Medicago Sativa, Pea family

Some folks would say “alfalfa is only fit for livestock,” but you might be surprised to discover that alfalfa was cultivated for medicinal purposes long before it was grown for fodder. Alfalfa has been used for centuries to treat jaundice, arthritis, muscle problems, and kidney disorders.

The Native Americans used it to promote blood clotting and to increase energy and bone strength. Alfalfa is also a well known remedy for intestinal difficulties and for easing menopause. Alfalfa is high in protein and calcium, as well as other minerals and B vitamins.  Alfalfa also contains vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin K.

Alfalfa Lore

The first mention of alfalfa was found in old text written by the emperor of China in 2939 BC. It’s botanical name ‘Medicago’ appears to derive from ancient Greece, but it was the Arabs who named it alfalfa meaning “father of all foods.” It was also Arabs who first fed it to horses to make them run faster.

Alfalfa Success Story

Chainsaw Roy, a friend of mine who lives down the road, continually tells me how great alfalfa is and how it saved his life. Roy is around seventy, clean shaven with a silver ponytai,l and is of German/Cherokee decent. He is a character who makes a living carving the purple heart cedar with his Sthil Chainsaw.

When Roy was in his late sixties his knees got so bad that he could hardly walk and his doctor told him that they were going to have to put disks and steel pins in his knees. He told the doctor to take a hike because he was sure the doctor had dollar signs in his eyes. On his way home, Roy had a change of heart. After struggling with such severe pain, to the point of not wanting to live anymore, Roy decided he was going to have to fire up his chainsaw and work through the pain to pay the expensive fees for the tests and appointments. He suffered through work for quite awhile, but then the day came when a stray Navajo wandered by and took up a conversation with Roy about alfalfa’s healing powers.  Roy started eating alfalfa and swears that his condition was gone almost immediately.  Years later Roy still carves and walks like his ancestors did, without any pain from what was a serious arthritic condition.

Alfalfa Flowers

Alfalfa flowers are purple and taste good but horse experts say that alfalfa must be cut before the flowers appear because it can create colic in horses.

Prices of Alfalfa Soar

Alfalfa is generally sold by the bale and can be gotten from most feed stores and pet shops, but alfalfa prices recently skyrocketed here in New Mexico.

A bale of premium quality alfalfa generally costs around $7 or $8 dollars but crop failures in Texas caused the alfalfa in NM to cost $22.50 per bale. Horses have to eat and there are lots of horses in Texas so NM alfalfa was in high demand.  My dad, Doc, randomly bought 30 bales for $210, which is odd because we do not have much livestock to speak of -one rabbit. He had me unload this trailer load of hay into the container and suddenly we were sitting on gold.  Only a few months later, Doc’s small investment is worth $675.

Should I Eat Alfalfa by the Bale?

An entire bale is too much for a human to consume. You could eat it, but I don’t recommend it. It’s almost all GMO now. Thank you Monsanto! Scumbags!!!  It’s not good for you. It’s not good medicine.  It’s just crap. It is best to grow your own alfalfa sprouts organically.  Many people don’t know that your typical store-bought container of sprouts for sandwiches and salads are Alfalfa sprouts.

Sprouting Alfalfa

Alfalfa seeds are really easy to come by. Most health food stores sell them in bulk for sprouting. A very cheap way to grow a mess of alfalfa is to buy an ounce or two of these seeds in the Organic Bulk section and scatter them in an area of your yard that has water, maybe where the water runs off a roof or by a garden hose leak. If you live in a place where it rains regularly (daily is best), then just throw them out into your yard or garden, and let nature do the rest.

It’s also easy to grow alfalfa sprouts in a jar as well.

Alfalfa Sprouts Health Benefits

Alfalfa Sprouts are a Good Source of Protein

One serving of alfalfa sprouts provides a gram of easily digestible and easy to assimilate plant-based protein. Remember, it’s not how much protein you eat, it’s how much you properly assimilate that counts.

Alfalfa Sprouts are High in Micronutrients

Alfalfa sprouts are a great source of several micronutrients. Alfalfa sprouts are a good source of vitamin K and B vitamins including riboflavin, niacin, folate, thiamin, pantothenic acid and B6. Alfalfa is also high in vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, calcium, and other minerals.

Alfalfa Sprouts are High in Fiber

Alfalfa sprouts are an excellent source of fiber. A 33-gram serving of alfalfa sprouts provides a gram of fiber, making alfalfa a good food for people suffering from constipation and other digestive issues.

Alfalfa and Weight Loss

At only 8 calories per serving, alfalfa is an ideal choice for people who trying to lose weight. Thanks to the fiber and protein, alfalfa is filling too.

When walking through a forest~ or any other natural place that radiates abundance~ I feel most alive. I know that I am far from alone when I write that I deeply sense the power behind and artistry within the way ‘eco~pieces’ fit so perfectly into a rich and dynamic whole. I lack an adequate description for how this harmony puts me at ease…

While enjoying the nutritionally rich ‘sparkle’ of a salad that was collected five minutes before meal time (when much of the produce at the market was grown a month ago) and curtailing grocery bills are both notable benefits of foraging~ one of the greatest treasures of collecting and eating wild foods is of a soulful and mindful nature. There is something about picking and noshing on wild plants that ‘charms in’ the most discerning of onlookers. Even folks who sport a serious disinterest in nature will toss out a dozen questions when they spot you, trail side, plucking up an ‘offensive’ weed and sticking it in your mouth. This intrigue is more than just inquisitive criticism; it is an outward expression of a deeper, more intuitive, nudging. Foraging reminds us that our food is not created in a factory or a supermarket. It is created by our Earth…and it reconnects us in a deep and sustaining way~ going far beyond the boundaries of physical nutrition. No advancement in science can make this variety of beautiful connection obsolete. While the below is about dining directly from Earth’s garden, if you have skills at reading between the lines, you’ll recognize a very sincere plea for less consumption and more self~reliance. I encourage all of us to do all that we can do to nourish ourselves, our children & the planet that nourishes us all……
……dig up, dig in, ‘re~wild’ yourself…..and enjoy!!!

Elderberries

Clusters of small white flowers dropping from the elder tree give signal to the nearby arrival of small, round, juicy, deep-purple elderberries.  Hanging in clumps from the busy branches of the 5-12 foot elder tree (or shrub)- they’re not difficult to spot. The most well known species is the American elder.  This medium to large shrub is a member of the honeysuckle family- and has smooth, gray bark and opposite, compound leaves.  The leaves are divided into several sharply serrated, 2-5 inch elliptical (widest in the middle- and tapering evenly to both ends) leaflets.  The fragrant, lacy blooms of the American elder open in late June and July and contain hundreds of five-petaled, white flowers that span out about 6 inches.

Like most wild plants, the berries of the elder bush are packed with highly bioavailable nutrients. They provide large amounts of potassium and beta-carotene as well as calcium, phosphorous and vitamin C.

The fun scoop: The most powerful wand (the ‘Elder Wand’) in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is concocted of wood from Sambucus canadensis or the American elder. Because I am a fan of all things magical, especially in relation to the hidden (and not so hidden) mystical properties of the sacred plants around us- I’m further pushed to share that in European folklore, fairies and elves would appear if you sat underneath an elder bush during midsummer nights. Interesting, as the strong scentof large masses of elder leaves are thought by some to have a mild narcotic effect. It is written that the lovely elder possessed potent magic~ with the capability of driving away evil-doers. Pocketing the twigs was considered a charm against certain illnesses. All passed down tales aside, my guess is that much of the elder’s charm hails from its ability to heal. The flowers and fruit are wonderfully medicinal. Hippocrates had already made note of this in 400 B.C……..
An infusion or tincture is commonly used to help alleviate ‘colds’ and ‘flu’ as it is astringent, expectorant and induces perspiration- making it helpful for bringing down a fever. The flowers can be steeped in oil to make a soothing ointment for sore muscles, burns and rashes.

The berries and the flowers of the elder bush are edible. The leaves, roots and bark (though medicinally mentioned in several older herbal books) contain a bitter alkaloid and glycoside that may change into cyanide~ and are not edible!

Harvesting elderberries is fairly easy- a carrier bag or bucket and a good pair of scissors (or simply your hands to pinch off clusters) will reward you with a bag full of berries in very little time. Each berry can, then, be removed from their stems~however, if you do not want to take the time for this semi-tedious task or to deal with berry stained hands~ the following method will be a treasure;). -> Simply place the entire clusters in the freezer- giving space to each on a plate or tray of some sort. After the berries have frozen solid, they are very easily removed by rubbing the clusters of berries between your hands. Make sure to do this over a large bowl as the berries snap off from the stems easily and can become a bit of a nightmare to cleanup if not careful. You can place the frozen berries back into the freezer for later use or use them frozen or thawed in recipes.

I have read that elderberries (like the above mentioned leaves, roots and bark) also contain a certain amount of cyanide. While eating a few of them raw doesn’t necessarily create a problem (noshing on a couple is so much fun while collecting)- eating too many can make for a not-so-pleasant experience. Cooking the berries apparently takes the cyanide out, making them safe for consumption. I’ve experienced my fair share of feeling ill after ‘testing’ out non-staple food items…and, as a result, have not been brave enough to test the limits of raw berry consumption;). With foraging, I like to lean towards safety and familiarity, at any rate, and would suggest cooking the berries if you’re planning to eat many of them.

Elderberry syrup is a staple in many of my herbalist friends’ cabinets—after perusing through several past shared recipes, however, I have opted not to dabble in syrup making almost solely based on the amount of sugar that it takes to preserve the concoction. It’s true- I have a ‘thang’ against concentrated sugar, and am dedicated to avoiding sizeable amounts of it. That written, I’m not as enthusiastic about side stepping the antioxidant bliss of elderberries altogether- so, after much ‘strategery’ (thank you, G. W. Bush;)), I decided to try freezing the cooked elderberry juice~ a method that I’ve successfully used for preserving other juices and herbs…it worked out quite well………

Elderberry Recipes

Elderberry Juice Cubes

• Pick berries off stems as best you can (you can use a fork to separate berries from stems, or use the freezer method described above.)
• Rinse berries in a bowl of cold water until clear and clean~ drain water.
• Using a size appropriate pot, heat on medium-low heat for 20-30 minutes~ stirring frequently (berries will turn from a black-purpl’ish color to red-purpl’ish once they’re all cooked.)
• Remove from burner, let them cool off a bit~ then mash them up using a potato masher or the bottom end of a glass jar.
• Try to release as much juice from the berries as possible.
• Spoon (or pour) mixture into a strainer positioned over a bowl, and press with a spoon to push the juice through.
• Pour syrup into ice cube trays and freeze. When you need an immune system boost, just pop a couple out and blend with leafy greens, fruit, spring water, lemon juice (whatever sounds good) for a rejuvenating treat!

*blending nutrient~dense leafy greens with antioxidant and water~rich fruits into a ‘green smoothie’ is an easy and incredible way to boost your health and vitality…

‘Elder~Green’ Smoothie

• 2 bunches of any variety of lettuce
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 cup strawberries
• 1 cup raspberries
• 4-6 elderberry juice cubes (from above)

Add just enough water to blend until smooth & Enjoy!

Chocolate Elderberry Ice Cream

• 3 cups coconut milk
• 2 cups cooked and strained elderberries
• 1 avocado
• 4 tablespoons cacao powder (or carob powder)
  vanilla stevia, to taste (usually 2-3 dropperfuls)
• a pinch of sea salt

Blend all ingredients (except elderberries) until smooth.  Pour into a chilled ice cream bowl and run according to manufacturer’s instructions.  Mid-way through, or after the mixture begins to freeze~ add in the elderberries.

(The one rule, sans exception, of foraging;  KNOW YOUR PLANT.  While the benefits of eating wild plants are significant and very worthy~ there is no room for error.  You can, and should, take all of the time that you need to get to securely know a plant before consuming it…in a way that you can comfortably and positively identify it 100% of the time.)

Is Agave Nectar Better Than Sugar?

Is Agave Nectar Good For You?

Is Agave Nectar Safe For Diabetics?

No! Agave Is Not Healthy!

Agave Nectar is highly concentrated fructose.

Now, many readers may believe that since fructose is fruit sugar, it is “healthy sugar”. It isn’t. Refined fructose is no better than refined glucose.

Consuming fructose naturally from whole foods is different from consuming concentrated agave. In its natural state, fructose is part of a whole food which includes enzymes, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. But refined sugars, sugars that have been stripped of their nutrition through processing, are never healthy.

Refined fructose lowers circulating insulin and leptin levels and raises ghrelin levels after the meal. Since leptin and insulin decrease appetite and ghrelin increases appetite, some researchers suspect that eating large amounts of fructose increases the likelihood of weight gain.

Refined fructose puts an enormous strain on the liver. Dr. Meira Field says, “;…the liver goes bananas and stops everything else to metabolize the fructose.”

Large amounts of fructose in the diet rapidly turn into fatty acids, which are stored as fat or released into the bloodstream as triglycerides. These fatty triglycerides are insulin resistant and cause a host of problems. Overwhelming the liver and producing insulin resistant fatty triglycerides is the road to cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and other diseases.

This is another example of marketing magic. Agave is sold as the healthy alternative to refined sugar. But it is refined sugar. Avoid it like you avoid white table sugar and high fructose corn syrup.

Good alternatives for sugar are stevia, raw honey, date sugar, or sugar cane juice. To understand more about sugar, please read Healthy Sugar Alternatives.

Happy New Year!  I know New Year’s Day was a while ago, which is precisely why I’m writing now. We usually start the year full of enthusiasm to achieve our new goals and New Year’s resolutions, but it’s about this time, shortly after the New Year, that we start to falter a bit and sometimes even give up on our goals completely. I recently wrote a few books all about your personal best; that, in fact, is the title of one of them. I’m a firm believer that we can be extraordinary any time of year if we find meaning in what we’re doing and have reasons to give the extra effort that it takes to excel. I don’t write just about motivation. I’m a health and fitness guy, too. In fact, my book, Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness comes out in late February. I’ve learned over the years that your personal best can be achieved in anything as long as you care enough to make it happen. To borrow a quote from my book:

It is my experience that if you truly love something, you will be willing to spend a lot of time doing it, will be willing to work harder than others to achieve it, and will have so much fun throughout the process that you will excel naturally.  The joy and fulfillment you get from being regularly engaged in the activity you love will propel you to stand out in your field adapting and improving at rapid rates. You will look forward to practice, rehearsal, application, and action in whatever it is that moves you. Through your discipline and dedication, you will thrive in an environment you created that is perfect for you to succeed in. Because you’re doing what you love, you’ll be in a positive mood on a regular basis, will find the good in every situation, will get back up when you’re knocked down, and will time and time again overcome adversity when others with less passion will give in and give up.”

What should be understood is that we all have the power to change something in our lives at anytime, no matter what time of year. As always, now is the best time to start something new. What do you really want to get out of life? What does it really mean to you and how hard are you willing to work to achieve it? What steps need to be taken and when are you ready to say, “Today is the day I’m going to make it happen?”

To help yourself actually stick to the “New Year’s Resolutions” that you create , make sure you’ve answered the following questions:

1. What are the activities I am most passionate about and that bring me the most joy?
2. What makes me wake up every day excited to do what I get to do for my job?
3. What can I do every day to bring about the most fulfillment in my life?
4. What makes me smile more than anything else?
5. What would I do if money and time weren’t limiting obstacles in my life?
6. What does my dream life look like?
7. What steps do I need to take in order to achieve what I really want in life?

Answer those questions honestly and sincerely.

Your personal best isn’t just about motivation and doing what you love to do. It’s about being healthy, happy, and well, too. My inspirational partner and personal wellness coach, Julia Abbott, has some helpful and healthful tips for being at your best this year:

Health & Fitness for the New Year – by Julia Abbott

I know winter is far from over, but it’s not too early to start getting your beach body back. I know; it’s tough to fight the hibernation impulse. A little hibernation is therapeutic, but make it your goal right now to take action, alter stagnating behaviors, and implement a few new tools toward shaping up for the new year. Here are 5 simple steps to get healthier, to be more fit, and to increase energy. What better way to start the new decade?

Step 1

Eat fruit for breakfast. Fruit contains all the components needed to digest itself and requires little assistance from the body. Fruit for breakfast awakens the body and stimulates elimination channels. Proper elimination is the most important factor for improved health and weight loss. Breakfast is easy–just grab a piece of delicious, juicy fruit and bite in!

Step 2: Eat at least one green salad every day. Greens are so important because they contain an array of nutrients in perfect proportion to nourish the body’s tissues and cells. They even contain plenty of amino acids to help you build muscle! It can be difficult to eat that green salad every day. I love greens, but I get tired of them, too! The solution to getting your greens every day and loving it is the green smoothie. By making my green smoothie every morning, I knock out steps 1 and 2 at the same time: fruit first and greens every day! This is what my green smoothie was this morning:

• 1/4 cup of purified water
• Half organic cucumber
• 1 peeled lime
• 1 ripe banana
• Big handful of spinach
• Handful of baby lettuces and herbs
• 1 tbsp freshly ground flax seed or a carefully cold-pressed flax oil
• 1 cup of frozen pineapple

I just toss it all into my Vitamix and blend. Making breakfast and eating my greens takes 10 minutes tops. Fantastic! Note that it is important to rotate your greens and get creative with your smoothie ingredients.

Step 3: Find an enjoyable form of physical activity and schedule it into your day. Exercise doesn’t have to take a long time. I do enjoy going to the gym for an hour-long workout, but very often, I just don’t have that kind of time. I solve this problem by waking up 15 minutes early to perform a quick, high-intensity workout that gets my blood and lymph moving. If you haven’t discovered CrossFit yet, check it out because that is exactly what you need if you are short on time. By 9a.m., you can have 3 steps knocked out.
Try this quick and simple workout tomorrow morning:

• 5 push-ups
• 10 sit-ups
• 15 squats

Perform this set as many times as you can for 10 intense minutes. No money or equipment necessary.

Step 4

Quit drinking sodas and bottled beverages. These drinks are full of highly refined sugar or toxic sugar substitutes that do nothing but subtract from your overall health.

If you are attached to the fizz factor, try drinking sparkling water with fresh lime. If you are attached to the sugar factor, replace the soda with kombucha, a fermented beverage containing beneficial organisms that aid in digestion and detoxification. When I get post-lunch sugar cravings, drinking kombucha knocks the craving out.

Feel a caffeine headache coming on? Sip Yerba Maté tea, an infusion similar to green tea. When I drink Yerba Maté for an energy boost, I do not experience negative side effects such as jitteriness, headaches, or nausea that come from drinking coffee.

Step 5: Eliminate fried foods. Fried foods are detrimental for two reasons: they contain trans fat and they are usually fried in polyunsaturated vegetable oil.

Trans fat is an artery-clogging fat formed when vegetable oil is made to be solid at room temperature. Read the labels on any packaged food and look for “hydrogenated”, “partially hydrogenated”, and “shortening”. Strictly avoid these foods to avoid gradual health decline.

Polyunsaturated oils (canola and soybean, for example) are highly susceptible to heat damage. Heat causes oxidative damage creating free radicals. Translation: after heat exposure these oils become cancer causing.
The bottom line is, there is absolutely no reason your body would want you to eat french fries or doughnuts. There is plenty of healthful, natural food to eat instead. For a mid-morning snack, try a slice of toasted sprouted-grain bread topped with nut butter.

If you start the new year by following these 5 steps, you will be feeling better and looking better in no time. Cheers to your beach body 2010!

Julia Abbott is a competitive runner, avid weight lifter and Author of  The Lemon Letter – A wellness blog dedicated to a holistic approach to ultimate health.

Eating Eden

We are hungry. Not just for calories; it goes much deeper than that. The hunger is for nourishment. We want the satisfaction of eating and assurance that what we’re putting in our mouths is safe, life enhancing, and vital.

We’re scared too—with good reason. There is too much cancer; too many people with heart problems, immunity problems, teeth problems, and weight issues; too many people living into old age without quality of life. We try to keep up with the latest buzz, but it’s no use. There’s always something new. The wonders of olive oil. Soy saves the day. Red wine is good for you. The Atkins’ diet is good for you, and tomato sauce cures prostrate cancer. It’s enough to make anyone go on a wild eating binge.

Food and diet marketers are having a field day with our ignorance. Adding to the confusion, scientists contradict one another every other month. But maybe we’re depending on science a little too much. After all, there are certain things that need no proof.

The truth is, we know how to eat to be nourished, vital, and alive. Imagine conducting an extensive, expensive study to prove what gorillas should eat. Ridiculous isn’t it? They know how to eat: wild and raw. Yes, they know how to eat and so do we. It’s not a diet filled with pizza, Coke, and ice cream.

Is eating a raw vegan diet the latest craze or the original diet? We have all heard about fashion models and movie stars adopting a raw food diet to keep their skin glowing, eyes sparkling, and their bodies svelte, but can it actually be healthy for us in the long run?

Yes. Through my 30 years of experience in helping others transition to a raw vegan diet, not only does eating this way maintain health, eating raw vegan can bring immediate transformation and balance to the tired, overweight, depressed, and ill.

Let’s break this down. RAW= uncooked food. VEGAN= foods that belong to the plant queendom. So basically you are eating things that grow on trees, stems, vines, bushes, and the ground in their raw, original, unadulterated state.

Here are the facts: cooked food is dead. When food is heated above 118 degrees, the enzymes die. Food enzymes are important little machines that break down food into its finest components so it can be metabolized and used by our systems. When enzymes are no longer viable in our foods, the body has to work much harder to process meals. This is why folks feel sleepy after lunch and often get that mid-afternoon slump that only a candy bar (or granola bar) and a cup of Joe will combat. Sound familiar?

Vitamins are fertilizers for our cells, organs, and brain. Eating a diet of primarily cooked, micro-waved, processed, packaged, and canned foods leaves us deficient in these vital substances, paving the way for compromised systems, foggy minds, depressed attitudes, and the slow slippery slope of degenerative disease.
Most folks expect a downward health spiral as they age. This expectation is completely and utterly avoidable if eating a “living” diet.

The Garden of Eating

Raw veganism is the diet of the Garden of Eden. The plants and seeds were given as our food and as far as I know, Adam and Eve were not slaving over some hot coals. It was paradise right? They just plucked the food from where it grew and were supremely nourished.

Wild and Original

All wild animals eat a raw diet. They eat unpackaged, unprocessed, uncooked food. When we look at our domestic pets, most are eating canned or packaged food exclusively. Many of them are suffering from the same diseases humans do—they are lethargic, overweight, arthritic, and suffering from tumors and cancer.
Our original diet was raw. We are designed to eat that way.

The foods available to prehistoric human foragers grew naturally, without cultivation, and included nuts, leafy vegetables, beans, fruits, flowers, gums, fungi, stems, and other similar items. These have been primate staples for tens of millions of years.

Humans share more than 98 percent of their genetic material with one particular primate…the Bonobos.

Bonobos are small apes. Like humans, they have individual facial characteristics, reach sexual maturity around 12-13 years old and are know to live well past 40 years. (They also “French kiss”, the only ape known to do so) The bonobo has a brain that is large both in absolute terms as well as relative to its body size. It does well on problem-solving tasks in laboratory settings and has also shown the ability to engage in symbolic communication. Tool use in the wild has not been observed, but captives have been reported to construct ropes to swing from; to wipe themselves with leaves; and to use sticks to probe, rake, and even pole-vault over water!!!

They live peacefully in forest communities. There are many striking similarities to humans, except for the “peaceful” part.

Fruits make up the majority of the bonobo’s diet, but they also enjoy leaves, pith, flowers, bark, seeds, honey, and fungi as well as small invertebrates such as worms and caterpillars. The main feeding activity, in the morning, is usually concentrated on fruits.

If our closest cousin in DNA eats primarily raw vegan, shouldn’t we? If you consider the human digestive tract, we are specifically designed for fruits, veggies, nuts, and grains.

The human digestive tract is so long that if it were stretched vertically to its capacity, it would measure an astounding 30 feet in length (about the width of a tennis court), more than 5 times the length of an average adult. A dog’s digestive tract is only half as long compared to its body length.

Human digestion begins in the mouth with thorough chewing, mixing with digestive juices (saliva). We have broad teeth with which to do this.

Carnivores on the other hand have sharp “canine’ teeth to tear their food. They gulp it down without much chewing. Because their digestive tracts are much shorter, the meat stays in their body for less time.

Because our digestive tracts are so long, (for better nutrient absorption) complete elimination can take many days. When you put partially chewed meat (WHO chews 30 times until it’s slurry?) in a hot environment for many many hours/days…. it ferments, rots, and well, stinks! Our bodies become cesspools. Disease follows.

Living Food

When we eat raw, the food is screaming with available nutrients and that nebulous, forgotten ingredient “energy”. Living foods simply have more energy. The yogis call this prana or life force. This energy is sun energy. Through the miracle of photosynthesis, plants transfer the life-giving power of the sun to us through their green blood, chlorophyll, and phyto-nutrients.

The more life force we put into our bodies, the more vibrant we are. Fresh picked organic apple? High in prana. Packaged energy bar of questionable age? Low prana. It’s quite simple. When we eat cooked, processed, and packaged food, the prana is severely diminished and we suffer. Over a period of time, the body becomes diseased. “We are what we eat” is a true statement.

Pleasure Tax

When you put a sprout into the ground, in time, you get a plant. When you put cooked food into the ground, you get a moldy mess. This is what happens in our bodies. I know this from personal experience.

I have basically eaten raw since the 70s. Sometimes I eat cooked foods, when I am out with friends or at a dinner party. When I stray, I pay. My body reacts immediately. I call this the “pleasure tax”. I pay with gas, stinky armpits, pimples, headaches, lethargy, PMS, and tightened joints. Many folks are so gunked up they no longer notice their body’s responses to foods and just chalk it up to “normal” aches and pains and problems.

Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine said “let food be thy medicine. Simple words, profound truth.

Let us also address the environmental impact and waste created by a conventional American diet. One pound of meat requires 2500 gallons of water to produce, while a pound of beans requires 25 gals. Large swaths of rainforest are cut down to graze cows. Since rainforest soil is notoriously shallow and poor, these “pastures” lose their vitality in a few years and are left fallow, while new swaths are destroyed. This is not the best use of the “lungs of the planet”. Some predict the Amazon will turn to savanna if this frightening trend continues.

Eating raw and un-package reduces kitchen waste to a minimum. I take out my kitchen garbage once/twice a month. We compost all of our food scraps and have practically zero packaging. I use minimum energy in creating my meals: no fuel for cooking, a few seconds using the blender or the food processor Eating raw vegan truly is the green diet.

A good way to hop on the raw path is to add more raw to your diet. Breakfast is simple, do like the bonobos and eat fruit.
Loaded with moisture, nutrients, fiber and natural sugars, it’s a great refreshing energetic food to begin the day. Choose a variety of fresh fruits in season, add a banana and a little water and whirl in the blender. No powders or dairy needed for the best smoothie ever!

A massive salad for lunch with avocado, deep green leafy veggies, tomatoes, carrots and olives…with a simple dressing of olive oil and lemon juice will stick with you through the afternoon without the 3pm slump. Snacks can be almonds, seeds, fruit. Eat a normal dinner and you are at 66% raw! This is a great way to start.

Experiment with all raw days or weekends. Notice how you feel. Most lose unwanted weight effortlessly, sleep better, digest better, eliminate better, and think better. Raw food is simple.

Make food choices as if your life depended on it. It does.

The first step in creating your organic garden is to determine its best placement. The closer it is to your house, the more attention it will receive. Make sure water is readily available, and it is in an area that is fully exposed to the sun.

Soil preparation is the single most important factor in creating a successful garden. I call it “dirt making.” You begin by gently turning the soil. If this is the first time the land is being used to grow food, a tiller may prove helpful. Subsequent soil preparation can be done with a spade or garden fork. Too much tillage destroys soil structure.

After opening the soil, add copious amounts of organic material such as compost, leaf mold, well rotted sawdust, or decomposed animal manure. You can make your own compost or purchase it from most garden supply stores. If you create good healthy soil, you will grow healthy, disease-resistant plants. Nutrient rich soil grows nutrient rich food.

Compost added to gardens improves soil structure, texture, aeration, and water retention. When mixed with compost, clay soils are lightened and sandy soils are better able to retain water. Mixing compost with soil also contributes to erosion control, soil fertility, proper pH balance, and healthy root development in plants.

Separate garden beds with walkways. You should not walk in the area where you plant your vegetables. The weight from walking on a vegetable bed compacts the soil and retards plant growth.

Utilize the garden space wisely. Select crops you will eat and enjoy or your garden space and the food you grow will both be wasted. Decide what you want to plant and where you will plant it. Know what you will plant after the spring season crop is harvested.

Southern exposure has the most light (if you live in the northern hemisphere). Plant your tall crops on the north and west sides of the garden to prevent shading of smaller plants.

Use known or recommended cultivars for your main planting. Always buy good quality open-pollinated or heirloom seed from a reputable company rather than hybrid seed, or buy transplant seedlings to save time.

Watch the moon and learn its phases. My own experience has taught me that things grown above the ground should be planted during the waxing moon, and things grown below the ground should be planted on the waning moon.

Water your garden as often as needed to maintain a uniform moisture supply. In the absence of rain, an inch of water once a week probably will be adequate for heavier soils. Light sandy soils might require more frequent watering. It is best to water early in the morning so foliage dries quickly. This helps prevent diseases.

Good luck with your garden! Growing food can be a rewarding, spiritual experience. Not only will you benefit from consuming the healthful food you produce, but you will also bring yourself closer to the ultimate realities of creation.

In the future we will delve deeper into some of the items discussed in this piece. Feel free to send any questions you might want us to address.

First blend to a cream:

• ½ cup   macadamia nuts
• ½ cup  walnuts
• ¼ cup  water
• 2  tbsp  fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp  chili powder
• 2 tsp  sea salt

Transfer to a mixing bowl and add:

• ½ cup  chopped watercress
• ¼ cup chopped fresh chives
• 4  chopped cherry tomatoes
• 2  wedges yellow tomato chopped into cubes

Mix well and refrigerate.

To serve, cut the top off of a medium size tomato. Scoop out inside to make a “tomato cup”. Chop up the insides and add to the macadamia walnut cream. Place 2 endive leaves, a pinch of watercress, and blades of chive in the tomato cup. Fill  with the Macadamia Walnut Cream. Top with a sprinkle of black pepper, chopped walnuts, and a cherry tomato. Serve on a bed of water cress drizzled with lemon and olive oil.