Here are some things I have learned along the my journey to Wellville.

1. I eat mostly fruit. I eat tons of fruit and I have never felt better! We are frugivores, we are meant to eat fruit. For a long time I was afraid to eat too much fruit because of what everyone told me about it. I thought it would make me gain weight or cause blood sugar issues. This is so far from the truth. Fruit has fiber so the fiber helps to stabilize blood sugar. You can’t gain weight eating all fruit, it is almost impossible. You get full too fast from all of the fiber. Fruit is cleansing. Fruits like melons, berries, oranges and lemons are excellent cleaners because they clean your GI tract and help get your lymphatic system moving.

2. I no longer eat three meals a day, instead I eat  about 6 or 7 times a day. I eat when I am hungry, some days I can eat less, some days I can eat more. I have found that the breakfast, lunch and dinner thing just makes me ravished by lunch time or dinner.

3. I don’t just squeeze a lemon slice in water, I use an entire lemon. I keep lots of lemons around and it’s the first thing I drink in the morning. When I am done with the lemons I use a grater and save the lemon zest in a bag and freeze it, makes a great topping for salads, kale chips, and it’s great mixed with honey for tea.

4.  I always combine my food properly. I never mix fruit with anything else. I never followed this plan before, didn’t feel it affected me but it DEFINITELY does! I eat melons alone. I keep my meals as simple as possible.

5. I don’t drink with my meals. I have been doing this awhile and have found it works for me. Drinking something with your meals dilutes the digestive acids in the stomach.

6. I only eat ripe fruits and vegetables. In the past I’ve gotten mangoes that weren’t ripe and this is not good, because fruit is acidic if it’s not ripe. The only fruit that can be picked when it’s not ripe and ripen is bananas, everything else ferments.

7. I eat outside in the sunshine whenever I can. Most of us spend way too much time indoors and we need at least 15-20 minutes of sunlight a day to get adequate vitamin D levels. Everything living needs the sun but I am also careful not to burn.

8. I look at food as acidic or alkaline. It’s much better way of looking at food and it helps me determine what’s best for my body.

9. I move way more than ever now. I used to think 90 minutes of hot yoga, squats and rebounding was enough but I am finding that if I walk a few miles in the morning, rebound all throughout the day, whenever I pass by it, hot yoga, squats and then a walk/run in the evening works much better for me. If you have an office job where you sit all day, make sure you stand up several times a day and go for short walks.

10. I pay attention to my bowel movements and urine. I have learned recently that clear urine have a few different meanings. If you are very over hydrated it would be clear, it can also mean the kidneys are not functioning properly and need to be strengthened.  You should see sediment in your urine. A healthy body will have 2-3 bowel movements a day.

11. Parasite cleanses are important. Everyone that eats raw vegetables, or eats meat,  or eats sushi and/ or  has pets has parasites. They can cause cravings for foods and cause other problems too. Get some herbs that will help rid you of parasites. I noticed that when I got rid of some parasites the cravings for sweets disappeared.

12. Emotions are linked to our organs. Release anger, forgive, be peaceful and loving. I make a habit of observing my feelings and it makes it so much easier.

sources:

The Detox Miracle Sourcebook by Dr. Robert Morse

Protect yourself for carcinogens. Fill your house with live plants that will help to absorb ammonia, formaldehyde, benzene, hydrates, trichloroethylene and xylene.

These are indoor plants that will help to clean your air:

• spider plants
• philodendron
• bamboo plants
• English ivy
• ficus tree
• corn plants
• bromeliads
• chrysanthemum
• golden pothos
• house type palms

If you have pets, make sure these plants are safe in case they might chew on the leaves.

I haven’t been posting very much. While I was in raw food classes information from others came so fast to me and although it was something I have been searching for, for a very long time, it was almost overwhelming. Several of the speakers at our school mentioned Dr. Robert Morse. He holds a Doctorate of Science in Biochemistry and Doctorate of Naturopathy and he is also an iridologist. He’s helped over 100,000 people heal themselves. He has over 850 videos on youtube. If you are sick or healthy and you wish to attain perfect health, he’s the one I recommend.

Here is a link to his youtube channel. Robert Morse ND

Dr. Robert Morse explains healing very simply. Everyone has a slow moving lymphatic system. All of your cells have to eat and excrete and your lymph system is your sewer system. In order to achieve health we have to clean our lymphatic system then we can rebuild. We also have to strengthen the weaknesses we were born with. Most of us never strengthen these weaknesses and the body is always to trying to balance us out.

He also wrote a book called The Detox Miracle Sourcebook. It is excellent but I highly recommend listening to his videos first.

Thanks for reading!

We made this in my raw food class. It’s my favorite raw cuisine dessert so far.

Ingredients:

Pie filling
1 cup of raw cashews (soaked and drained for 6 hours)
1/2 cup of pitted dates
3 ripe medium sized bananas
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/4 cup of coconut oil
1 cup of raw cacao powder
1/2 cup of almond milk (you can substitute with coconut water)

Pie crust
2 cups of walnuts (soaked 4-6 hours then dehydrated 8-10 hours)
1 cup of shredded coconut
1/4 cup of pitted dates

3 tablespoons of shredded coconut to decorate top of pie

First make the pie crust. Blend all of the pie crust ingredients in food porcessor with an “S” blade until blended but still slightly chunky. Put the pie crust in an 8 inch round pie. Use both of your hands, patting it down and making it even in middle and on the sides.

For the pie filling add dates, cashews, bananas, and vanilla to food processor. Blend until smooth. If it’s grainy continue to blend. Then add oil and cacao powder. Blend well. Slowly add the almond milk and continue to blend well. Pour the filling into the pie crust. Sprinkle coconut on top for decoration. Freeze to set for 4 hours. Defrost for 30 minutes before serving.

Even though this recipe is raw vegan, keep in mind this contains nuts and oil so it’s high in fat. I had a tiny piece as you can see in the last photo.

ENJOY!

Thought for the day:

“Infuse love into every situation.” -Daniel Scranton, The Creators.

I recently started taking a raw food chef class that I am enjoying so much. I have learned so much invaluable information, the food is off the charts delicious and the people I have met have been such an inspiration to me.

Our instructors all share their personal stories with us and what lead them to a raw vegan lifestyle. Every story is amazing and motivates me to continue down this journey of wellness. I didn’t realize this would be more than just a raw food cuisine chef course but great wisdom from people who have healed themselves with food.

Last Sunday a man named Joseph came to our class to tell his amazing story. When he was 33 years old, he knew something was wrong with him, he could feel it.Then he started to notice blood in his stools. He went to the doctor to get checked out and he found out he had stage 4 colon cancer that metastasized to his liver.The doctor told him he had about 6 months to live! Can you imagine how you would feel if a doctor told you that? Joseph’s doctor and his family urged him to get aggressive chemotherapy so that he could possibly have a fighting chance to live longer. He had a port put into his chest so they could administer the chemo drugs into him. He also had two feet of his intestine removed and had to use a colostomy bag.Joseph wanted to know about others that were similar to him, around the same age, same type of cancer, same aggressive chemo treatment, that were going through this also. He wanted to hear about their progress.He often asked how they were doing and would get updates through the grapevine. Over the course of a few months, he started to hear less updates from the others and Joseph knew that more than likely it meant they weren’t doing very well or they had passed. After a few chemotherapy treatments, Joseph ended up in the emergency room three times. The third time, he almost didn’t make it out alive. His intestine had twisted inside of hm and they couldn’t operate because he was on blood thinners so he had to wait. He made a decision while he was there, he decided that he would never do chemotherapy again. He knew if he continued with it, he would surely die. When Joseph finally got out he entered the Hippocrates Institute where he stayed for three weeks and learned to heal himself with the right foods.

Today Joseph is very healthy. He looks great and his entire life has changed. Before entering the Hippocrates Institute, he was on the SAD (standard American diet) with a very acidic lifestyle. Now he is a raw vegan and has been for over 5 years. He grows his own food and has a huge farm now. Isn’t that a wonderful miracle story?

One very important thing Joseph emphasized was taking care of unresolved issues. He said he knew the exact moment when his healing began to happen. It was during a therapy session where he finally released something he had been holding onto for a long time. It was something that happened to him and it was very personal so he didn’t go into detail, but he said it was always in the back of his mind. His therapist used EMDS (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) and all of these emotions came up,  he burst into tears and he sobbed for awhile. After that he felt like he was already getting better, he finally let it go. Joseph told us you can have the perfect healthy diet but if you have unresolved issues, they can come up later as some type of illness. He advised us to let it go, let all of it go. If your job is causing you stress, if you relationship is causing you stress, whatever it is, if you can’t fix it, then let it go. It’s just not worth your health. It’s not just about what you eat and how much you exercise, it’s also about what you are thinking and feeling.  The trillions of cells that make up your body are feeling whatever you are feeling and thinking.They respond and keep that memory.

Add more healthy living foods to your daily diet. Focus on the good things in your life. Make amends when you can. Forgive others and most importantly forgive yourself. Let go of people and things that don’t serve you. If your job or relationship is making you unhappy, find ways to fix it and if that doesn’t work maybe it’s time to for a change. Make your life easy and simple. Let all of the bad stuff go so you have room for the good stuff. It’s all a part of wellness. Like the saying goes, take care of your body it’s the only place you have to live.

Want something fast and easy to make? This is what I had today for lunch. It was really delicious! This is a chopped salad with green onion dressing. Chopped bok choy, carrots,  zucchini, avocado with green onion dressing and black sesame seeds.

What makes it great is the green onion dressing. If you like green onions and garlic then you will love this. I got the recipe from Living Cuisine Academy and Green Wave Cafe in Plantation, Florida but I use flax seed oil instead of olive oil. I’ve gone to the Green Wave Cafe often and always order the green onion dressing.  I’m so happy to be able to make it myself now and have it handy whenever I want it.

Green Onion Dressing

• 6 green onion stalks
• 2 cups of  extra virgin olive oil  (use flax seed for a healthier recipe)
• 2/3 cup of raw honey
• 2/3 cup of apple cider vinegar
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3 teaspoons of Herbamare (you can use a 1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt or pink salt if you don’t have it)

Combine all ingredients in a blender until creamy smooth. Put into a jar with a lid and refrigerate. Makes 1 1/2 bottles.

I made it by cutting the recipe in half and using flax seed oil instead of olive oil. You can also substitute the oil by using avocado. For every 1/2 cup of oil just use  1/4 of an avocado and 3/4 cup of water instead.When you use avocado  it will be creamier so you might want to use 1/4  cup apple cider vinegar and 3- 4 tablespoons of raw honey.

Keep in mind that even if you use extra virgin olive oil or flax seed oil, it’s still oil.  A little oil is good for you but too much isn’t, so use it sparingly. A little goes a long way.

Thought for the day:

“Something wonderful is about to happen. I can feel it!” – Lisa B.

This is was my yummy breakfast.

• 2 frozen bananas (freezing them makes a huge difference)
• 1 cup of filtered water
• 2 teaspoons of raw shelled hemp seeds
• 1 teaspoon of raw almond butter (add more if you need)
• sprinkle of cinnamon

Place all ingredients in your blender and blend well until creamy. Enjoy!

Thought for the day:

“Wherever you go and whomever you meet, you will find your own love waiting for you.” – Louise L. Hay

Hemp seeds are awesome. Have you tried them yet? Don’t worry they won’t get you stoned. Hemp seeds are one of the most nutritious foods ever. They are an ideal food source for raw foodies and vegans but I think everyone should be eating these.

 8 Reasons to Eat Hemp Seeds

1. They taste really good in almost everything!  They have a nutty flavor. You can add a few spoons to your smoothies, salads, soups, oatmeal, puddings, cereals, dressings and use them in raw recipes.
2. Hemp seeds are a nutritionally complete food. They contain all of the essential amino acids and all 20 amino acids.
3. Hemp seeds are easily digestible and do not cause the bloating and gas like other proteins. 3 tablespoons of hemp seeds equals 11 grams of protein.
4. There are two types of protein in hemp seeds, 65 % is edestin and 35% is albumin. Edestin protein is very close to our body’s own globular protein in our blood plasma. Albumin is also a high quality protein.
5. Hemp seeds are the most balanced sources of essential fatty acids with an omega 6 to 3 ratio of 3:1. Most experts concur the ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 should be consumed in the range of 1:1 to 5:1  get the maximum benefit. Omega 3′s can help to reduce inflammation, lower your risk for cancer, arthritis, heart disease, improve brain function and be helpful for people with atherosclerois. The gamma-linolenic acid can help reduce nerve pain in diabetics too.
6. The extracts from hemp seeds can help to improve memory and learning. They help to stimulate calcineurin which is a brain enzyme that plays a key role in brain synapse activity. A study at the University of Michigan showed that calcineurin increased both immune and brain function in mice.
7. Hemp seeds are excellent for your digestive system. The seeds have a bulking and laxative effect. This cleans the walls of your colon.
8. Hemp seeds contain glutamic acid. This is a neurotransmitter that helps us deal with work related and psychological stress.

You can find raw shelled hemp seeds at health food stores and also online. Remember to store them in the refrigerator after opening.

sources:

http://www.drbronner.com/pdf/hempnutrition.pdf

http://www.truthabouthemp.org/Nutrition.htmlhttp://www.globalhemp.com/about-hemp/hemp-foods/hemp-protein.html

http://www.livestrong.com/article/167905-what-are-the-benefits-of-hemp-seeds/

http://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/hn-4393002#hn-4393002-uses

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/01/12/aha-position-on-omega-6-fats.aspx

http://www.ratical.org/renewables/hempseed1.html

http://ksabc.or.kr/admin/contribute/journal_jabc/epaper/2011_54_2_84-88.pdf

Yummy Raw Living Lasagna with “meat”

Ingredients:

• 1 large organic zucchini  (most zucchini is gmo)
• 1 medium organic tomato
• 1 cup of organic fresh basil
• 2 cups of organic baby spinach
• 1 cup of organic sun dried tomatoes
• 3 pitted dates
• 3 large organic lemons
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 cups of walnuts
• 1/2 cup of pine nuts
• 3/4 cup of raw cashews
• 4 tablespoons of Bragg’s liquid aminos
• spices – marjoram, thyme, sage, salt & pepper
• 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• filtered water

First the nuts have to be soaked in water for 6 hours, except for the pine nuts.  Place nuts (walnuts, cashews)  in individual covered containers filled with water. Put in the fridge for 6 hours. Then drain and set aside. Also soften the sun dried tomatoes by placing them in a bowl covered in filtered water for 30-45 minutes. Squeeze the lemons and set the juice aside.

Meat:

• 2 cups of drained and soaked walnuts
• 1 teaspoon of thyme
• 1 teaspoon of sage
• 1 teaspoon of marjoram
• 4 tablespoons of Bragg’s amino acids
• salt and pepper ( I use pink Himalayan salt)

Place all ingredients into blender or food processor. Do not pulse long. Pulse until the consistency resembles crumbled hamburger meat or sausage like the photo below. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper. Set aside. This stuff is so good. You can also use it as taco “meat” or make it into a patty for “hamburger” or top it on healthy crackers for an easy appetizer.

Pesto:

• 1/2  cup of raw pine nuts (these do not need to be soaked)
• 1 cup of organic fresh basil
• 2 cups of organic baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup of lemon juice
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients in blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. You can also use this recipe for dips and sauces. Save a few basil leaves for the top of the lasagna.

Marinara Sauce

• 1 cup softened sun dried tomatoes
• 3 dates, pitted
• 1/4 cup of  lemon juice
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 teaspoon italian spices
• 1/2 teaspoon of thyme
• 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of filtered water

Be sure to soften your sun dried tomatoes by soaking them in water 30-45 minutes before you make this recipe. Chop up the clove of garlic fine. Mince the pitted dates. Place all ingredients in blender or food processor and blend until chunky smooth. Set aside.

Cashew Cheese:

• 3/4 cup of soaked cashews
• 2 teaspoons of water
• 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
• pinch of salt

Place all ingredients into blender or food processor.  Be careful to pulse only until it is the texture ricotta cheese texture. Set aside. This is a very popular recipe. I love it.  There is a word of caution though, some people can get really bad tummy aches from cashews even if they are soaked. I didn’t use as much of the cheese as I normally would for this reason, so I had a lot of cheese left over.

Slice tomatoes very thin. Slice the zucchini lengthwise as thin as possible. You can use a large peeler if you have one.

Now you are ready to make your lasagna! Start by placing a zucchini slice on a plate then top with marinara, pesto, cheese, tomato and meat and then repeat the layers. Add a sprinkle of Italian seasoning with a basil leaf. Serve immediately. Note, if you make it and refrigerate it, the tomatoes and zucchini will make it watery. This makes 2-3 servings depending on how big you make your layers. Enjoy!

Who wants a Hempshake? YOU do!

1 10 ounce bag of organic frozen berries. I used strawberries, blackberries and blueberries for this one.
2 cups of filtered water. I used cold ionized alkaline water.
2 ripe bananas
2 Tbsp Navitas Naturals Hemp seeds. You can also use hemp powder instead.
1 tbsp of Chia seeds.

When using chia seeds, it’s not necessary to presoak them, but if you do it will be even more beneficial for you. Chia seeds absorb and retain water and then it swells with a gelatinous membrane surrounding it. I like to keep some presoaked chia (chia gel) in a covered jar in my fridge all the time.

Place berries, water, bananas in blender, then add hemp and chia seeds. Blend until smooth. Makes two servings. This is loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, amino acids and protein, fiber and fat. You can also add a handful of spinach or kale if you want something green in your smoothie. Experiment. Enjoy!