Friday, June 26, 2009

Juicer, Sprout trays and a Choose your own price yard sale!

We have our Champion Juicer for sale. It is in great working condition and comes with all of the parts including a blank plate which is great for purees and banana ice cream (Alternate bananas with frozen fruit of your choice for delicious treat!) We are upgrading as a friend is selling one of their juicers before they move.
We are asking $100.

I also have A sprout master sprout setup , 3- 8x10 stackable trays. Great condition, If you are interested, make us an offer. http://www.amazon.com/Sprout-Master-Triple-Sprouter/dp/B000F0FX5C

We are going to also have a mini-yard sale tomorrow. We'll be putting a bunch of things out on the lawn, and you can take whatever you'd like. We'll put a donation can out, if you wish to help raise money for our new juicer, if not, just come take what you'd like. (email me for directions ginamlaw@gmail.com )

And for anyone still interested, we have PLENTY of almonds left, and we can order more, and will, if we run out. $11/lb for unpasteurized, raw, organic almonds, straight from the orchard, and $8 for an 8 oz jar of fresh, stone-ground almond butter.

Bless.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The Great Superfood Debate: Part Three

The Conclusion


Many cultures thriving in longevity are often surviving in undeveloped countries that have access to wild, mineral filled superfoods as part of their regular diet. These superfoods are the foods that they can access, many times in their own backyard. Most of the superfoods in question come from warmer climates, where many of the Earth’s less monetarily wealthy people live. True superfood companies are fair-trade, organic or wild-crafted. They offer to sustain an ecosystem and culture, rather than rape them of their land, ravage their forests and leave them with a barren land in exchange for a small sum of money. I once heard an argument in support of eating tropical fruits and vegetables shipped from third world cultures. The author argued that to purchase goods from a third world country fed the families of the farmer, where buying local produce would merely send the farmer’s children to college. I am not agreeing with this statement, but however you take it, a high percentage of that tropical fruit is conventionally farmed. This leaves the land unable to produce for itself and the workers in regular contact with chemicals, smothering them in dis-ease. The simple foods that many of the cultures of longevity are consuming are growing without these immoral chemicals, and they are the superfoods that we desire.

In order to support fairly traded, organic products, the cost will be there. You vote with your dollar. My vote goes to paying real prices for real products verses buying produce from a store like Wal-Mart, conventional produce from Stop and Shop or even Whole Foods, just because it is less expensive. These products are not putting those people who are farming them in a good situation. The superfoods that I stand by are quality products. I support the superfoods that are grown in the highest quality, packaged responsibly, are fairly traded and have a positive effect on other cultures.

Some folks are concerned with superfoods being sold as part of a multi-level marketing company, namely Elements for Life. As someone who has bought her fair share of quality superfoods, I know first hand that they are an expensive product. The company in question has top quality products, sold at competitive prices. The intention of selling them as part of an MLM company is for those many times that I’ve turned people onto superfoods. I can now actually get a commission from referring them to the company. I am not pushing people to use these supplements. This winter, when my mother finally didn’t mention how tired I looked, I attributed it to one major change in my diet. I added in high quality minerals and nutrients, through products such as Vitamineral Green, Revitaphi, blue green algae, and my personal favorite, marine phytoplankton. People ask what I am doing different, or we will have them over and offer them a superfood tonic. They come back and tell us they feel great, that the next morning their vision was stronger, how their aching hands aren’t so stiff or how connected they feel. Instead of referring them to a company that will charge the same as Elements for Life, I will refer them to my personal website. I will receive a commission, and if they are excited and promote the products as well, I can make a bit of a profit from everyone they turn onto it. We have always been very generous, sharing our food and spreading knowledge, as many people on this path are. This is a chance for us to reap a portion of the monetary benefits of products we have long been promoting. Many of us have been using superfoods for quite some time. We have been paying the same amount through regular companies as it is being sold through companies like Elements for Life. For us to earn commissions seems like a good way to help the products pay for themselves. You don’t have to be a pushy businessperson in this company, all you need is to love and believe in these products. Most importantly you share them. These products speak for themselves. If you are feeling called, there is the potential to make money while you are learning so much that can help boost the health of your family and friends. At that point your job is literally to learn about health. As far as Elements for Life goes, they have an amazing resource for distributors that is not only information about their products but an extensive network of support on health and wellness in general. I know other MLM companies that have superior products that I love to support and have no affiliation with. I believe a network marketing company, just like any other company, should be judged on the integrity of the company and not on the label that it functions under.

We call ourselves Superheroes because ARE Superheroes. We are Superheroes not because we sell superfoods. We are Superheroes because we are happy, healthy, loving, friendly people who are working together to better our world. We are all part of a paradigm where we need to radiate love, health and positivity to all beings.


Unconditionally.


In conclusion, I am not NEARLY as stubborn as my thickheaded father ;-)
(If you didn't read his blog first, these were his words, not mine!)


Love is everywhere. Spread it unconditionally

Monday, June 22, 2009

Father's Day

Summer Solstice
Last crest of the moon
Highest Tide
and a full belly from father's day dinner.
A last minute decision
Straight to the beach
As dusk settles around us.
Barefoot running
with a babe on my back
one running hand in hand
and the third trailing with Dad.

Happy Father's Day!

Saturday, June 20, 2009

The Great Superfood Debate: Part Two

What IS a SuperFood?

The buzz these days in the raw food world is superfoods. What are they? Are they the same thing as a supplement? Why would I want them in my diet?

While the word “superfood” does not actually have an official definition, the implication of a superfood is that it is a food containing many unique healthful properties. These properties may include, but are not limited to: antioxidants, EFAs, DHA, a wide range of minerals, complete proteins, blood sugar stabilizers, immune system modulators, hormone balancers. Superfoods contain an assortment of vitamins, they may be anti-inflammatory, detoxifying and the list goes on and on. Many plant and animal based products contain a couple of these traits. What puts a superfood up and above the rest? David Wolfe states in his new book Superfoods : the Food and Medicine of the Future, “ These include foods that have a dozen or so unique properties, not just one or two. For example, the goji berry is a source of complete protein, immune stimulating polysaccharides, liver cleansing betaine, anti-aging sesquiterpenes, antioxidants, over twenty trace minerals, and much, much more.”

The list of foods that I consider to be super foods are endless, and while yes, most should be used only as supplements, this does not make them any less important than the staple foods that provide to us the bulk of our diet. A supplement is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as being “ something that completes or makes an addition”. If you were to take a glass and fill it with stones you would fill the glass, but there would be many empty holes. You would need other objects to fill those holes; pebbles, sand, water. So is our body system. You can fill the bulk of your body with your staple foods. You need foods to complement your staple foods, foods that supplement the missing puzzle pieces. A different beast entirely is the “vitamin supplement” which is separated from the whole food and extracted into a pill or powder form for our consumption. Most people in the superfood world are not promoting this at all. The processing of most of the superfoods is simple. Most superfoods are not processed more than how raisins are dried, nut mylks are blended, wheat grass is extracted, or seeds are ground. Something like Marine phytoplankton is simply phytoplankton grown in water and spun to separate the ocean water from the phytoplankton, in order to concentrate the phytoplankton. How is this anymore processed than wheat grass juice being extracted from the blade, since that fiber is indigestible for our human stomachs? Maca is a root, not unlike a turnip, that is dried and powdered in order to retain its nutrients. Nothing is isolated and refined. To call these foods processed and concentrated is to also call a vegetable juice, honey, seed crackers and nutmylks, anything but whole food in its whole state processed or concentrated. Does this make these foods unhealthy?

Taking a superfood is much different than taking a product that is isolated and concentrated. They are different than a drug that is derived to push the body beyond its natural limits. Superfoods are whole foods, and YES our bodies ARE dependent on minerals, vitamins, amino acids. These are nutrients that we cannot deny. Our body will not run optimally with out them. To provide them at the levels that we need will help our bodies to function at a superior level. There is an artificial energy that comes with stimulants such as caffeine and refined sugar. It is sustainable energy when your body has sufficient minerals, vitamins and amino acids.

When my six year old daughter was presented with the idea that you don’t need to eat superfoods, her response was quite simple “You do, to keep you healthy.” There is a lot of wisdom in her response. Many of us “health conscious” New Englanders are eating so called “fresh”, “organic” produce that is trucked in from across the country. Let us consider this. Okay, yes, the west coast is much more fertile than the east coast. Geologically, the east coast has been much more stable for a much longer time, giving it ample time to loose many minerals into our ocean. However, many of the companies that we are buying our “organic” produce from are large scale. How truly “organic” are these large companies, and how much have they been depleting their originally fertile soils? They are over-cultivating the soils, even though they are “organic”. Next, I must consider, when was my head of lettuce picked? Or my leaves of kale separated from the plant? Most likely at the very least it has been a week. How many nutrients have been lost in that week? Your produce starts loosing nutritional value from the moment it is picked. And for my fruit, how green was it when it was picked? How long has it been ripening off of the tree out of the sun’s energy? I am a huge advocate of fresh produce. My family survives on green smoothies, nut mylks, salads, and more fruit than you can imagine. I believe that this food is the best path to my family’s health. I also believe that this food is not as optimal as it can be and that we are missing a lot of nutrition. There are many ways for us to improve our nutritional intake from our produce. Support local farmers who are stewards of the land. These are farmers who build mineral-rich soils, farming the soil… not the crops. There are farmers who practice permaculture, letting the land remain truer to itself. There are “weeds” that can be wildcrafted; dandelion greens, wild grasses, docks, sorrels, wild berries and roots. These have all proven to be strong by recultivating a barren land. Wild foods are those that survive when people have stripped the land. These plants are remineralizing our soils just as these plants will remineralize our bodies. These plants will keep our bodies strong and healthy. Many people, including myself, consider them superfoods in their own right. Scores of these wild foods are potent herbs that we literally walk all over when we step out our door. That is, of course, unless we have doused them with chemicals to rid them from our lawns.
It is beyond the scope of this article to begin to delve into the world of herbal medicine. I do, however feel that the powerful benefits of herbs must be acknowledged. Herbal medicine has been practiced for centuries and is embraced by most cultures. There are herbs to support, stimulate or calm every system of the body. You can order Amazonian herbs such as cat’s claw or pau d’arco. If you are knowledgeable in the medicinal mushroom realm you can harvest your own immune modulating mushrooms. You can walk out into your backyard and harvest powerful medicine such as dandelion, burdock, yellow dock, red clover, thistle and SO much more. I have a friend who is harvesting his own herbs while living in New York City. These medicines are free, or very inexpensive when bought. There are many classes and local herbalists, incredible books that you can work with to educate yourself. It wasn’t until modern times that we began to shun herbs and turn towards man-made drugs, to take the place of what nature has provided to us from the beginning of time. Herbs can be taken in many forms, tinctures, capsules or tea. Whether it be an infusion (pouring hot water over leaves or flowers) or a decoction (simmering roots and barks) a tea can be amazing medicine. Used either as a preventative tonic or relief for an acute or chronic problem.
Elixirs are herbal teas turned into nut milks, and blended with superfoods. They are a wonderful modality to take herbal tonics, add to them the sustained energy from nuts or seeds and to combine it with your choice of nutrient dense superfoods, in order to maintain health and longevity. If you are unfamiliar with elixirs, I highly recommend checking out Daniel Vitalis’s Elixir Craft videos on youtube.
Holistic health is not one straight path. It is a windy road with many options. There are many choices for you to consider in determining which is right for you. A combination of many modalities is what will keep you healthy. There is no one prescribed formula that will work for everyone. The healing path can include spring water, ferments, meditation, herbs, exercise, raw foods, superfoods, reiki and other energy healing arts, acupuncture, acupressure, massage, rolfing yoga, tai chi and other internal arts, among many other things. The balance that you establish will increase your energy and sustain your personal vitality.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

The Great Superfood Debate: Part One

My next three entries are in rebuttal to Frank Ferendo's Superfood Debate: Parts One and Two
www.reasonablyraw.blogspot.com

After reading these two blogs, it was necessary to defend products that I believe in.


At the young age of fourteen, my father decided it would be a good idea to expose me to John Robbin’s Video of “Diet for a New America”. For any of you who have ever read the book, or worse, seen the movie, you can imagine the horror I felt. I’ll never forget the nausea as I tore into a piece of steak later that weekend. That was that, for the last eighteen years the thought of eating an animal has completely revolted me.

For many years I ate a pastatarian diet, which also consisted of bagels, pizza and coffee. As I progressed through my college years I began to learn about “health food”. I ate tofu, whole wheat, stir-fry, soy substitutes, and veggie burgers. My now husband and I experimented quite a bit with a vegan diet, but really, we were far from healthy.

When my oldest daughter was born we knew that we couldn’t raise her on these foods. Through Ruth Yaron’s “Super Baby Food” and Cynthia Lair’s “Feeding the Whole Family” we began to learn the value of a whole foods diet. We switched to brown rice, steamed vegetables, beans, lentils and homemade bread. We felt much healthier than we had for the years we survived on a processed vegetarian diet. We were learning the flavors of real food and the art of food preparation.

Four years ago I started learning the amazing benefits of a raw food diet. I became serious about it when I learned I had a health issue that required medical attention. One month later that issue was almost completely resolved and I was feeling better than I ever had in my entire life. I feasted on many varieties of greens, veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds. What an amazing summer! I was so full of energy and was at the top of my game.

Then came the fall. Living in New England, winter is when the weather gets colder and signals the time for heavier foods. Our bodies need warmth, grounding and the raw food was making my body cold, and a bit spacey. I transitioned to a cooked foods diet. I inevitably began again with wheat, cooked oils and dairy. These were substances that my body had already proven to me to be sub-optimal. I pushed through the winter, and in the spring we started the transition to a new level of health.

Each year the cycle was the same. Spring brought a new level of health, leading into an amazing living food summer. This was followed by a fall and winter that would leave much to be desired.

A raw foods diet is a detoxifying diet. It is an amazing tool that can do WONDERS for our health. The lightness, freedom and strength that accompanies living food is beyond anything that can be described. The speed in which this live food can heal dis-ease is astonishing.

Our bodies need to follow the seasons in their own right. They need a cycle of detoxifying, building and maintaining. Spring has an abundance of wild and cultivated greens and liver cleansing herbs. Summer brings its bounty of fruit, carrying vibrancy to every cell in our being. Fall is a time of rebuilding, grounding the lightness of summer for the hibernation of winter. In New England, we see this with our winter squash, roots, and autumn olives. They are crops that root us in the earth and supply us with our stores for the winter. Winter is a time for maintaining our connection to the earth and of feasting on stored grains and legumes.

The challenge that I face is that consuming starchy vegetables, legumes and grains on a daily basis keeps my body, mind and spirit feeling sluggish and puts my body in hibernation mode. Winter for me needs to be home-centered, nesting with my family. However, like many folks in this current paradigm, I cannot spend my winters following the rhythms of the sun. I am awake well after the last glimpse of sunlight and in the morning I wake while the stars are still bright in the sky. I am a mother of three wonderful and energetic children and need to be a bit on my toes during those winter months.

This winter I made new discoveries. I explored new passions. These connections made for winter months in which I felt a strength I had yet to experience. I stayed grounded and focused and accomplished more than I ever imagined.

And this leads into…

THE GREAT SUPERFOOD DEBATE!

to be continued...

Monday, June 8, 2009

Embrace and Release

Savoring...

Eight month old smiles.
Four year old hugs.
Six year old giggles.
A thirty three year old hand in mine.

Chocolate splatters.
Wild green potions.
Crayon scribbles.
Naked Baby Bottoms.

Following inspired thoughts.
Drifting along on the current.
Ebb and Flow.
Universal Oneness.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Zappers

For anyone that has not begun to delve into the world of parasites, the effects they have on our bodies and their eradication, we have been learning that it is not a road to look at lightly. Once you learn anything about them, you want to get them OUT! They can cause all sorts of chronic conditions, and MOST of us, healthy or not, DO in fact carry them. I recommend learning a little about them. I haven't gone as deep into it as others, because it's pretty disgusting. I understand the seriousness of it all, and am not sure if I can handle full disclosure. There are all sorts of cleanses and remedies out there, one that has come to our attention is The Terminator Zapper by Don Croft. I highly suggest doing your own parasite research and checking out parasite cleanses. In that be sure to also research The Terminator II Zapper. It's the zapper we've heard the most about.
http://www.worldwithoutparasites.com/index.html
We are looking into purchasing them wholesale and are offering them at an amazingly low pre-order offer for a limited number of zappers for a limited time.
They Retail for $134 +s&h, the cheapest I've found them for is $115 +$7 s&h
What we'll be doing as a very limited offer is $95 and if you are local, there is no shipping charge, for non-local, we'll ship them to you at exact cost.
The order ends Friday, June 12th, so to take advantage of this one time low price, contact us now!

Thursday, June 4, 2009

What didn't work

FYI the papaya, cucumber avocado pudding gave Willow tremendous gas and she spit up quite a bit. It was the first time that she had mixed food and also a first for the cukes. Not a good call on Mama's part.
What has been working is letting her scoot around diaper free and putting her on the pot before/after feedings and when she wakes up. It's been saving mama some diaper washingWith Willow mobilizing, we've been working on baby proofing. Today I switched the house around quite a bit, putting all the big kid toys behind closed doors... And the adventure begins!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Raw Mama Trick #1

I'm always on the hunt for new tricks so I can incorporate an added nutritional boosts into my kids diets. What's been working for us the past couple of days?
Let me step back a bit. My husband decided about a week and a half or so ago to throw some wheat grass seeds into the garden. A brilliant idea! SO easy to take care of, we put them at the end of a row and tossed on a bit of row cover to protect the seeds from being scorched. Once we got them rolling, mother nature took care of the rest. (confession: we didn't even really take care of them much, we thought we had scorched them!)
So we've been throwing them in the blender with some water, straining the wheat grass juice and using that as the base of our smoothies.
What's been working for the kiddos??

Hidden Greens Pudding:
I take 2 cups of that wheatgrass water, add 2 handfuls of brazil nuts, a handful of soaked dates, 5 or so figs that I soaked for about 2 hours, a few heaping tbsp of carob, a twist of himalayan sea salt, blend it up and Viola! They LOVE it!
Try it out. Take their favorite raw recipe and sub in some green water, what ever you have on hand, you may have to compensate a bit, but what another great way to boost our babies!

Last nights baby food:
Papaya Pudding
1/4 cucumber, peeled, de-seeded
1/2 small papaya
1 avocado

Chop everything into large cubes and throw in the blender. She loved it! I'm thinking it should keep for a couple of days.. we'll see.