Alkalizing Life Style

Chubby Hubby Raw Brownies

Raw Brownies

Denis is supper addicted to chocolate and it has been a real challenge for him to stop eating chocolate (raw cacao). But once in awhile we both breakdown and make these brownies. I used to call them Midnight brownies because they would keep me up all night. But Denis prepares them and has perfected the recipe as time goes by and so now I call them Chubby Hubby Raw Brownies.

1 cup of almond flour
1 cup of chocolate powder

1/4 cup flax seeds meal* (powder)
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup agave
2 Tbs. of Maca
1 Tbs. of Mesquite
Pinch of Salt
1 Tsp. of ashwagandha
1 Tsp. of shilajit
1 Tbs. of vanilla powder

Mix in food processor until you get the brownie consistency. Mold into squares or any shape wanted. Eat next to a love one and watch TV all night.

*Flax meal is made by grinding the seeds

Enjoy!

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Full Moon Liquid Fast

in Environment, Food, Health, Raw, Spiritual

Full Moon in Sedona Arizona - 2007

About four months ago, Denis and I decided to challenge our diets and take it one step further. We decided to fast and only eat, or drink in this case, liquids once a month on the full moon.

We noticed that around the full moon it was hard to deal with everyone’s energy. At work, on the road, online, on TV, at the beach, everyone is more stressed than usual.

A liquid fast entails only consuming liquids such as soups, smoothies, juices, water, puddings; basically anything that doesn’t require chewing.

I am a huge fan of soups and smoothies… always been! And preparing only liquid foods was very easy for me. I also had great help from several books with not only great raw vegan soup recipes but smoothies and juices.

We start our liquid fast about three days before the full moon and so far it has helped us deal with the “Full Moon” energy around us. I have set reminders in my calendars to let me know when the full moon starts so that we can start our fast.

Here are some of the recipes that I make during the liquid fast:

Thank God, Orange Juice, & Grapefruit Juice

Happy Full Moon 2010!

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5 Tips to Become a Vegan

in Food, Health

Vegan Pie

Last year I wrote about beginning to transition to a vegetarian diet. If you are ready to take the next step and have decided this is the right choice for you, here are five ways to get started with a vegan diet. These tips follow the steps from the previous post.

Start Fading Fish from Your Diet

Fish was hard to give up because I loved sushi! I started using mock meats and substitutes such as tofu & tempeh. I used the same formula for meats and other animals; I started eating fish only three times a week for a month and only if I prepared it at home. When I went out, I would order a vegetarian or vegan meal. After a few months, I was able to only eat fish once a week and soon stopped completely.

Substitute Milk and other Dairy for Soy or Almond Milk

There are many products out there to replace dairy. I started with almond and rice milk, cheeses, ice cream, butter, etc.

Photo by: Veganbaking.net

Tofu, Your New Best Transitional Choice!

Learning to prepare and enjoy tofu can be challenging. But with the right recipes or going to the right restaurants, one can soon enjoy tofu. I found that the best tofu recipes can be found at Asian restaurants like Japanese, Korean, Chinese, etc. I also learned that the trick to preparing tofu at home is marinating it for about 4 to 8 hours in your favorite sauce. I used to copy the recipes from my favorite restaurants and prepared them at home. It’s important to know the different textures tofu is sold and how it is used. Most brands have a picture of how to use tofu depending on its texture. Silken is most commonly used in puddings and smoothies, firm and extra form for frying baking, etc.

Photo by: avlxyz

Read it: No Animal Bi-Products

Once I found out that I was allergic to dairy, I stopped consuming dairy products. However, I was not aware that hundreds of packaged foods have dairy. For example, crackers and you good-old-plain saltines have dairy. It’s important to read the labels of packaged foods even if they are labeled vegetarian.

Learn to Order Vegan Dishes in Non-Vegan/Non-Vegetarian Restaurants

Photo by: rusvaplauke

This is one of the tips that saved me, learning how to order a healthy meal at an unhealthy restaurant. Whenever I went out to eat, I would ask the waiter/waitress for any vegan or vegetarian dishes so that I wouldn’t have to read the entire menu. I have yet to find a restaurant that doesn’t have a vegetarian or vegan alternative. If they didn’t have a dish, I would make one on my own. For example, every restaurant offers side dishes, baked potatoes, side vegetables, fruit plates, etc. So I would order three sides and a house salad which usually didn’t include meats or dairy. Because I was allergic to dairy, I would always ask for no butter or cheese in any of the side dishes and would let them know of my allergies.

One of the biggest challenges is learning to change your habits, and enjoy the transition. If it is done right, it will be very rewarding. Any time I made changes to my diet and lifestyle, I made sure to visit my doctor to monitor my health.

It is important not to judge others and preach. We’re all different and what works for one person, may not work for someone else. So love your family and friends the way they are and don’t try to convert anyone. Just because you made a choice, doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for others.

Have fun & don’t stress!

Chocolate Cake

Recommended reading

Vegan with a Vengeance: Over 150 Delicious, Cheap, Animal-Free Recipes That Rock by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
The pH Miracle: Balance Your Diet, Reclaim Your Health by Robert O. Young
Vegetarian Times Vegetarian Beginner’s Guide by the Editors of Vegetarians Times
Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman
Healthy at 100: The Scientifically Proven Secrets of the World’s Healthiest and Longest-Lived Peoples by John Robbins

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My Father’s Scramble Tomato, Onion, and Rice Eggs… Vegan Style

in Food, Health, Raw, Recipes

Raw Vegan "Eggs"

When someone doesn’t feel like making food or cooking, they order take out or go out to eat. And if budgets are tight, most of us have a recipe we make for those days when we just don’t feel creative about making food or are tired.

My dad’s recipe for those occasions was scramble eggs with rice, tomatoes, and onions. He would fry the chopped onions, tomatoes, and left over rice and throw a few whipped eggs and make a meal out of that. For many years before we became raw vegans, I would use my father’s recipe for when I felt tired and didn’t want order take out food.

I now have a raw vegan version of this recipe that is very quick to prepare and tastes amazing.

Here are the ingredients:

2 Handfuls of Almonds (hopefully sprouted)

¼ cup Flax Seed Powder

Turmeric

Cumin

Real Salt

2 Tomatoes

½ Medium Onion

Cilantro

½ small jalapeno pepper (optional)

Olive Oil

Avocado and Shredded Romaine lettuce

Put the almonds in the food processor with the flax seed powder, turmeric, cumin, and salt. Process to a powder and set aside in a bowl.

Almond Powder and Tomatoes in Food Processor

Using the same food processor (no need to wash it), put cut tomatoes, onions, oil, cilantro, and salt to taste. Pulse to make a semi-chunky salsa and avoid making it too liquidy. If you are using the jalapeno pepper, add them to the salsa to make it as spicy as you can handle. Add the salsa to the powdered almonds and mix without making to mushy.

Mixing Powder and Salsa

Serve over shredded lettuce, I use the lettuce to replace the rice in my father’s recipe. Slice the avocado and serve on the side. This serves two people, a tiny woman and a big Russian!

I recently added something else to this recipe; I’ve been using pumpkin seed oil and pour it over avocado. It’s delicious!

Enjoy!

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5 Hard-Core Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas for Valentine’s Day

in Environment, Raw, Spiritual

Plus Where to get Dinner, Chocolates, and Flowers

heart

Valentine’s Day is a romantic holiday but who said you had to stick to the usual gifts that may not go with your green lifestyle? Here are five gifts ideas for your green significant other:

“No-one-died” Jewelry

Jewelry is the most common gift to give to your loved one on Valentine’s Day. So why not make it something eco-friendly that didn’t cause people’s lives? Here are gifts from recycled, reused, and/or natural materials that will go excellent with your “green” Valentine’s Day.

“Good-Cause” Accessories

There are many companies that make accessories that help a good cause. I’m choosing Hemp Sisters (Earth Divas) this time because they have a great variety of green gifts for your significant other.

Romantic Evening – Do a Home Spa

Gaiam is a great site with wonderful gifts for any occasion. I picked this “Healing Home Spa” set because it a great way to show your loved one that you care for their health and the earth.

When you are Ready to Commit

Compost buckets! Not your typical romantic gift, but it will make a statement that you both are ready to take the next step in your “green” path and commit to it.

Compost Bucket

Something Practical for All

This is a great gift if you know you significant other has everything and doesn’t need another necklace, ring, earrings, etc., or your family doesn’t exchange gifts. I picked Tonic, formerly Green Dimes, for this occasion because it’s a great way to stay green by eliminating unnecessary junk mailings that are cause trash. Not a typical romantic gift, but a very original idea!

So now that you picked the gift, all that is left are the card, the flowers, the chocolates, and dinner.

The Card

Picking a card that is green is easy. Most places sell now cards made or recycle paper etc. However, if you want to take one green step further, check out these cards that have wild flower seeds that can be planted to grow. Very original and will impress your “green” significant other.

The Flowers

If your honey is like me, they won’t want flowers and may prefer plants. However, if they do like flowers, here is an organic shop that has a great variety for this special occasion.

The Chocolates

Take this opportunity to try raw vegan chocolate. I have many raw favorites, but for Valentine’s Day I’m recommending Gnosis Chocolates.

The Dinner

If you are truly green, you will want to go to a vegetarian or vegan restaurant. To locate a local place to take your significant other for dinner, use Happy Cow. And if you are in South Florida and want an impressive restaurant, try Sublime.

Happy Green Valentine’s Day! Remember that the most important part of this holiday is LOVE!

Heart Photo by: qthomasbower

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Natural Hair

in Environment, Health

My Hair

Anyone that has met me in the last 11 years knows how much fun I had changing my hair… color, cuts, and styles. Every month was something different, a different shade of red too. And I loved every color I tried! My hair stylist loved it when I showed up because she knew she got to do whatever she wanted, and I would have loved it no matter what.

I had been coloring my hair since I turned 18 and after 10 years I decided to stop.

It started when I went to my first Raw Spirit Fest in Sedona about two years ago. I heard Victoria and Valya Boutenko talk about all these products we all use in our bodies and we think we are healthy ‘cause we have a raw vegan diet. Well I was sitting there all proud ‘cause I used organic and/or natural creams, shampoos, soaps, makeup, tooth paste, oils, etc. My ego was going “yeah suckas! gotta go all natural!” nodding my head to their words.

Until they talked about hair dyes; “Oops!” The ego said, “Well I use vegetable dyes from whole foods. That’s not bad!” I knew I was lying to myself. I had only starting using vegetable dyes two years previous to that, but I had about 8 years worth of chemicals in my body for sure. So about a year ago I decided to stop dying it and had to cut most of it out.

It’s been a year and finally all the color is completely out! I can say I’m all natural now!

I wake up and look at my new REAL hair color and it’s not bad and it makes me proud to say it was a big step for me and I’m happy with my decision. I do miss my red-colored hair every now and then. But if I’m going to talk the talk, I gotta walk the walk. Plus there are always wigs… natural ones of course!

More Styles & Colors

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Saturday Morning Green Delight

in Food, Raw, Recipes

Saturday Morning Juice & Ganesh

One Saturday morning I woke up waiting a green juice. So I took everything green out of the refrigerator and juice it. I usually don’t juice greens because I get a fantastic green juice at Josh’s Organic Garden called the “Thank God” five days a week. Not only does Josh have the best greens ever, but also their juicing method is out of the world.

So I have gotten used to drinking green juices five days a week and Saturdays they are not open. I washed all my greens and juiced them including two apples because my juicer is not as great as the one at the Juice Bar. And now it has become a tradition to wake up Saturday mornings and juice the greens.

Here is what I juice:

3 types of Kale (dinosaur, red, and green)

3 types of chard (red, yellow, and white)

Florida Romaine lettuce

Dandelion, Spinach, Collard Greens

Celery, Carrots, Cucumber

2 apples (optional)

I juice everything and put it in a jar, mix in about 2/3 of water, and some pH drops. I save half of that for my sweetie and he adds a lime/lemon to his juice, and I add the two juiced apples to mine.

And that’s our Saturday morning delight!

Thank God at Josh's Organic Garden

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Blue Zones: Communities that Live a Longer and Blissful Life

in Food, Health, Spiritual

I love Ted Talks and this video summarizes what I believe we all are capable of doing to live a healthier and joyful life.

I strongly believe that there are several areas in one’s existence to live a happy life, and they all connect and interact with each other. It’s not just about the food and/or exercise. Or if we are wealthy and have no financial worries, we are going to be happier. I think we all fall into a trap of thinking that if we change our eating habits, work out more, and have money all of the sudden our lives are much more contented.

Dan Buettner shows in this video what it’s been proven to work in these “Blue Zones” or communities around the world. A “Blue Zone” is an area where the population lives pass 100 years old. Dan and his team summarize 9 lifestyle tips that these communities practice to live a longer and blissful life.

I hope this video inspires you to find the path to your higher self.

Enjoy!

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9 Fun Ideas to “Spice Up” your Exercise Routine

in Exercise, Health

Biking

One of the most common New Year resolutions is to exercise more often, sign up for the gym, or loose weight. But after the second week or even a month it is very hard to stay motivated. I can actually write a list of my top 20 excuses to not exercise. However, I know that exercising helps me not only to stay healthy but also be happy. Once I get myself going, I enjoy whatever physical activity I’m doing.

Another reason I tend to loose focus on my exercise routines is that I don’t enjoy doing the same type of exercise over and over. I don’t like to just go to the gym, or be outdoors or just do cardio or take classes. So here are some of types of activities that I do to stay motivated to exercise daily.

Free Activities

Since I moved closer to the beach and the ocean, I’m now able to exercise for free. Here are some of the free alternatives to exercise and keep it interesting.

Walking & Running

I used to run at the gym on a machine. Now, I try walking and running on the sand or by the ocean on the paved road around my house. It doesn’t require a lot of preparation, I just put my shoes and go out for 15 minutes and done! No need get the gym bag, get in the car and drive, check in, etc.

Bicycle & Rollerblading

I’ve been rollerblading since I was six years old. And now that I’m by the beach is very easy to get the rollerblades and head out and exercise. I also was given a bicycle years ago and never used it. Now, I have two bikes and go almost every other day so that I exercise different muscles I don’t get to exercise doing other physical activities.

Swimming

swimming

Being by the ocean helps immensely, specially living in Florida since the temperature of the ocean is almost always warm. But years ago I had a pool in the house I lived, and I used it every day for months until after a year I got bored. When I had a membership at the gym, they had a pool too and was swimming at least two or three times a month so that I wouldn’t get bored just working on machines.

Hiking

This is new to me. I started hiking in 2008 right before I went to Sedona. I had done some “mild” hiking when I was in high school but nothing like the rocks in Sedona. In Florida is hard since there are no rocks or mountains, but we have trails.

Home activities

Activities like bouncing, watching workout videos, etc help to keep exercising fun. Especially in the winter when one can’t get out and do free outdoor activities. I have Netflix and often will add work out videos, Belly dance, yoga, etc and watch them at home and exercise. But I’m quite shy, so I wait until my hubby is out or sleeping to do it.

Paid Activities

A few years back, the only way I could stay motivated to exercise was knowing that I was paying money and that if I missed a day, that way money lost. So if you are like me (years ago), these are some of the paid activities you can do to keep you motivated and not bored with the same type of activity.

Sign up for a Gym

I had a subscription for many years and I truly enjoyed it until I was not able to afford it anymore. I went three or four times a week and took advantage of everything they provided from the machines to classes, the pool, the trainers, everything. That helped me enjoy exercising.

Take a Class

Whether is a yoga class or a dance class, sometimes if one lacks the discipline to stick with something, it helps to have an instructor that will keep you focused. I strongly recommend belly dance classes for women and yoga for men.

Winter Sports

Snowshoeing1

Not everyone lives in sunny Florida where even in the coldest night we can still go out for a run. So if you live near a mountain or even a hill, paid winter sports such as skiing or snow shoeing is fun and keeps the diversity on physical activities during the winter.

Water Sports

Canoeing & snorkeling are a few that are fun to try at least once in a life time and can get your heart rate going.

So hopefully by the time you’ve finished reading this blog you have new ideas for fun physical activities that you can do to keep yourself motivated in exercising.

Hiking and doing yoga in Mt. Shasta, CA.

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Pickled Onions

in Food, Health, Recipes

Pickled Onions

When I was growing up, my grandfather used to make these pickled onions once a year. He would make about 1 two-gallon-size jar of these and share with the entire family. He would peel every little onion, wash them, and fill up the jar. These onions would be served with steak and other dishes.

I now eat them with salads and any other raw dish we make for lunch or dinner. I have shared them with friends and even made a few jars to give as gifts for the holidays.

Here is what you’ll need to make these pickled onions:

1 glass jar or Mason jar with cover

Small red, yellow, and white onions (enough to fill up the jar)

1 small beet per jar cut in small cubes

2 garlic cloves chopped

2 Tbs. chopped cilantro

1 small jalapeño pepper or any other hot pepper sliced

Water (enough to cover onions in the jar)

Real salt (1 Tbs. per 1 cup of water)

Peel onions and wash them. Put the garlic, hot pepper, a few of the beet cubes, and half of the cilantro at the bottom of the jar and add one tbs. of Real Salt. Fill the jar half way with the onions and add the rest of the beets, garlic and cilantro. Add the rest of the onions until the jar is full. Add one cup of water and if the onions are not covered, continue to add more water one cup at the time. Add one Tbs. of salt per each cup of water added after the first.

Cover the jar and let is sit at room temperature for four days. Each night open the jar and let the gases out. Replenish the water and salt if necessary. I put a pan under the jar in case that water comes out which happens often and that way I won’t have to clean a mess.

After the four days, put the onions in the refrigerator and use in salads, dishes, etc.

Hope you enjoy this recipe!

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← Previous Entries

Alkalizing Life Style

Chubby Hubby Raw Brownies

Full Moon Liquid Fast