Thursday, April 9, 2009

Paul Nison

If someone needs raw questions answered, then I have a great resource for them.

The book is The Raw Life by Paul Nison. I will say this book is a little corny, but informative. It has nine interviews with long time raw foodists and it gets very real about a lot of subjects: hair loss, loose teeth, food aversion, flatulence to name a few. (It is about how to be a healthy raw foodist- but addresses the fact that some people will have problems and how to avoid them.) I highly recommend this book.

Clearly Paul Nison, and the participants in this book care far more about you succeeding at the raw food diet than in protecting/projecting their image. Thank you so much!

Tree of Life

I only have a minute to write this...

I recently saw the film Raw for Thirty. Several diabetics went to the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center and did raw for a month and reversed their diabetes.

I just re-read my posts regarding the diabetes diet offered by Richard Berenstein M.D.. I still LOVE Dr. Berenstein for letting people know they can have perfect blood sugars and that what the American Diabetes Association is pushing is complete garbage (if you don't want to burn out your pancreatic cells and you want to heal.)

But- after reading Rainbow Green Living Cuisine by Cousins M.D., I have a much better understanding of how raw food really makes a difference. I understand the importance of living enzymes to heal the body.

Unfortunately for me a whole food diet that uses a lot of grain or fruit also elevates my blood sugars. The key is to peice something together that works. It can be as simple as - more salads! That works.

Rainbow Green Living Cuisine gives a much better explanation of the Raw diet for diabetics than the Diabetes Cure by Cousins does. Now, I have to figure out how to make it habit, make it automatic, make it easy, make it affordable. And, I'd like to help others do the same.

Family Menu- Posted in April with seasonal for April/May Ingredients

* Most of the raw recipes can be found in the Rawvolution Cookbook by Matt Amsden. Make (not raw) chewy baked tofu by freezing, thawing, draining, pressing, then baking tofu. It makes the texture firm.

Raw Spinach, Pear Salad - Add Roasted Squash when it becomes available

Raw Ginger-Carrot Soup, Raw Zoodles (zuchini noodles) with Chopped Tomato Sauce

Raw Satay Sauce, Raw Brocolli Stir-Not Fry

Non-raw Spicy Chana Dahl, and Raw SpinachSalad for me (non-raw Salmon and Veggies for husband)

Raw Asian Wraps in lettuce (leftover salmon in nori wrap for husband)

Raw Dill Dip and Veggies Sandwiches on Rawvolution Onion/zuchini Bread (non-raw baked Thyme Drumsticks for husband)

Taco-Rawcos in a lettuce wrap (leftover chicken for husband) OR Kashi/Amys frozen pizza and salad
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This is a menu that "really works" in terms of what people whose food I am responsible for making, will eat. Most everyone (except my husband) can eat vegan on this menu for all seven days and be very satisfied. Five nights all raw.

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For breakfast I have been doing green smoothies: cucumber, a little celery, a little kale, a little pear, sometimes parseley or spinach, and powdered hemp seed and Udo oil. Also serve Cheerios, organic strawberries, organic milk, whole wheat toast with apple butter and melon.

For my lunch: whole wheat bread, natural (but not raw) peanut butter, two small bananas, big handfuls of raw almonds, and a salad with sliced bok choy and spinach in a tamari vinagrette.

Packed lunches have banana and peanut butter sandwich, or carrot sticks to dip in peanut butter, or carrot sticks to dip in hummus with roasted red pepper, and an apple or orange or organic grapes, red bell pepper and cucumber slices, often a cheesestick, and sometimes an oatmeal raisen cookie. This is two snacks and lunch for them.

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This is just my best attempt to balance the needs of something low-cost, something easy to fix, etc.