By Sophie Uliano on July 10, 2009
I am crazy about composting. Each time I toss veggie scraps into the little ceramic compost crock on my kitchen counter, I am thrilled that every little morsel is going to good use.
We need good topsoil – the planet is desperately in need of it, which is why in countries like Sweden, composting is mandatory. It’s amazing to realize that topsoil is the earth’s skin and we are entirely dependent on it for our food supply. Over the past fifty years, much of the healthy soil that we used to have, due to intensive/conventional farming, has been rendered devoid of all the nutrients it needs to give us beautiful and healthy food. This is why so many of us now have to take a plethora of supplements. The crazy amount of veggies that you virtuously devour, are likely devoid of many of the minerals and vitamins that their ancestors possessed.
The best way that we can create the highest quality topsoil imaginable is to compost. All those scraps decompose into odorless brown gold. If you have a garden, you’ll be able to grow veggies bursting with goodness, and if you don’t have a yard, you’ll find someone who’ll take your compost in a jiffy.
So which compost bin is the best? I get asked this question weekly and I have honestly tried almost every model on the market. There are pro’s and con’s with all of them, however the Ecomposter is my current favorite and hard to beat for all it’s incredible attributes. It’s a bizarre looking globe on legs, which looks like something from outer space (in a cool way.) First and foremost nothing can get into it – so no more nasty furry surprises for those of us who have a few pesky friends running around our neighborhoods. Little finger like tubes direct oxygen right into the deepest recesses of the actual compost, which considerably speeds up the process. You’ll get good, rich compost in just 4-6 weeks. When you’re ready to get the compost out, you just roll the big green ball to the area of your yard where you want the compost, unscrew the lid and empty it out. It’s made of recycled plastic and is just fun to spin around every time you walk past it.
My husband and our stray cat Zoom were extremely cynical at first. My husband had had his fill of strange bins, “digesters” and worm towers appearing weekly in our yard, and Zoom was very partial to my old big black bin because of the hole in the back that had become the backdoor for a extended family of rats. After a few weeks, my husband was delighted with the new “space ship”, as nothing can get into it. Zoom, however, has abandoned his perch above the old bin. He has to content himself with chasing the sassy squirrels.
Now that I’m juicing daily (totally inspired by Kris,) I can empty the dregs, along with the paper filter, straight into the compost bin and know that this time next year, all that shredded carrot and beat mush, will be fertilizing my heirloom tomatoes – heaven!
Happy Composting,
Sophie Uliano
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By Kris Carr on May 4, 2009
HOT Peppers!
This time next week we’ll be kicking off our on-line tune-up for over 600 people. Yup, that’s the number we’ve calculated but god/dess knows who’s lurking in secret. Just so we’re all on the same page, I will be blogging about ACT 1-2 times per week. The majority of the information will be on the forum. Each day for 28 days I’ll post a prayer, affirmation, some information and a recipe. You’ll have a chance to get tons of support and encouragement from the BEST on-line community on the planet! No, I’m not modest. What are you waiting for? There will never be a “right time” and as many of us know, “time” isn’t guaranteed to anyone. So dump the gunk and shine with me!
Now the best way to ensure the shine is to plan ahead. When my pantry is stocked I’m stacked. If I open the fridge and see a jar of pickles and moldy bread – later gator, “we’re going out!” On the other hand, when I get home at a reasonable time and my kitchen is brimming with the basics, I browse my cookbooks and play! I love those nights. Brian and I dine on a healthy (candle-lit) homemade meal brimming with Crazy Sexy love. Note: always, always light candles. Your meals are sacred fuel for the shizzazzle temple.
Some of you may already have what it takes to whip up magic. If so, good for you. You’ve made the initial investment and therefore your weekly shopping bills cost less. Others may be starting from scratch. I’ll be honest, it’s gonna cost more than you think to get started but you don’t need everything at once.
Crazy Sexy Shopping List
Here’s a short list of foods you’ll find in my personal cache. Some are healing staples, while others are transitional foods. All are a diet upgrade. Again, you DO NOT need everything! This is just a guide, a snap shot of my kitchen. Especially with the produce, shop a few times a week so that your chow stays fresh. Debbie Meyer Green Bags save my life. As soon as I get home I wash my greens and veggies, let them dry, and then place them in those emerald green life-savers. Brian likes to prep the juice ahead of time – these bags make it really easy. Wash and reuse them to cut down on planet waste.
Grains and noodles: Millet, quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice, wild rice, amaranth and teff grains or pastas, %100 buckwheat soba noodles (most brands contain wheat), Tinkyada rice pasta, Ancient Harvest quinoa pasta. Rice Milk is a good substitute for dairy. Oats are kinda on this list but in our gluten post (coming next week) you’ll see why I hesitate to add them flat out.
Raw nuts and seeds: Always buy fresh raw nuts; roasted nuts are rancid. Almonds, pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds (either buy a small grinder for these or buy them already ground), sesame seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds (make yummy cereal and puddings), and sunflower seeds. Also raw almond butter and tahini—it’s like peanut butter, only made with sesame seeds. You can make your own nut milks too. Yum! Note: Soaking nuts makes them more digestible; it removes the enzyme inhibitors that keep them from spoiling.
Superfoods: Blue Green Algae from Klamath lake – E3Live is a great brand. BGA’s provide energy boost, mental clarity, rebuild cells, bind free radicals, and are HIGH in vitamins and mineral. Green powders – use as a supplement NOT in place of juicing. Spirulina/Chlorella – Spirulina is high in chlorophyll and protein. Chlorella normalizes bowel function, builds immune system, binds radiation. Hemp Powder (high in Protein), Raw cacao (MODERATION).
Beans: Chickpeas, lentils, white beans, black beans, lima, pinto. These are the easiest to digest. Soak beans overnight and add a half inch strip of kombu (seaweed) to soaking water. This helps cut down on your methane! Eden brand canned beans are also good – they’re the only canned beans I use. Other brands contain preservatives. Eden uses beans, kombu, salt and water.
Soups: A staple for people transitioning to a mostly raw healing diet are fresh warm soups. Make them tasty and hearty by using beans and a variety of veggies, especially root veggies. Add fresh herbs, garlic, onion (chive, scallions), a little olive oil and Celtic or Himalayan sea salt. Don’t worry about recipes. Throw everything in a pot and season to taste. I love to add Pacific Foods organic vegetable broth.
Seaweed: Nori, dulse, arame, hijiki, wakame (for miso soup)
Veggies: veggies, and more veggies. Cucumbers, broccoli, kale, collards, celery, parsley, cabbage, romaine and green lettuce, spinach, peppers, zucchini, asparagus, red peppers, chard, green beans, alfalfa sprouts, lentil sprouts, mung bean sprouts, sweet pea and sunflower sprouts, onions, garlic, leeks, cauliflower, fresh herbs, eggplant, winter squash, carrots, arugula, bok choy, tat soi, sweet potatoes . . . the list is endless!
Daily Green Juice….Nothing is better for your immune system and vitality than fresh-made, organic, raw green juices and green smoothies. Not only will you be amazed at the highly charged energy you have, but your body will be thanking you for the super-nourishment, the balancing of blood sugars, the plant protein, and the loads of toxins being purged from their hiding places. Consume a minimum of 16 ounces of green juice/smoothie per day. Oh, and store-bought juices don’t count; unless they’re made fresh in front of you they are pasteurized and lifeless. If you can, add 1-2 ounces of wheatgrass into your daily routine.
For Juicing: Celery, cucumber base. Add any combination of leafy greens like spinach, kale, chard, collards, water cress, parsley, dandelion, cabbage, beet greens, tomato, bell pepper (yellow, red or orange) radish, ginger, SPROUTS (especially sweet pea and sunflower), broccoli stems, carrot and beet (in moderation). If you need more sweetness increase the cucumber content, use bell pepper or add one piece of low-glycemic fruit. Buy a wide VARIETY of veggies and fruits that are local, fresh, organic (when possible) and in the case of fruits – RIPE. Note: Limit sweet fruit if you are healing from cancer, diabetes, or bacterial and yeast infections.
For Smoothies: Keep them GREEN. As a general guideline, I like to build my smoothies with a 3:1 ratio of veggies to fruit. For example, one of my favorite morning power shakes consist of one cucumber, a large handful of romaine, avocado and one pear – if I have sweet pea, or sunflower sprouts I’ll add them too. Coconut water with a little stevia adds lovely flavor and nutrition. When I don’t have romaine I use spinach, kale and any other greens. Hemp powder adds a nutty flavor and tons of protein. I also like Vega products – another great source of protein. Lemon or lime adds a nice alkalizing kick to smoothies. Stevia, yacon and agave are my favorite sweetners. Stevia and yacon are the safest if facing a health challenge. A pinch of cinnamon helps to balance blood sugar and cacao is a great treat for those transitioning from coffee.
Fruits: Avocados and tomatoes (yes, they are technically fruits), green apples, lemons, limes, grapefruit, watermelon, pears, grapes, and berries. Low-glycemic fruits (those that are less sweet, like blueberries) are generally better than high-glycemic fruits (such as bananas) while you’re healing and cleansing. Remember to consume fruit in moderation. Glycemic index.
Breads: My favorite company period is Food for Life. They make gluten-free breads and wraps (for the cleanse we’re tossing gluten). They also make yummy sprouted breads and cereals (NOT for the cleanse). Check out Mauk Farms Crusts and Love Force raw breads – tres yum.
Sweetener: Stevia, a powerful herb with no sugar, comes in packets. Let me tell you, a little goes a long way. Yacon is another great alternative that doesn’t effect your glycemic index. A small amount of agave can also be used, although it’s very sweet.
Oils for salad dressing: Udo’s Choice oil blends, avocado oil, flax seed oil, cold-pressed olive oil, macadamia nut oil, walnut oil, hemp seed oil.
Oils for light cooking: Coconut oil (the most stable of all oils), sesame, grapeseed oil, and cold-pressed olive oil. It’s best to buy oils packaged in dark bottles and to store them in a cool dark place. Please avoid, Teflon, microwaves, char-grilled, blackened.
Seasonings: Get creative and experiment with different herbs. Fresh and organic is better, but if you can’t get them fresh then dried herbs are just fine. Use Celtic or Himalayan sea salt, gomasio, herbamare, dulse flakes, wheat-free tamari, Bragg’s Liquid Aminos. The staples I have on hand are pretty simple: Ginger powder, garlic powder, celery seed, basil, parsley, cilantro, mint, dill, rosemary, thyme, black pepper, curry, tumeric, cinnamon (lowers blood sugar), cayenne (promotes circulation), mustard seeds, wasabi. Spice Hunter makes a great, peppy spice called Zip. You can get really creative with easy spice blends like, Mexican seasoning & pizza seasoning. Also, pumpkin spice and apple pie seasoning, vanilla bean or vanilla extract (Frontier brand alcohol-free) are fun to add to smoothies.
Fermented foods: Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar, tempeh, raw sauerkraut (great for digestion), unpasteurized white miso (awesome in dressings and soup).
Drinks: Purified lemon water, water with a splash of fresh fruit juice (for flavor), herbal teas, green tea, white tea, yerba mate, chai, kombucha, coconut water. A great way to make fruit water is to put purified water in the blender with one piece of fruit and a dash of stevia. Blend and strain. Add ice. YUM!
Other good snacks and quick foods: Brown rice cakes, flax crackers, San-J crackers, Edward & Sons crackers, Mary’s Gone Crackers, Grainaissance Mochi, Lydia’s raw crackers and cereals, fresh salsa (made with lemon or lime juice), hummus, guacamole, oil-cured olives, Sunshine brand veggie burgers (wheat, gluten and soy free) Amy’s gluten-free organic pizza, air-popped popcorn, Just Veggies dehydrated snacks ( I love making raw soups with these), LaraBars (great for travel), Dr. Cows “cheese”. Ruth’s Chia Goodness cereals. Check out Glutino brand snacks as well. Oh! Glaser Farms. LOVE their products.
Other companies to familiarize yourself with..
Gold Mine Natural
Diamond Organics
Jaffe Bros
Living Tree Community Foods
Remember, don’t get overwhelmed by this list – you don’t need everything. This is just a gentle guide.
Peace and pantries,
Kris
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By Natalia Rose on February 12, 2009
And now more on fasting from Natalia Rose!
3. The difference between a cleanse and a potential cleanse?
All fasts and anything that is billed as a “cleanse” or “detox” product is only a POTENTIAL CLEANSE. The cleansing part only occurs when the dredged up waste matter LEAVES the body. Fasting is not synonymous with cleansing unless waste leaves the body. Do you see the critical difference?
In my extensive experience with detoxification, even people with the strongest bowels cannot eliminate the quantities of waste a fast dredges up without the help of colonics, enemas, saunas, sunbaths and body brushing. The newer waste may leave but the denser older waste that may be loosened and stirred up cannot exit easily without the help of good colonics.
For a listing of colon therapists in your area, I’ve developed a directory on my website.
4. So what is the best way to fast? If you have decided to fast, the best approach is a predominantly vegetable juice fast. You can mix any veggie juice combinations you enjoy but I recommend making at least half of the juices green-based such as the Green Lemonade or a simple carrot-romaine combo. The other juices could be citrus or fresh pressed fruits (in small quantities best diluted with water or green juices like romaine lettuce or spinach). You may also enjoy herbal tea with stevia or fresh vegetable broth (very useful when fasting in colder months or for a fasting “dinner”). I also love pure carrot juice with pumpkin pie spice which I like to drink from a mug! Somehow this gives me the satisfaction of soup without the fiber. Just be sure all your juices are well strained as we are trying to avoid all fiber so that digestion is never stimulated during the fast.
When you fast on vegetable juices you feed your cells enzymes, chlorophyll (sunlight), life force, vitamins and trace minerals ensuring that you are feeding the cells all they need and more so they can powerfully go about the business of awakening and releasing as much accumulated waste as possible (again with the help of gravity method colonics). The ideal fasting approach is to eat clean, Quick Exit foods as a daily experience and then juice fast a few times a year to go a bit deeper. This is the way to make real headway on the accumulated waste in the system and prevent your body’s “assembly line” from ever running amok again!
5. Will I lose weight on a fast and will it stay off? Will my metabolism slow down if I stop eating breakfast? Does fasting slow the metabolism like people say?
Yes, you will lose weight on a fast – usually around 1 lb. a day. The weight that you lose during a fast can easily be kept off by eating Quick Exit foods when you return to eating and juicing until lunch (as I noted above, this is a general prerequisite for long term health and weight management to begin with). Of course, if you return to eating less ideally, you probably will not keep the weight off. Weight is accumulation of waste matter in the body. When we remove the accumulation through cleansing, we remove the weight. In order to keep it off, we simply must prevent against re-accumulation of waste. We do this by ensuring the food we eat leaves our body as completely as possible. This is the point and effect of Quick Exit foods and eating no more than two meals a day (once one has transitioned at their level).
6. How much juice is recommended and how long should I fast?
You can enjoy as much liquid as you need. As with eating though, it’s never a good idea to over-consume. A good gauge would be 8-16 8-ounce juices (including broths/teas) each day. Some pure water should always be taken when juice fasting.
If it’s your first fast and you have already practiced “juicing ’til dinner” several times or have made that a daily or weekly habit, you could try a 2-4 day juice fast. If you would like to do a longer fast (only recommended if you have access to well administered gravity method colon hydro-therapy), you could go as long as 8-10 days. But only continue a fast if you are releasing copious quantities of waste matter (either on your own or with colonics). If you are not releasing and you keep on awakening matter you will not progress and you could get sick (as I mentioned above; remember un-passed matter gets reabsorbed into the tissues and blood stream re-poisoning the body with the awakened waste matter). The body was not designed to pass 1984′s Taco Bell meal back when you ate it and you cannot expect your body to pass it today in its post-putrefactive form. (This is why good gravity method colon hydrotherapy is so essential when fasting – your body needs help passing this old waste)!
There’s a reason that so many of our great teachers throughout history fasted. Now, I leave it in your hands to explore this ancient method of healing your body and connecting with your divinity at the level that is right for you.
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By Kris Carr on February 11, 2009
Peaches!
February is turning out to be fasting month! Hey, wasn’t that a great post by Natalia yesterday? I can’t wait for part 2! Today is day 10 of my fast. No more hunger pains, no more tears, no more fights with my mind. I’m learning tons about myself, and my body. Check this cool ditty out. Our God pod comes with drains. When we eat the SAD diet, breathe in the earth dump or mainline stress and God dammit!, they get clogged. If we keep on truckin’ we back up. Like a stuffy septic tank, the toxins spill out onto our physical and psychological lawns. They have no other place to go. Pee-u!
Speaking of Pee-u, our biggest pathway of elimination is our colon. By removing old waste through colonics, enemas, even the temporary use of certain natural laxatives, we allow our lovely livers to dump (gosh does that phenomenal organ need a break). Here come the dominos! Once our livers dump, our lymph system has a go at it. After the lymph system says AMEN, then our cells receive the invitation. It’s all so magically organized. Virgos love that!
Our body, being the wizard chamber that it is, does everything possible to protect itself from the onslaught of acids and poisons. It continually tosses the toxins away from vital organs and into the tissue and streams. What happens next? Sick, fat, pimply, tired and glass half-empty mentality settles in. Then? Dis-ease. Remember, we are what we eat, drink, think and don’t poop. Genetics plays a role in this for sure. But current research suggests that the role is much smaller than we previously thought – about 5-10%. Now that’s food for thought!
Imagine eating meal after stuffing/puffing meal (and snackies), and never properly eliminating. Clearly, we back up and shut down. We bloat and float. The mind gets mad, the moods flip-flop, our sex drive withers, our jeans look lumpy. Enter the self-esteem prison wardens. They SUCK! Never a nice word passes from their chapped lips. No matter what you do, you are never enough.
Have you been taught that abuse is love?
Whether we do it to ourselves or give others permission to flog, this learned behavior is a byproduct of our twisted domestication. If we are pure sunshine and God breeze then why on earth would we allow anyone (including ourselves) to trample the glow?
Perhaps the road back to the house of health is long. Big whoop! You can do it. But as I have learned, and you have witnessed in my rants, it takes a willingness to be exposed. Shedding hurts. Shedding makes you shiver. Shedding sloughs the barnacles and reveals the cherry red vintage mustang.
Are we really protecting ourselves by staying same ole same ole?
Drink your green juice ladies and gents! If you’re feasting today remember to stay on schedule. Check the previous “Goddess” posts for more details. 4-5 quarts of greens with a little lemon, apple or pear (if you need it for taste). Keep it light and bright but nourish yourself. Drink lots!
Peace and nudity,
Kris
Ps. If the delicate butterfly always worried about protection it would never travel thousands of miles home.
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By Natalia Rose on February 10, 2009
Water fasting, the Master Cleanse, juice fasting, liver cleanses, blended food fasts…the list of different types of fasting go on and on. There’s never been more interest in fasts and “cleanses.” Unfortunately, there have also never been more misnomers about fasting circulating.
From a purely physiological standpoint, the whole point of fasting is to rest the system from digestion so that all the body’s energy can be used to improve the functioning of the body (there are of course other non-physical, spiritual reasons to fast but I won’t be addressing those in this blog).
Eating, assimilation, digestion and elimination take a lot of energy away from necessary functions within the body (such as keeping the body clear of the residue from meals past, turning over new cells more quickly, metabolizing substances efficiently, etc.). When the consumption of substances (food, drink, pharmaceuticals, cigarettes, etc) are taken in the quantities they are taken in our culture (meaning 3 times a day or more), it’s impossible for the body to keep a system operating smoothly. If it helps, imagine an assembly line that has run amok. That’s your body on 3 meals a day (plus snacks — eek)! Inevitably there is tremendous back up of these substances because they are not easily digested or eliminated, which creates our physical (and many emotional and mental) imbalances. When we fast, we give our body the opportunity to catch up on the back-log of work that has piled up.
The cessation of consuming food is a powerful tool when executed correctly, but done incorrectly, it can be a major health misstep. Following are some tips to ensure you get the most out of your fast/cleanse:
1. Determine what level of fasting is right for you.
If you are relatively new to cleansing there is not likely a need to do an all out juice fast. Fasting too early your transition to eating a cleaner diet is not usually necessary. When people start to eat according to the principles in my books (The Raw Food Detox Diet and Raw Food Life Force Energy), the applications of properly combining Quick Exit foods and juicing until lunch create such an opening in the body and a dramatic shift in what the body is used to taking in on a daily basis that the body immediately starts to go into cleansing/healing mode. Fasting is not needed and in fact, not even recommended at this point since it would only encourage more old waste to be dredged up than the body could cope with. Just as you would not go from a sedentary lifestyle to running the New York marathon in a day, the same logic applies to undertaking a major cleanse before you have even started to dramatically elevate the quality of foods you are eating. Simply incorporating the basic beginner principles from The Raw Food Detox Diet at this stage is equivalent to a fast for the beginner.
One of the things that distracts people from sticking to their level of transition are the reports they hear about how quickly you can lose weight on a fast. For example, they will hear that a friend lost 20 lbs on the Master Cleanse and immediately think they should do that too. Please don’t fall into that trap. Know your level and be intelligent about how to approach a cleanse. Most people have no idea what they are doing physiologically when they undertake a fast but are just going on whims and fads. Rest assured, if you steadily apply the transition principles you will enjoy maximum weight loss without fasting. It won’t be weight loss in a vacuum, which is what most people experience when doing a fast before transitioning and that imbalance sends them careening to the opposite extreme time and time again. When you cleanse in accord with nature, weight loss, inner calm, clarity, beautiful skin tone, natural energy and overall rejuvenation come together. This is the prize. So take your time and don’t get distracted by what other people are doing.
Mini-fasts, such as “juicing ‘til lunch”, that become part of one’s regular day-to-day lifestyle are the most beneficial types of fast for most people because they offer long term protection against over accumulation on a daily basis (akin to making sure the garbage doesn’t overflow in your kitchen everyday). This is extremely beneficial and can help keep you in excellent balance and at a perfect weight for life! Notice that when you juice until lunch you are in fact undertaking a mini-fast – you are fasting between dinner and lunch the next day! You could try doing this a few times a week.
2. Don’t be fooled into thinking that you can be redeemed from your excessive consumption over years of unfit eating by a few days of juice fasting. The accumulation in the modern body is so extensive that what you might “cleanse” in 2-4 days of juice fasting is a drop in the land fill of people’s internal waste matter. This is not to discourage you, but to point out that a short fast is no more of a cleanse than cleaning out a ziplock’s worth of rubbish from an overflowing community waste bin! You will feel a sense of well being relative to your state of toxicity, but don’t be fooled into thinking this means you have tapped the depth of waste that is buried within the tissues. From this perspective, you can see why such regular mini-fasts are more effective in deep cleansing than placing the occasional longer fasts among a typical diet/lifestyle. If you return to old habits (as in the case of most people who undertake the Master Cleanse for example) you have a false sense of having cleansed. Your health is a reflection of your daily consumption; the effects of occasional fasts will be lost like words written on the beach.
Tune in on Thursday for Part 2 of All about FASTING!
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