say okay, however on day two it never materialized. "Close but no cigar." Isn't that what they usually say. Maybe next time folks.



That being said I did get this picture above with my sister in law Erin who joined me for the second evening. I am so glad that I had some time to talk to him and ask him questions on both evenings. I also purchased a copy of his newly revised book, Naked Chocolate, which he kindly signed for me.

If you haven't had the chance to see him speak, I highly suggest it. He is a wealth of information and energy. He graciously did the talks for extended period of time. Each night he talked for an hour or two more than scheduled for the event. So definatley more than you money's worth.

Topics Included:

Hormone Health
Bad Estrogen
Superfoods
Mushrooms
Grounding
Cacao
Raw Food Diets
Supplements
Spring Water
Fermented Foods
Herbs
Autoimmune
Cancer
and more.

Seriously I took lots of notes(thanks to my fellow friend giving me some much needed paper).

I got to pick up some grounding shoes, fulvic acid and a msm/tumeric supplement and a few other things that I know I can not get in a local health food stores. I also got to meet a couple of local vendors. Stay tuned as I will be doing a review on a couple of their products too. I also made a few friends and connections which is always fun.

Stay tuned for more from this great event.