It may seem more difficult to stick to Meatless Mondays during the holiday season, especially if you’re striving to add more raw foods to your diet, but we’ve got some tips to keep you on track. Kristen Suzanne is here to share her game plan for making this winter a delicious, healthy, and kind one!

When the colder months arrive, I think of two things: staying healthy and staying warm. There are many ways to accomplish both – with a raw vegan diet!

Let’s start with the immune system. If there’s a time to stay healthy and keep the immune system strong, it’s now. While people are congregating more indoors to stay warm, traveling more because of the holidays, as well as letting their diets slip with sugar-laden foods and alcohol from all of the parties and gatherings, it can become an easy breeding ground for illnesses like the flu. Apart from the obvious hand washing, getting plenty of rest, etc., there are a few tricks for helping to keep the immune system nice and healthy.

Go Organic!

In addition to being better for the environment, organic produce contains more nutrients than conventionally grown food and this is the time of year to make sure you’re getting just that. Some people spend extra money on medicine, doctor visits, and being sick. Not me… my health is my priority so I don’t mind spending extra money for organic food, which helps me stay healthy and avoid spending on those other things in the long run.

Get Extra Greens!

Greens help alkalize the body and they’re loaded with superior nutrition. The easy way to get extra greens in your diet is to drink fresh organic green juice and green smoothies during the holidays. I sometimes add a green powder to the mix for extra oompf! Getting your greens in liquid form helps give the digestive system a rest, which can be beneficial for healing and rejuvenating the body. Go Greens!

Stay Hydrated!

When I’m drinking plenty of green juices and green smoothies, and eating a High Raw (or all Raw) diet, then staying hydrated comes easily. However, it doesn’t hurt to keep the fluids coming. A great way I easily add more hydration to my daily diet is to start and end every day with a nice cup of warm water with a squeeze of fresh organic lemon in it. Always filtered tap water (through a high quality filter), and never in plastic bottles. (I carry my water on-the-go in a reusable glass bottle or aluminum sports bottle.)

Probiotics Are Great!

During the holiday seasons, when everybody finds themselves a little busier, possibly more stressed, and surrounded by hordes of sniffling, sneezing, busy, stressed people… I take precautions and take probiotics. This gives my digestive system plenty of friendly bacteria… helping me stay healthy.

Fermented Foods Rock!

Fermented foods such as raw (unpasteurized) sauerkraut and kim-chi (pronounced “kim chee”) are quite popular around the world. They’re a staple in my diet year round and I generally consume about a 1/4 cup per day, or at least every couple of days. Fermented foods are low in calories with plenty of fiber, and they’re filled with a rich supply of vitamins and minerals. Plus, they help build up and maintain friendly bacteria in the body. All of these benefits are important… especially around the holidays.

I make my own sauerkraut from organic cabbage that I get from the farmer’s market. It takes about a month (or longer if desired) to ferment in my stoneware fermentation pot, so I make plenty of this when cabbage is in season. Then, I store it in my refrigerator for the months to come. If you don’t want to make your own, you can purchase delicious raw, organic, unpasteurized sauerkraut online from Gold Mine Natural Foods or Rejuvenative Foods, and sometimes your local Whole Foods Market has it.

Want to stay warm during the colder months while eating a raw vegan diet? No problem!

Here are a few tips:

1. Warming Spices!

During the colder months, it’s a great time to start spicing up your life in the food department. Some easy ways to do that are with spices like ginger, garlic, horseradish, curry, and cayenne pepper. Add some to the next green juice, green smoothie, raw soup, or salad that you enjoy. See how it gets your circulation flowing. Yowza!

Another favorite trick of mine for warming up is with organic miso soup – yum! (There are soy-free varieties of miso, too. My favorite brand is South River Miso.) Miso soup isn’t Raw, but miso has living components that are excellent for digestion and healing. Every time I have a warm cup of miso soup, I feel the lovely warmth spread in me from head to toe, literally in minutes.

2. A Dehydrator Warms Wonderfully!

Dehydrators are a great kitchen appliance for warming up your Raw foods. Dehydrating takes a little planning, of course, because you’ll need to warm your food for a couple of hours to get a nice soft warmth without destroying nutrients. One of my favorite raw vegan meals to warm in my dehydrator is raw vegan lasagna – Mmmmm.

3. Whirl a Little Longer in Your Blender!

Your blender (especially a high-powered blender) can be used to warm up Raw foods such as soups, nut/seed milks, and can even be used to warm up smoothies a bit to take the chill off. All you have to do is blend the ingredients for longer than you normally do, paying attention not to let them get too warm. A good temperature test is using your finger. Make sure your blender is OFF(!), and dip your finger into the mixture periodically to check the temperature. If it’s not too hot for your finger, it still has its nutrients.

Get Your Booty Movin’!

Exercise is great for getting blood circulating and warming you from head to toe. I keep a rebounder near my desk and jump on it every few hours for about 10 minutes to warm my body. Stay toasty in the winter and burn calories – a win-win! Another great (and cheaper) option is to use a jump rope.

Dress Warmer!

Sounds obvious, but it’s true! Treat yourself to a pair of fluffy organic cotton (or hemp) socks and an extra sweater. Layer up with your clothes. We keep extra blankets around the house this time of year, too, so staying warm is nice and easy – without having to keep the thermostat too high and wasting energy.

When you launch into a diet high in living foods, you will discover that these foods contain a force that creates motion. Non-living foods—such as cooked proteins, cooked starches, nuts, and all manner of processed substances—do not have this effect on the body. Given the physical laws of motion, if you eat foods with no life force, your intestines will be mostly stagnant.

When living foods suddenly enter your stagnant, acid-waste-impacted intestine, you may feel like you swallowed a bunch of expanding jumping beans! People usually embark on a diet of living foods for the weight loss and digestive benefits, so they are perplexed when their midsection suddenly starts moving and expanding.

One thing I am stressing to everyone these days is that WE MUST ALL BECOME SCIENTISTS. People are too quick to cry confusion in the face of all the conflicting information circulating in health and raw food circles. If everyone would just take a moment to sit with the common scientific sense of chemical reactions and the laws of motion, they could find all the answers they need without opening a single book or visiting a nutritionist, spa, doctor, or raw food guru.

Pay close attention now. Here are two scenarios that illustrate the two important concepts that will serve you well in this living-foods lifestyle:

1. Imagine taking the remains of dinner and tossing it into a garbage can. Seal the lid. The next morning when you wake up, go to the garbage can, and open it. The stench that assaults you is noxious carbonic gas that has started to grow rogue bacteria. This is what happens in your body—but your body is much warmer, so the chemical reaction and resulting bacteria are much more pernicious.

Now imagine what would happen if you took fruit—the cleanest, healthiest food known to humankind—and added it to the garbage, or to the contents of your stomach, at this moment of chemical decomposition. Would that be healthy? Health means cleanliness, so even though fruit is wonderful, it is not going to generate health in this scenario. Since the chemical reaction in the body is already troublesome, the fruit in this case would just make it worse. If you are bloated, gassy, and constipated, think scientifically about what your next move should be: something that reduces the gas and bloat and annihilates the bad bacteria.

Given the kinetic motions and chemical properties of foods, when you place fruit sugar on top of acidic waste and gas, the result is more gas, fermentation, and putrefaction. This scenario adds insult to injury, contributing to the intestinal distress, and ultimately endangering the bacterial balance of the intestine and constipating the bowel.

Therefore, if you were a scientifically minded live-foods enthusiast, you would take one of the following steps:
(a) Wait for your body to remove the waste and gas that supports the proliferation of bad bacteria;
(b) Have a vegetable juice or vegetables, which will have a neutral effect at worst and a beneficial effect at best, by hydrating the waste and contributing good microbes to fend off the bad bacteria (ideally, you would first consume some quality probiotics to help the process along); or
(c) Just wait a few hours before eating or drinking to give the body a chance to clear up this digestive upset (which is commonly caused by poor food combining, poor food order, overeating, eating while stressed, etc.).

Remember, living food is only potentially health-generating. It is only health-generating if it has an advantageous chemical reaction with everything else going on in the great petri dish of the body.

2. Next, imagine the average person off the street who has consumed mainstream food or “gym-head health food”—meaning lots of protein bars, lean meats, soy, peanut butter, etc. This food is dead; it has no kinetic energy. Living foods are alive; they have a lot of kinetic energy.

Again, most people come to living foods because they want to lose weight and heal digestive issues and other illnesses. Therefore, they don’t expect what usually happens as soon as they eat their first living-foods meal—a ballooning midsection with lots of gas and motion! But if they put on their scientific thinking cap, they would remember Newton’s first law of motion: “A body persists its state of rest or of uniform motion unless acted upon by an external unbalanced force.” Dead food piled on top of dead food keeps the intestine pretty dead. But add living foods—with all their live enzymes kickin’ around—and that system will be moved according to the rate and force of the added food. Living foods will act upon the body in a state of rest.

Most people assume this means that the cleaner, living-food meals don’t agree with them. But what’s happening is ultimately a very good thing. The all-raw hydrating substances are just reacting to the acidic waste and helping to eliminate it. This is a temporary state of awakening the old matter in the intestine. The only way to clean it out is to introduce these ultra-clean living foods (think of them like soap for the intestine), allow them to awaken and magnetize the waste, and then eliminate.

If living-food enthusiasts of all levels keep their science caps on and make choices that minimize the development of new carbonic gas (following my guidelines for food order and combination) they will eventually have clean, contracted, healthy cells. This will correlate to a lean body with tremendous vitality. Keep this in mind so you don’t misunderstand the changes your body undergoes as you introduce more living foods to your diet.

So let’s all keep our science caps on and consider the chemical reactions and the laws of motion as we make our meal choices. This way, we can use food and our food preferences as tools for our health. It’s really fun getting to know our bodies in this new way.

Here’s to the kinetic energy of living foods and harnessing the laws of science to improve our life experience!

Ricki Heller, PhD, RHN

About a year ago, I’d been following a healthy whole-foods diet and was feeling pretty pleased with myself. The holidays were upon us and I thought, “What could it hurt to have just one ‘regular’ dessert?” Of course, one led to two, which led to sweets on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis.

You know the story about the frog in boiling water? Supposedly, a frog placed in cool water which is then slowly heated to boiling can’t detect the subtle changes and will, eventually, cook to death. Well, I was that frog. It wasn’t until a red, flaming patch of itchy skin appeared on my chest that I finally realized I’d also overlooked other symptoms that had begun to appear over the previous months: fuzzy thinking and trouble concentrating; dull memory; a digestive system that was entirely out of whack. In addition, my mood seemed to swing between infuriation and teary-eyed melancholy.

I couldn’t deny it any longer: my old nemesis, candida yeast, had reared its ugly spores once again. First diagnosed with systemic candidiasis (also called candida related complex, or CRC) about a decade earlier, I’d been able to clear it up with the help of a holistic MD. I knew what I had to do: the next day, after a quick trip to my naturopath’s office, I was once again on the path to recovery.

Even though candida albicans (a fungal organism) occurs naturally in our skin and digestive tracts, it’s usually kept in check by “friendly” bacteria, digestive enzymes, and other organisms that reside there.

When something upsets the balance, however—this “something” can be antibiotics, stress, or other events that tax the immune system (such as pregnancy, birth control pills, or overwork)—the opportunistic yeast swoop in to take up positions recently vacated. And once they invade, they breed, crowding out the good guys and wreaking havoc with your innards.

In addition to messing with proper digestion, candida also produces toxic by-products that can infiltrate the bloodstream. These toxins will then be identified as foreign invaders by the body’s immune system, taxing it over time. With yeast overgrowth in my system, then, it’s no wonder I was feeling like a soggy heap of used coffee grounds.

Could You Have Candida Syndrome?

For the most part, allopathic (conventional) physicians still don’t formally recognize Candida as a bona fide condition. In alternative circles, however, candida is often pinpointed as the culprit in a host of physical and emotional problems. As Jeanne Marie Martin and Zoltan Rona, authors of the Complete Candida Yeast Guidebook, put it, yeast overgrowth is a “hidden epidemic” in North America.

Some of the major symptoms Martin and Rona enumerate are anxiety, allergies, bloating, cystitis (urinary tract infections), cramps, constipation, chronic fatigue, fuzzy thinking, food (especially sugar) cravings, memory problems, sore muscles, lethargy, PMS, psoriasis, skin rashes, sinus problems, or repeated fungal infections (such as vaginal yeast infections or athlete’s foot)—though the full list is much longer. To review a full list of symptoms and take a self-diagnostic online questionnaire, see wholeapproach.com, a great candida resource.

How can you treat Candidiasis?

It’s impossible to eliminate all yeast from our bodies. Instead, the goal is to kill off as many of the critters as necessary to restore a healthy balance between the “good” bacteria and candida.

Following an anti-candida diet is imperative to clear up a serious case of yeast overgrowth. Candida flourish on sugar. Consequently, the anti-candida diet (ACD) removes all sugars, refined or otherwise; sweeteners and any other foods that might encourage yeast to grow (vinegar, alcohol, moldy cheeses, mushrooms or nuts that harbor molds); and refined foods, which convert easily to sugar. It also bans glutenous grains and common allergens such as dairy products and citrus fruits.

Despite the restrictions, you can still enjoy a healthful and varied menu on the ACD. Permitted are all types of vegetables, some fruits (for mild cases), the herbal sweetener stevia, nuts, seeds, healthy fats, legumes and beans, and some animal proteins. You can even savor a few ACD-friendly desserts so you won’t feel deprived (see recipe, below).

Once the yeast are under control, healthy bacteria are then replaced, usually through the use of a probiotic supplement such as acidophilus.

You should always consult a healthcare practitioner, holistic or otherwise, if you think you’ve got candidiasis.

Maintaining a Balance

Now, about 5 months into the anti-candida regimen, about 90% of my symptoms have disappeared and I’m feeling much more like my old self. Still, I know I’m not quite there yet, and I must remain vigilant to prevent a future recurrence, as yeast is one of those conditions that are likely to reappear if you’re not careful.

I’ve learned that, as in most areas of life, moderation is key. Post-candida maintenance doesn’t mean denying oneself desserts for life; it just means choosing healthful foods the majority of the time, and indulging in true sweets only occasionally. For me, this translates to non-fruit dessert no more than once a week, and alcohol no more than twice a month. And chocolate? Well, all I can say is: thank goodness for 70% cacao.

Carob-Coconut Sweeties

Here’s an ACD-friendly dessert you can feel good about eating, whether or not candida is a problem. The flavor of these delectable treats reminds me of a favorite childhood candy called Neilsen’s Macaroons, like a chocolate rosette with toasted coconut. I’ve deliberately made a small batch to satisfy my own chocolate cravings, but you can easily double the recipe.

1 heaping Tbsp (20 ml) smooth natural almond butter

1 heaping Tbsp (20 ml) tahini (sesame paste)

2 level tsp (10 ml) carob powder (sift if lumpy)

pinch salt

2 tsp (10 ml) finely ground chia seeds (use 1 Tbsp/15 ml for the agave/maple syrup option, as they will be too soft otherwise)

8-10 drops stevia liquid (if on the ACD), or about 1 Tbsp (15 ml) agave or maple syrup

1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract (be sure it’s alcohol-free if on the ACD)

heaping 1/4 cup (65-70 ml) unsweetened, dried shredded coconut

1 Tbsp (15 ml) hemp seeds (or hemp nuts), optional

In a food processor (a mini is fine),blend the almond butter, tahini, carob powder, salt and chia until you have a smooth paste. Add the stevia and vanilla, if using, and whir again to blend. Add the coconut and hemp seeds and pulse until evenly distributed. Scoop the mixture by teaspoonfuls and roll into balls. Refrigerate (or freeze) 20 minutes or more to allow the mixture to firm up a bit. (If you can’t wait to dig in, they’re still delicious right away, but they will be fairly soft). Makes 4-5 balls.

Ricki Heller, PhD, RHN, is a holistic nutritionist, whole foods baker and author of the recently published Sweet Freedom: Desserts You’ll Love without Wheat, Eggs, Dairy or Refined Sugar. After being diagnosed with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and candida, she radically altered her diet to include only those foods that would help improve her condition. Still on the path to complete recovery, she credits an organic, whole foods diet for her 35 pound weight loss and vastly improved health. Ricki now writes about healthy foods on her blog, Diet, Dessert and Dogs, as well as for newspapers and magazines such as Clean Eating.

Fermented veggies (Raw, Organic, and Unpasteurized) are a staple in my diet. They fill my body with delicious nutrition, and I can’t image my life without them. Fermented veggies include things like sauerkraut (kraut is the southern German word for cabbage) and kimchi (a korean dish of fermented veggies and spices). They are amazing for your health. AMAZING! These foods are extremely popular, and they’ve been staples in people’s diets all over the world for a very long time. I can’t help but wonder why it’s not a staple in ours? Well, I’m changing that! Every few days (and sometimes daily), I gobble up fermented veggies. I love them!

Nutrition!

The benefits are numerous. Fermented veggies have enhanced nutrition. They’re reputed for helping fight disease. For example, they can help with candida, help boost your overall immune system, help prevent constipation (yay for poo!), and help prevent colon cancer. They’re AWESOME for your digestion… Basically, they add friendly bacteria (a.k.a. probiotics) and enzymes to your body. These things help digest the fermented veggies themselves, as well as helping you digest the other foods you’re eating (total score!). They’re filled with vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. And… get this! They can help you lose weight! They’re low in calories, contain dietary fiber, and known for helping reduce hunger and cravings for sweet foods. Do I really need to say anymore? Are you on board with (raw, organic, unpasteurized) fermented veggies yet?

I’m not the only one loving up these tasty guys. Fermented veggies have been used for natural healing for years (and I mean LOTS of years). More specifically, the Chinese have been fermenting cabbage for thousands of years! In fact, according to the book, Making Sauerkraut and Pickled Vegetables at Home, the earliest recording of fermented cabbage occurred in 200 BC. Moreover, there are parts of the world where a meal is just not complete if there are not some fermented vegetables on the plate. It’s written that Captain Cook (in the 18th century) was able to keep his crew alive and well (fighting off scurvy, a vitamin C deficiency), because he had them chowing down on sauerkraut while on their long, 3-year voyage. Isn’t that cool?

How Does It Taste?

For me, the taste and experience is total zing. Each bite is refreshing and energizing. You can buy (or make by yourself) different flavors. For example, it can be spicy with hot peppers, savory with garlic or herbs, or just plain. Some people, like me, love it right at the start, while some people say it’s an acquired taste.

There are many ways to eat it. If you’re not a fan of having it by the spoonful, then you have other options. Some people top their salads with it. Others eat it between two slices of bread (raw or not, it’s up to you). Some people eat vegan pizza by eliminating the cheese, and, once the pizza cools a bit after cooking, they top the pizza with sauerkraut. You can also top veggie burgers or veggie brats with it, too.

Getting Sauerkraut

You can make it yourself. There are videos and websites online showing you how (using a glass mason jar is a popular method). Recently, I decided to get the Harsch Gairtopf Fermenting Crock Pot. Apparently, this thing is fool-proof (sign me up!). It received great reviews on Amazon (all the sizes). I bought the 7.5L size a couple of weeks ago, and I made my first batch of organic sauerkraut at that time. I won’t be testing it for another week or so. The directions I read in a couple of books said to wait at least 3 weeks before opening the pot. Fingers crossed!!!

Meanwhile, since I don’t have homemade sauerkraut (yet!), I buy it online through Gold Mine Natural Foods’ website. Sometimes you can find it at Whole Foods, along with Rejuvenative’s (raw, organic, unpasteurized) sauerkraut and kimchi. They’re both good, but I prefer the texture of Gold Mine Natural Foods. If you buy it at the store, be sure that it’s Raw – Organic – Unpasteurized.

Happy Fermenting,

Kristen’s Raw

Hiya Emerald Queen,

Today is day 8 and FINALLY I feel great!    Hubba Hubby and I had the most chillaxin’ weekend.  We hiked with our friend Julia.  Lady Julia has diamonds on the inside.  She’s a supplement expert, yogi and genuine rainbow warrior.  You’re gonna love her!  Julia will be sharing her vast knowledge with ya in a few weeks.  You seekers have lots of questions about supplements.  Good lord – do I hear ya.  It’s hard to know what’s best.  Not for long!

Speaking of supplements, in a few hours I’ll be getting the test to determine the hydrochloric acid levels in my stomach.  For some time now food just doesn’t sit well.  Burps and other air packets bug me.  My energy is low and stuff isn’t digesting.

Dot connecting time!  The procedure is called The Heidelberg Test.  My naturopath will drop a pH tester capsule down my gullet, check my levels and then yank it out.  I’m so excited!  For, real, no sarcasm.  My glorious inners are down right cool.  Getting to know them better is a joy.  How else can you change what doesn’t work?

When it’s over, I head back to the clinic (not Tree of Life) for my vitamin C IV and a colonic.  Besides the endless needles, the tick-tock-snail-passing time is tough.  4-6 hours per day gets a bit trying.  But hey, I’m on a mission so SUCK IT UP… or sneak in your laptop.

Not sure if I mentioned some of this stuff already (you can always hear it twice), but I have a few more tips for fasting.  Beside the 1/2 tsp of sea salt 2-3 times per day in water to keep your electrolytes in balance, ENZYMES are crutial.  Without them you’ll feel like garbage.  The juice makes a gas super disco.  I take 2 with every juice.  I also take probiotics twice a day – morning and night.

The Enzymes I like are made by Theramedix.  You can also explore Digest Gold from Enzymedica, or the HHI HiZymes (from the Hippocrates Health Institute)

Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics 12 Plus – is a great probiotic!  So is the Udo’s brand and Garden of Life.  In that order.

While on the fast I’m also taking chlorella, spirulina, and Marine Phyoplankton.

To move the bowels look into Natural Calm, Colon Max or even a Cal/Mag citrate supplement.  You may not need any help but if you do, it’s out there, for a limited time.  Aloe too!  AND colonics!  For those of you suffering from constipation on a regular basis my advice is pretty simple.  Cut dairy, wheat, gluten and start practicing proper food combining!

Just like life, variety is the spice that makes us sing.  So switch your recipes up to avoid mind-bending boredom!  I’ve been adding tomato and basil at night with my sea salt.  Yum.  I imagine sipping gaspacho in the mediterranean while wearing a tube top.

That’s it for now.  If you’re up to it, join me this Wednesday for the Goddess Group.

Hope you have the best day ever!

Peace and pH,

Kris

PS. Tomorrow you’ll hear some wisdom from one of our Blog Posse gals Natalia Rose…  Can’t wait!