So here I am on a lazy Day-After-Christmas morning getting ready for 2010, pondering “hmmm…what should I make my news resolution?”.

Bam!  The idea came to me – maybe I should expand my knowledge in eating like a true raw foodist.  Yup, thats it.  Thats what I am going to do!

So I do a quick search on my trusted friend, Google…and much to my chagrin a wonderful site came up: a company called Living Light Cuisine!

I was quite surprised to find that they had Certified Raw Food chef’s around the WORLD that can teach you exactly what to do, how to do it and get you up and running.
Still looking for one that is in San Diego – but hey, I’m sure there will be!

Oh – and one little extra – I just found this site all about Starting a Raw Food Diet! TheBestofRawfood.com.  check it out.  Some cool info on there…more to come!

Thought I would share

I am at a point in my life where I wonder…is there something else I could be doing to feel better?  It seems when I hit 40, it was harder to stay fit and healthy and another weird symptom appeared every month or so.  At 47, I am wondering about perimenopause, fatigue, my thyroid, weight gain, stiff and achy joints and even heart palpitations.  It is my intention here to share a little of what I am going through and maybe help you find some answers too. 

My menstrual cycle started changing about a year ago.  Longer, shorter, heavier, lighter….all of the above.  I knew it was perimenopause and I wasn’t concerned until I started experiencing symptoms that would affect my daily life.  Most of the symptoms were manageable.  Some symptoms, like burning tongue, were diagnosed by my dental hygenist.  Night sweats, though intense enough to have to get up and change my clothes in the middle of the night, didn’t interfere with my life.  My fatigue was enough to cause me to start taking an afternoon nap.  I work nights, so that didn’t interfere with my day either.  You’d be surprised how much a cat nap could help.  And though we’re told if you move more you won’t feel as tired, that wasn’t so for me.  I walk or practice yoga every day and I was still tired around 3 in the afternoon.  So I worked a snooze into most of my days. 

However, fatigue could also be adrenal fatigue or low level DHEA. DHEA is a natural steroid produced by the adrenals. The adrenals are small organs right above the kidneys.  We make about 25 mg of DHEA per day (men more than women), but our production dwindles as we get older.  This is what nature intended for us.  Your adrenals make cortisol and adrenaline and also balance over 50 hormones in the body.  The hormone cortisol affects other regulatory processes such as: blood pressure, blood sugar levels, your immune and inflammatory response and influencing mood, memory and thought clarity.  If your adrenals are exhausted from stress (emotional and physical), poor nutrition, and crazy dieting, they are pumping out more cortisol and can’t manufacture enough DHEA to support a healthy hormonal balance.  This will result in your exhaustion, depression and that feeling of being overwhelmed.  So, if you are under more than average stress, your body will not have enough working material for proper endocrine function.  There is some evidence that healthy DHEA levels may help with Alzheimer’s, cancer, osteoporosis, depression, heart disease and obesity. 

So that could be why my blood pressure has been so low these last couple of weeks!  OK, so I guess I’m going through all of the above stressors.  I do know that when I eat 100% raw food I feel better.  I have been traveling a lot lately, and if I am not happy where I am, for example, with people that do not support my lifestyle, I simply do not feel well.  Is taking a DHEA supplement the answer?  It could be an important factor, but include it with lifestyle changes also.  There’s a lot out there about DHEA levels and supplements.  If you are concerned about your levels, have a medical test done.  Taking a supplement alone won’t help you if your adrenals are exhausted.  Your body will produce more or less depending on nutrient support, metabolism, hormone balance, activity level and your emotional state.  Also maintain a healthy body mass index, get adequate rest, expose yourself to some sunlight, exercise, and create more “downtime” in your life. 

What else can you do to support this “aging” thing?  Ayurvedic medicine says the adrenal gland is connected to the root chakra.  The root chakra is about groundedness, our nourishment, and our physical health.  When stress enters full force, we can become less grounded.  That sure explains even more about my aches and pains.  As most of you know I recently closed my business and moved.  However, I am not living anywhere yet.  I have been traveling around visiting family and friends and still haven’t decided on where I want to live.  Yep, that would be ungrounded!  Guess I’ll start doing some yoga grounding poses today! 

Eating a gluten-free diet can relieve the strain of your adrenal glands.  Low blood sugar will put stress on your body and strain your adrenal glands too.  Time your meals so that you aren’t going long periods of time without food.  Adrenals will work harder on an empty stomach, requiring them to release more cortisol to keep you functioning normally.  Living foods will allow the body to absorb more nutrients.  You will find yourself craving sugar and caffeine if your cortisol levels are low or you are tired.  Drinks that will restore your adrenal glands are: chamomile, passionflower and valerian teas, and vegetable juices.  Alcohol, caffeine and gatorade can drain the adrenals.  Honor your body.  Try to take the time to feel if you are actually hungry or if you are eating to fill another need.  I know when I am eating and not actually tasting anything.  With my burning tongue symptom, my taste buds are a little off.  So I think my mind tells me to eat more because my mouth can’t taste anything!  It’s all about balance.  I have good days and not so good days.  I honor them both. 

I’ll talk next time about more symptoms of our changing bodies.

As always, please see your health care practitioner for symptoms that concern you.  The suggestion here are informational only.

I remember eating salad growing up.  I remember carrots and potatoes placed beside the meat on my plate.  I remember tuna added to the spaghetti sauce.  I’m sure we had vegetables.  My brother had a garden in our backyard.  I remember pictures of him tending to it.  Most of my knowledge about vegetarian and living food comes from my parents, but not when I was a kid.  I learned most of it later on in life when they both started their own vegetarian/living food lifestyle. 

The body requires electrically charged foods.  This energy comes from sunlight and many veggies are a prime source of chlorophyll.  Chlorophyll is vital for photosynthesis, which is what plants use to obtain their energy from light.  The body needs vegetables to aid in the making of essential nutrients.  Leafy greens are a high alkaline food.  They contain protein and important amino acids used in breaking down protein.  Past eating habits have built up highly acidic environments in our bodies. 

Broccoli-all parts of the broccoli are highly nutritious.  An antioxidant, it also contains potassium, calcium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, magnesium, beta-carotene and Lutein.  Great for dipping, lightly sauteing or blanching.   You can also make a raw broccoli soup by putting all parts of the broccoli into your Vitamix blender, combined with water, onion and any spices that float your boat.

Cauliflower-contains calcium, potassium, sulphur and silicon.  Try juicing the leaves and the flower for a highly beneficial drink.  You can also eat raw, make a mock mashed potato either cold or cooked, by adding garlic, olive oil and onion.  Cauliflower also has sulforaphane which enters your bloodstream and helps your antioxidant defense systems.

Celery-mmmmmmm. A highly nutritious, alkaline veggie.  Juice it with the leaves on or eat raw with almond butter topping.  Celery can reduce blood pressure and help with appetite control.  It contains chlorine, sodium, potassium and magnesium.

Kale-a favorite of mine for making green smoothies.  Kale has phytochemicals high in sulphur and aids the body’s detoxification enzymes.  It contains sulphorapahne which comes out when kale is chopped, chewed or juiced.  Other nutrients in kale are calcium, iron, Vitamin A, C and K, beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, with are known to help protect against molecular degeneration.

Beets-Ok, this in one veggie I haven’t gotten my daughter to eat.  I think they taste like apple and absolutely love them either raw or lightly cooked.  Victoria Boutenko says eating beets should not turn your urine red.  Juiced beets can have a high sugar concentrate.  Sugar beet juice was used in Chicago to help prevent ice build up on the roads (just a little tid bit for you).  Beets are a very good source of betaine, potassium and folate and can help to replenish iron that is lost during the menstrual cycle.  It is good for the liver and heart health.

Red Bell Pepper-source of Vitamin A, C and Potassium, it also contains Lycopene.  Red is better than green when it comes to peppers.  Green peppers can be hard on the digestion.

Avocado-another yummy veggie.  High in heart healthy monounsaturated fat, it also contains Vitamin E and glutathione.  We need fats in order for the body to work.  Make guacamole by adding tomatoes, sea salt, and onion (optional).  Dip other veggies like carrots, cucumbers, or mushrooms into it instead of chips. 

Put a salad together with all the above ingredients and add flaxseed oil, a dash of any seasonings that you enjoy.  You can also add apple cider vinegar or liquid amino and top with any sprouts you found at the local market. 

How can you get your children to eat them if they won’t?  First, keep trying to add different veggies to their plate.  Babies have taste buds not only on their tongue, but on the sides and roof of their mouth.  This means they could be very sensitive to certain foods.  But as they grow, the taste buds disappear from the sides of the mouth.  As you get older, your taste buds become less sensitive and you will most likely be able to eat foods that you didn’t when you were younger.  Change it up.  Add color and mix veggies in with pasta or soup, or use veggies to dip into their favorite dressing.

Enjoy your veggies!

Here’s another topic I’m way too familiar with.  Fortunately I suffer from seasonal allergies and this is the season for me.  Spring and pollen.  Pollens are small, microscopic particles that are produced by plants and trees during the process of reproduction.  Hello spring and new growth!  I was in Connecticut a couple of weeks ago and I was feeling it then, but Vermont is behind its southern states by a couple of weeks.  So here I go again.  The only time I didn’t have any symptoms at all was when I had been eating a 100% raw diet for at least three months.  They aren’t as bad as they have been in the past and I have been keeping with a high raw lifestyle.  I also try to keep the windows closed, don’t go out of the house when it’s windy and I never walk in the fields!  It’s supposed to rain the next few days and that will help.

What can help?  Not only increasing your raw food intake, but decreasing your processed and cooked food intake.  Allergy symptoms include: Asthma and coughing, sinus pressure and congestion, red itchy eyes and discharge, skin rashes, general itching of every part of your body and throat, hives and runny nose.  The causes of allergies?  Everything from hereditary factors, long term exposure to drugs, especially antibiotics, adverse drug reactions, airborn pollens, food additives, colorings, perservatives and flavorings.  Liver dysfuntion can cause an increased work load for your immune system.  I never suffered from allergies in my childhood, they started during pregnancy.  Not only am I allergic to spring pollens, I’m also allergic to the skin of certain fruits and veggies, even if they are organic. 

Using organic produce when you can, can be a relief from many food allergies.  These do not contain pesticides and additives.  Selenium and zinc reduce inflammation.  Other supplements for you to try are: Fatty acids found in flaxseed oil, olive oil and oily fish, vitamin C, garlic and horseradish tablets, MSM powder.  And foods that promote liver function like, artichoke, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, or eggs.  How about some juice recipes for allergies?

Place in your juicer:

 one radish, one clove of garlic, one carrot, one pear and 2 cabbage leaves

or

tablespoon of fresh ginger, one apple, one carrot, 2 cabbage leaves, 1/2 red onion

or

one cup rice, almond or coconut milk, one banana, one pear, one Tblspn flaxseed oil, one Tblspn ground flaxseed.  Sprinkle with a pinch of nutmeg.

Victoria Boutenko, in her book, Green For Life, says this, “….consuming green smoothies greatly benefits the health of people through improving the level of hydrochloric acid…….consumers of green smoothies should expect…to heal allergies……”.

Some other natural allergy cures are: Eucalyptus.  In a lozenge form it can increase production of saliva.  It can calm coughs and relieve nasal congestion and is also an antiseptic and has antibiotic properties.  The vapor from eucalyptus can clear congestion and loosen mucus.

A traditional remedy for asthma is red clover.  In tea form, red clover can reduce allergy symptoms.  Alfalfa can improve runny noses, sneezing and itching.  Alfalfa is believed to nourish the nervous system and calm the immune system.  And there’s always apple cider vinegar (this should be a staple in your kitchen), which contains many healing properties and is used to treat allergies.  It is rich in vitamins E, A, B1, B2 and B6 and contains potassium and calcium and can reduce mucus in the sinuses and reduce throat inflammation. 

Here’s what Louise Hay says about allergies (hay fever):  Emotional congestion. Fear of the calendar.  A belief in persecution. Guilt.  Your mantra for allergy time? “I am one with ALL OF LIFE.  I am safe at all times.

Grab your juicer and your tissues.  Be well and happy SPRING!

Donna Bergonzi-Boyle

 

If any of these natural cures cause your symptoms to worsen, consult your primary health care physician.

I get many calls about how you guys can’t afford a wheatgrass juicer PLUS a juicer to juice your greens.  And I always suggest the Lexen Manual Healthy Juicer.  When I was at Hippocrates visting my brother Michael, we decided to do a test with two popular juicers.  The Healthy Juicer Manual won out every time for amount of juice, ease and clean up.  Check out our experiment on my brother’s website. 

This Lexen juicer is the ultimate for wheatgrass juicing.  Let’s talk about putting it together.  Even I didn’t have to read the directions.  My partner’s 4 year old was putting it together for her and actually doing the juicing.  Because of the ease of putting it together, there’s also the ease of taking it apart.  Not a lot of parts and so easy to clean.  Rinse and dry.  And durable.  Did I say a 4 year old was putting it together?  And with that, it did fall on the floor a few times.  No worries.  This makes it the perfect traveling companion.  So many of us find it hard to stay healthy on the road.  But it is easy to find lettuce and veggies on the road.  The Lexen Manual Healthy Juicer is small, compact, light weight and very easy to take with you. 

Now let’s juice some wheatgrass and greens.  The wheatgrass pulp never has to be put through a second time.  This juicer will get the most amount of juice out of each run through.  Don’t forget to use the pulp for other things.  Greens? I like spinach the best. Kale, collards, chard, are all great too.  If your blender doesn’t whip greens to juice, use the manual juicer for your greens and put your fruit through your blender or your juicer, then mix.  This juicer is affordable, remember?  Quiet too?  Yes.  You can juice in the morning and not wake up the rest of the family.  How many times have you had your daughter complain that the juicer woke her up? Oh….that’s me. 

Simple, easy to use, easy to clean, great juice.  Have I convinced you yet?  Stop spending your money buying expensive prepared juice.  You can juice your own.   Start saving money and start eating and drinking healthier.  This is a great first step juicer to buy.  Take your first step.  This is the beginning of your new life.  This is the day.  

Today I wish you strength on your first step.  And if you’ve already made your first step, then I congratulate you.  Help someone else make their first step.

Donna Bergonzi-Boyle

Staple, a basic dietary item.  In my life, it’s not flour, rice or corn, it’s almonds, dates, a sprout bag (ok, that’s not food) and some sort of frozen fruit.  As long as I have these few items, I can eat for a day or more.   Of course, I have more than that in my kitchen, but I always have these items on hand and here are some great recipes for you to make with these items. 

Nut Milk

–Two cups water in your blender—-I use the Vitamix.  The BlendTec works well also.   I like my pulp as smooth as I can get it.

–One cup Raw almonds–they say raw almonds are getting hard to find.  I still can find them in my local health food store.  I actually just found them in a big box store, though they were not organic.

Put ingredients in your blender and blend until milky white and the almonds are well ground.  Squeeze through a nut milk/sprouting bag into a container.  The pulp can be stored in a separate container for up to a week in your fridge.  I will use the milk the same day or one day later.  Since this is fresh nut milk, it won’t last long in your fridge.  But this is easy enough to make every day.  You can add more nuts and water or less nuts and water, depending on how much you want that day. 

Here’s what you can do with the milk and pulp.

Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner

Idea number 1:   Cereal–2 tablespoons nut pulp.  That’s all I can have since too many nuts tend to upset my stomach.  Add cut up banana, cinnamon, agave or honey, soaked raisins(these are quick, one hour or more), and any other fruit you have on hand or that you would like.  I let the mixture set for a bit.  This lets the honey absorb and makes it the consistency of oatmeal.  Enjoy for any meal.  Serve room temperature.

Idea number 2:  All of the above plus add some cold nut milk.

Idea number 3:  Nut pulp, finely diced apple, soaked raisins, cinnamon and honey/agave to taste.  This is a great treat for the kids too!   I just made this! 

Idea number 4:  Raw Chocolate Milkshake–2 cups nut milk. 1 Tablespoon raw cacao.  1 half frozen banana.  4 soaked dates(dates you can soak for a couple of hours or overnight).  1 Tablespoon agave or honey(optional).  Place all ingredients in your Vitamix or blender of choice.  Blend until smooth.  Alternative ingredients to add into your shake: Soaked walnuts, blueberries, strawberries, coconut.  Won’t the kids love a chocolate milkshake that’s HEALTHY!

What great ideas.  Easy is my middle name.  If I had a bigger kitchen with more counter space, I’d definitely purchase a dehydrater.  But as you can see, with many staple ingredients that last on the shelf or in the fridge/freezer forever, you can make raw, healthy meals and treats in no time at all.  And the best part?  I made up these dishes.  I didn’t follow any specific recipe.  It’s what I’ve come to enjoy and when I figured out the tastes I liked and what my stomach could handle, the rest was cake!  I mean, easy!  Yes, I still love cake.  I cannot deny that fact.  Is it anyones birthday this week? 

Have a great time experimenting with your food.  I wish you this week…ease of preparing your meals and snacks and healthy digesting.

Donna Bergonzi-Boyle

 

No doubt about it….feeling your feelings is a big part of getting healthy.  Healthy in the physical and healthy in the spiritual sense.  My saying is “Just Feel It”.  When I was young I stopped eating to get attention.  When I didn’t get the attention, I overate.   Then I just got lost in a sea of eating, not eating, stuffing emotions and denying emotions.  There is a difference between stuffing and denying your emotions.  Good luck figuring that one out.  Experiencing my divorce over 15 year ago, was when I could officially say I realized I hadn’t been feeling anything.  Did I start feeling then?  No way.  There was a lot more to come before I could start feeling.  But I did realize I wasn’t feeling.

I’ve read a lot, processed a ton, and listened to all the raw foodies out there over the last 20 years.  This I can now say, that there are more and more of us out there not afraid to admit we suffer from emotional eating.   Yes, you can follow a raw lifestyle and still not be totally healed.  C’mon, guys, none of us are perfect.  It’s only when we choose to deny our feelings to ourselves and to others, does it become a problem.   This is a process.  This is peeling the layers of an onion.  There’s always another layer.

When I cleaned out my kitchen of all processed and unhealthy items of food, I went 100% raw.  Before that I had tried to fast at least once a week for about a year.  I remember very clearly the first moment I actually “felt” that I didn’t want a cookie.  It was only a week into being raw.  It wasn’t that I couldn’t have a cookie.  I didn’t WANT one.  Boy, was I mad.  What?  Not want a cookie? You love cookies, Donna.  An interesting moment that was.  My body was talking and not my head.  But my head was angry.  I vibrated for about three days with this.  I couldn’t stop shaking.  I waited.  I knew the real reason I was mad was about to come up.  Yes, I did process something.  That’s another story on relationships.  I thought at that time, “Great, I’m healed!”  I couldn’t have been more wrong.  40 years of holding in feelings and I was going to release them in three days?!?  Yeah, right.

The feelings continue.   What feeling is it though?  Is it really about food or is it about me?  Do I still eat cookies? Yes, I do.  Sometimes more than two.  But I’m listening to my inner voice a lot more.  How do I do that? Lots of breathing, lots of yoga, and some tears.  I try to let the emotion wash over me before I eat.  Not always.  I still have food issues and like an addict, I will always struggle with my food issues.  I do things to allow myself to feel love.  I hug my cat.  I write these blogs.  I take a nap.  I give in to the stress of the moment and give up.  I surrender to what is.

Stop being so hard on yourself.  We are all human.  Try being a “human being” and not a “human doing”.  As always, I wish you the best of health.  Today I wish you good thoughts and the ability to feel them.  There is change coming.  Let it wash over you!

Donna Bergonzi-Boyle