Raw Food Tip - Raw Versus Cooked
It is so easy to eat raw in the summer when greens are in abundance and fresh, ripe fruit can be enjoyed as a satisfying and simple snack. But what about the cold,winter months? Here, in Canada, we experience months of cold, snowy days and one can get easily seduced by the thought of a warm soup or some steamed veggies. To cook or not to cook? Whether you subscribe to the findings of this article is really up to you, but I do think this could give us some food for thought. Enjoy!
Is broccoli better baked? Should spinach never be sautéed? Find out with this handy guide.
By Anna Peraino published in VegNews
That good-for-you garden salad might not be delivering on its promises: Many of produce's health-promoting properties can be lost when baking, sautéing, or grilling. Read on to find how to get everything these nutrient powerhouses have to offer.
Carrots, Pumpkins, and Sweet Potatoes
Don't be afraid to throw these orange edibles in the oven. These vegetables are high in beta-carotene, a carotenoid that is converted into vitamin A in the body, and important for vision, bones, and immunity. Beta-carotene resides in vegetables' cellular walls—cooking breaks down those walls and makes absorption easier. Studies have also shown that falcarinol, an anti-cancer property found in carrots, increases when cooked.
Broccoli, Kale, Collard Greens, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, and Cabbage
Raw is the right way to go with these members of the Brassicaceae family. All of these greens contain sulforaphane and glucosinolate, two cancer-preventative substances. Studies have shown that cooking broccoli reduces its sulforaphane by more than 90 percent, and other studies have found that up to 77 percent of glucosinolates are lost when boiling these vegetables for 30 minutes. Additionally, these greens are high in vitamins, folate, and potassium, which are lost during cooking. However, if you crave something cooked like kale enchiladas, you will still benefit from the green's beta-carotene content.
Tomatoes and Red Bell Peppers
Lycopene, a carotenoid and antioxidant that makes these gems red, is thought to reduce cancer risk and promote heart health. A study revealed that cooking tomatoes leads to higher levels lycopene, which, like beta-carotene, is found in cell walls. However, the same research concluded that vitamin C levels declined in cooked tomatoes. Top your pizza with raw tomatoes and red bell peppers to have it all.
Spinach
You can do no wrong with this superfood. Spinach contains oxalates and calcium, which can lead to kidney stones if too much is ingested. Cooking spinach, however, removes the risk by breaking oxalates down. Additionally, cooking will help the absorption of spinach's supply of beta-carotene and lutein (a carotenoid necessary for eye health). If spinach is the base of your daily salad, never fear: spinach is full of vitamins, magnesium, potassium, folate, and more—all of which are depleted when the vegetable is cooked.
Onion, Leek, and Scallion
These blubs boast vitamins B6, C, and K, as well as folate and potassium. They also contain the anti-inflammatory compound quercetin, which is reduced by boiling but is actually increased by baking and sautéing. Nevertheless, cooking will reduce these vegetables' vitamin and mineral content, so make sure your next batch of salsa includes some raw onion and scallion.
Garlic
Garlic has been known to fight cancer, enhance immunity, and lower cholesterol. Allicin, an anti-microbial compound found in garlic, is destroyed by heat: cook garlic no longer than five minutes to utilize allicin's benefits. Cooked garlic still retains flavonoids, selenium, and other sulfur compounds, so not all is lost in the heat.
Quick-cooking methods such as steaming and stir-frying are ideal for cooking vegetables, but the best way to benefit from soups and salads is simple: mix it up! Why not have a spinach salad with casserole, or some raw soup with a stir-fry? After all, variety is the spice of life.
Raw Food Tip- God's pharmacy
EAT LOTS OF SWEET POTATOES - QUITE INTERESTING INDEED!
God left us a great clue as to what foods help what part of our body!
God's Pharmacy! Amazing!
A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.
Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.
Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).
Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.
Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries
Oranges , Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.
Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.
Raw Food Recipe
Chaudes, les soupes crues!
par Julie Belzil de www.crudivorisme.com
On connaît bien les soupe crues d’été, celles servies glacées qui nous rafraîchissent pendant les canicules, comme la gaspacho… Mais l’hiver, à -20 degrés Celsius, non merci! On a envie d’une soupe bien réconfortante, de celles qui nous réchauffent et nous soulagent des rhumes et autres petits inconvénients hivernaux. C’est tout à fait possible, avec l’alimentation vivante, de faire des soupes et des potages servis chauds.
Plusieurs vitamines, minéraux et phytonutriments peuvent résister à une certaine augmentation de température, mais ce sont les enzymes et les bactéries amicales (probiotiques), ce qui fait qu’on peut considérer un aliments comme étant « vivant », qui est détruit par la chaleur. Toutefois, on peut chauffer les aliments en douceur, en veillant à ce qu’ils ne dépassent pas 43 degrés Celsius. Pas besoin de thermomètre pour vérifier la température, on peut utiliser la « règle du petit doigt », si c’est trop chaud pour le doigt, c’est trop chaud pour les enzymes et les bactéries amicales!
Que mettre dans une soupe crue?
Comme pour une soupe cuite, l’important est de commencer avec un bouillon savoureux. Le miso est un classique pour un bouillon rapide. Les herbes salées, fines herbes, algues en paillettes, levure alimentaire, pesto, tamari et autres épices en tout genre peuvent être utilisés pour donner du goût à votre bouillon. Pour une soupe plus onctueuse, on peu ajouter du lait végétal, un beurre de noix ou un peu d’huile.
On ajoute ensuite les légumes, hachés, tranchés mince, râpés ou taillés en nouilles avec un découpeur en spirale. Des algues qu’on aura préalablement fait tremper, comme les aramé ou les hijiki. Des germinations. On laisse libre cours à l’imagination et on s’inspire des légumes de saison!
Les garnitures peuvent aussi ajouter une touche originale: des fines herbes fraîches hachées, quelques craquelins crus émiettés, une pincée de gomasio, une cuillerée de pesto, quelques pignons, un filet d’huile aromatisée…
On a le choix, on peut laisser la soupe avec des morceaux, ou la réduire en purée au blender. Un blender haute vitesse permettra d’obtenir une texture très crémeuse, même avec des légumes plus coriaces comme la carotte ou la betterave.
Et pour réchauffer la soupe?
Idéalement, on réchauffe à l’avance les bols dans lesquels on va servir le potage en les passant à l’eau chaude ou au four quelques minutes. On utilise des légumes à la température de la pièce et de l’eau tiède-chaude pour réaliser la soupe. Si on souhaite aussi réchauffer la soupe elle-même une fois qu’elle est faite, le plus simple à mon goût est d’utiliser un bain-marie à feu très doux. On peut aussi réchauffer à la casserole, mais le feu doit être très bas et il faut remuer souvent.
Il ne faut pas oublier: si c’est trop chaud au toucher, c’est aussi trop chaud pour les enzymes. Si on veut vraiment y aller en douceur, il y a le déshydrateur qui permet de chauffer lentement les aliments, mais il faut y penser longtemps à l’avance.
Des recettes du web
Voici quelques recettes pour vous donner envie de tenter la soupe crue, même en hiver! Ces soupes sont délicieuses servies tièdes à la température de la pièce ou légèrement réchauffées.
Pour plus de recettes de Julie visitez son blogue ici.
Sticking Out or Sticking To It
Top 10 Tips for the Socially Sensitive Green Detoxer
- By Ildiko Brunner
We all have this innate need to fit in, to be part of the whole and be accepted as we are. Then one day we make a decision to improve our health and embark on the journey to detox or cleanse for a week, a whole month or however long it maybe.
While some of you might have an easier time withstanding those curious and quite often disapproving stares as you sip your smoothie, I know from personal experience how isolated we can feel due to the personal choices we make about the foods we eat — especially if those choices go against the norm.
And how about those work lunches and power meetings at your favourite restaurants? Not to mention all those invitations by friends or family to attend birthday parties or any other celebration? Taking care of your health is important but it should not turn you into a hermit, prevent you from taking part in outings you previously enjoyed , or alienate you at work.
Following is the list of some of my top 10 tips that will help you to conquer any work or social situation with total confidence and ease:
1 )“Camouflage” your smoothie or your green juice and enjoy them from the same cups provided at your workplace. While working at Starbucks I transferred my green smoothies to the cold cups we used for the blended ice drinks. I cannot tell you the amount of compliments and questions I received from my coworkers or customers. They were quite often jealous of my emerald beverage and repeatedly inquired about when it will be available on the menu.At the office, you could sip your green drinks from a coffee cup and have a blast! I am quite sure you could even sneak in your green drinks to a regular restaurant and not feel guilty about consuming them there, as long as you also order something small, as you will see a bit later.
2 ) Be prepared and scout out all the options available to you. We all know how hard it can be to log around gallons of juice or smoothie, so be creative, look for a juice bar, a raw take-out place and find out if you can purchase your daily dose of green goodness from them. If all else fails, and if you will have to carry your food supply for the day with you to work, make sure you bring enough and that you will be able to keep the smoothies or juices cold.
3) Eat before you go out if you have to take part in a social event. This will help you to be able to resist any temptation and stick with your plan! Those cheese puffs or tasty hors-d-oeuvres will quite frankly stop looking like food. You will be able to enjoy the occasion, the company of others without the pressure of having to eat. Trust me, I have been there, and found it a truly amazing experience.
4) Be flexible and just enjoy the process. If you do partake in a bite of something that is not exactly on the list of things to eat while on your detox but is relatively healthy, it will not make or break the process that you are going through. Remember, you are on this journey detoxifying, one fail is just that, one fail, keep going! Don’t use this one incidence to justify totally giving up.
5) Call ahead and make sure where you are going has some food alternatives you can be happy with. Most restaurants today have all the ingredients to make a delicious salad or simple platter with vegan, vegetarian fares.
6) If they cannot accommodate your dietary requests, order a simple dish and just nibble on it, even if you are not planning on eating the whole meal. You will at least be able to participate in the outing and not feel forced to answer any questions that may arise. Make sure you also stay hydrated, (this is the number one rule on any cleanse), and sip on water with some lemon in it. Hydration will keep you satiated and satisfied for longer periods of time between your smoothies and other green drinks.
7) If you are faced with organizing a social outing, why not suggest a raw or vegan place to 
meet your friends or hold your work meetings at. You might get a pleasant surprise at how open your coworkers or friends turn out be to try something totally different or new.
8 ) Stay focused on the goal you have set for yourself, the days you committed to doing this cleanse. You will not be in this process for the rest of your life and putting things into this perspective makes whatever hardship you are experiencing socially so much easier to conquer. Why not set a reward, a special treat ahead of time, like a nice new dress, a new high-tech gadget or anything you desire to give yourself that well-deserved reward for accomplishing something this meaningful that will have a positive effect on your health
9) Invite a co-worker or friend to follow the detox with you; this can be a great help in keeping you accountable and committed to the program. The buddy system is really what makes most successful programs stand out from the rest in the way they make people succeed.
10) If you are invited to a party offer to bring something as simple as a platter of fruits and veggies and just observe how popular that will be. There is something so inviting and appetizing about those nutritious, yet simple foods. Cucumber slices, carrot sticks and fresh fruit of any kind are the most natural finger foods!
My last and most valuable advice I would like to leave you with ( I know, I promised to give you 10, but this one I just could not do without) is to share only your enthusiasm about your food choices and not your disapproval of what others are eating whenever you interact with your family, friends or coworkers.
It is inevitable that questions will arise; comments will be made about what you are or not eating or drinking. Now, instead of giving people an exhausting and sometimes quite offensive take on why their food choices will surely make them sick or destroy our the environment, why not just be the change you want to see in people?
When people notice your shrinking waistline, glowing skin and improved energy, they will be intrigued and will most likely ask you for more clarification on what exactly are you doing. This will be the most suitable occasion to get into more details on what you are doing and give them all they are ready to hear and absorb at that point.
They will surely be more open to receive any information you serve up to them this way.
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Meet a Green Lovin’ Blender Buddy during the next LIVE, Full-Support 21-Day Green Smoothie Detox!
