Makes about 2 cups
-2 cups figs (de-stemmed and soaked for 30 minutes)
-2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
-1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
-the juice of one blood orange
-2 teaspoon curry powder
-1 teaspoon agave
Process in food processor until smooth and well combined. Serve with chips or crackers and ideally some almond cheeze.
Read Moreby Elenore Bendel Zahn of earthsprout.org
Makes: 12 pieces
-1 1/4 cup cashew nuts
-1/2 cup sunflower seeds
-3/4 cup cacao powder
-1/2 cup carob powder
-30 small pitted dates / 20 large dates
-1/4 cup virgin organic coconut oil
-1 tablespoon Almond oil
-2 small pinches of Himalayan salt/sea salt
-1 pinch of chilli (depending on how spicy yours is)
Soak the nuts and seeds in a bowl for at least 5 hours, rinse well and mix into a nut butter. Soak the dates and mix into a date paste with just a small amount of the soaking water left.
Carefully melt the coconut oil over heated water.
Mix all the ingredients except the water which you put in last to adjust the concistency of the batter if it is to firm. Press the mix into a lined cake pan or mould with your loving clean hands to get that final touch!
Let set in the fridge for at least two hours and then take it out half an hour before serving so get a wee bit gooey. Let your imagination free and decorate with what ever seems great to you! Mabye some cacao powder, bee pollen and edible flowers.
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Without water, there is no life. Humans can only survive for a few days without consuming this nectar of the gods. Much of this liquid nourishment comes from the food we eat. The most water-rich foods –and therefore the most healthy — are plant-based, organic and raw.
With their electromagnetic, ionic charges, the juices extracted from fresh, vegan fare fulfills the need for hydration while supplying high-level nutrition. Water constitutes a significant portion of the body mass in every living thing.
Much of the oxygen we need comes from water — another reason we should drink copious amounts. Surprisingly, an average daily intake of water for an adult contains approximately three times as many molecules of oxygen as are consumed through respiratory metabolism.
A person who is not living in an arid climate and/or active in the outdoors should consume a minimum of 1-2 ounces of water per pound of body weight per day. For very active individuals, and those residing in the desert, more is required.
Water not only hydrates our trillions of cells — it helps to clear our bodies of toxins and is the most effective lubricant and carrier of bioelectric energy. Even our bones are made up of 40 percent water. Dehydration can actually provoke death. All we have to do to see water’s power on us is to avoid drinking for a full day.
The molecular structure of water is also of great interest. Stagnation (lack of movement) and chemical manipulation cause water molecules to become disorganized. This disorganization creates friction when cells attempt to absorb water. This interrupts hydration. When our cells lack hydration, dysfunction occurs.
Water is so central to our physical and spiritual needs that to ignore the importance of water may cause disaster — both personally and globally.
If wars have been fought over oil — a substance that we merely invented a need for — what are we willing to do for access to that which makes all life possible? In this century, this question will manifest into reality, becoming a critical factor in international affairs.
It is important we all realize that water is a sacred substance. After all, each of us resided in water in our mothers’ wombs for nine months. Unfortunately, many of us consider H2O an abundant substance that does not deserve respect.
In many indigenous cultures, water is a carrier of disease. For this reason, “civilized man” began assaulting water’s potential microbes with deadly, human-made chemicals. This resulted in myriad new problems rooted for this extraordinary elixir. Cancer and many other illnesses are directly connected to the fluoride, chlorine and chemical debris that float within drinking water.
As far back as 1990, the Environmental Protection Agency concluded that chemicals such as fluoride, an aluminum industry byproduct intentionally placed in municipal water systems, causes tumor growth. Chlorine (another intentional additive) is far from harmless. It has been directly linked to the risk of miscarriage, birth defects, and weakening of the immune system.
The average public water supply contains a minimum of 27 different chemicals. Pharmaceutical drugs, including steroids, insect repellents, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides — as well as many more organic and inorganic chemicals — reside not only in municipal water, but in Earth’s waters.
Contamination isn’t only a concern when drinking; bathing and showering in this toxic stew allows even more of these vile substances through your skin. Globally, our aquatic ecosystems are slowly but surely being destroyed by human-made chemicals. Our greed and carelessness also cause weather-related disorder. The idea that we can pour pollution into our water and air and then simply “strain it out” is absurd. Such thinking must be abandoned. Nearly every lake, river, stream and pond in Europe and North America contains mercury. We must immediately begin to treat water with the same respect with which we aspire to be treated.
How can we deny that water possesses character and energy? When observing waves crashing on the shore or whirlpools that dot rivers, brooks and streams, we see that the power of water is tremendous. This wondrous substance has the potential to stir us, calm us, frighten us or awaken us. Water is the primal element from which we all spring and that to which we ultimately return as we break apart and become part of Earth’s great system.
Throughout history, many humans have understood the central need for H2O. It is used to baptize newborns, and some cultures send elders off in boats to the “Aqua Yonder.” Nothing is more calming than staring at the ripples in the lake or even a contemplation pond. Water respects people so much that it manifests our images as we gaze through the transparent liquid.
Swimming in clean water has proven to be the only exercise that utilizes every muscle in complete coordination with all parts of the brain. Therapeutically, water calms muscles, releases pain, and activates the lymphatic system and bloodstream. Cleansing our bodies of the many ounces of waste that leave through our skin each day is possibly the second most important function of water. When we choose the purest water, our bodies hydrate, function, and excrete at maximum levels.
There is actually a well-established science surrounding the therapeutic benefits of bathing in healing waters, including mineral springs, jacuzzis and hot tubs. The health of our water is nothing short of the health of our species.
Allow yourself to rekindle a healthy and balanced relationship with water, our second most important element, only trumped by oxygen. When you learn to use this phenomenal gift in a kind and respectful way, you will gain the benefits that it is here to offer.
For more information on how to optimize your health, see http://www.hippocratesinst.org.
Photo credit: Hani Amir
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-15 figs, stems removed and roughly chopped
-10 dates, roughly chopped
-1/2 cup walnuts, soaked or dry
-1/2 cup almonds, soaked or dry
-1/2 cup pecans, soaked or dry
-1/8 cup raisins (I used golden)
-2 teaspoon maca powder
-1/8 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla extract*
-1 tablespoon cacao nibs
-2 tablespoon unsweetened dried coconut flakes
Blend together in your food processor. Shape into whatever your heart desires (I chose to honor the fig newton- an old favorite of mine) and place in freezer or refrigerator for at least an hour. I prefer them in the freezer, but know that they will lose 30% of their nutrients in there.
*no worries if you don’t have alcohol-free vanilla. The other stuff will work too!
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By Philip McCluskey
As I sit in front of my computer and ponder the last four years of my life, I can hardly believe it was “me” living it. There have been many days that I would find my eyes welling up with happy tears and laughing at this newfound joy and happiness I discovered.
I’ve been overweight my entire life, tried over 30 diets and was always the biggest kid in school. At 400 pounds, I felt I was a victim to an obese father, a broken family and the list goes on. The thought of giving motivational lectures and authoring books on weight loss was so far removed from my reality. The only highlight of my life was my yearly vacation (escape) from work and even that ended up being stressful. But I was soon to find out that the Universe has a funny way of mixing things up a bit.
Four years ago, I switched to a 100% raw vegan lifestyle. Besides the dramatic weight loss, one of the things I discovered birthing in me was a desire to actually LIVE, to really live—like I never had before. I decided to take ideas that had only been in my mind or on paper and create a reality that would line up with them or would enable them to happen in sync. I really let loose here too: I included the girlfriend I always dreamed of, the freedom of traveling around the world and exploring, new friends, new business partners, family, love, life. My goal was to live with as much freedom and love that my heart could handle.
But, where to start?
Faith
Trusting in the Universe has been a wonderful learning process. Learning that I manifest the world around me was originally a new concept for me, and I have gained so much from it:
-There is no such thing as coincidence.
-I am a co-creator, not a victim.
-Responsibility is all mine.
-The Universe only has good things for me.
-Be still and know that everything is perfect.
From the moment I began to release the reigns a bit, I found that I was actually able to truly enjoy life for the first time. So, what happened? I began attracting new friends from all over the world. Raw food communities were popping up, and it seemed like support was everywhere. Companies began to contact me and opportunities for adventure began to present themselves. I got to share my story on CBS. People began to ask me to speak all over the world. “What luck,” some might say. Ha, no such thing! It all started with visualization and positive thinking.
Positive Thinking
I came to find that living life everyday with the attitude of having “The Most Amazing Day Ever” presented more than I could ever hope or dream for. I decided not to put my future in a box anymore but rather to be completely open to whatever was to come. Expecting the best in every situation and being in a space of gratitude, no matter what was gifted to me, was a new way of thinking that turned into a new way of manifesting. If we create the world around us with our thoughts and our intentions, why not create it the very best way possible, way beyond the status quo?
Here are a few tools I found that helped me along the way:
1. Affirmations. Most people have a terrible day because subconsciously they don’t feel they deserve anything good in life, usually due to a lack of self-love. You can reverse that by affirming you love yourself in the mirror daily. I dare you. Do it until you actually believe yourself or until you crack up laughing.
I would tape notes on my mirrors and walls around the house reminding me to do my affirmations, including “I Love Myself,” “I Accept Myself,” and “I Appreciate Myself.”
2. Creating Your Day. Create your day by writing down exactly how you want your day to go. It’s quite simple and should take less than five or 10 minutes. Don’t be skimpy on the details either. If you are having a problem with a coworker, write down how you would like them to act towards you and see that person as cordial and pleasant. Whatever the situation, see it in your mind and write it down. Get wild here; don’t limit yourself!
3. Visualization. Spend 30 minutes once a week (or more frequently) and picture your future the way you want it to be. You get to direct your own movie and be the star!
Your goal may be to lose 40 pounds and go to work in a new tailored pinstripe suit. If that is the case, picture yourself as that person: trim, strong, muscular, confident and looking amazing in your new suit. Picture what it feels like when you walk around and interact with people. Feel the emotion of the moment. The emotion and intention are what sets the process of creation in motion.
I have been picturing myself as a trim muscular guy for pretty much my entire life. After losing over 215 pounds from a maximum weight of 400 pounds, I would say I manifested that dream or visualization. It may have taken a little longer than expected, but I’m still learning.
Accepting ourselves, accepting change, being in the moment, and creating with our words, thoughts and intentions is how we shift and transform our bodies, our lives and even our future. We have been taught to look outside ourselves for the answers. We run from guru to guru, from the hottest yoga teacher in India to the latest retreat in Mauritius, always looking, always seeking. Is anything wrong with any of this? Of course not. Just remember the hidden treasure is in an earthen vessel, which is you. You have everything you need inside you already. Yup, everything!
You are empowered to affirm, create and visualize your life to be whatever your heart desires. You always have been.
Philip McCluskey is a motivational speaker, author, and is incredibly passionate about raw foods! Being overweight his entire life, he surpassed morbid obesity and skyrocketed to a max weight of 400 lbs. After switching to a 100% raw vegan diet overnight, he has lost over 215 lbs, completed a 100-day juice fast and a 60-day liquid fast, and is on the fast track to rediscovering his new superhero existence. His recipe book Raw Food, Fast Food can be found at www.lovingraw.com.
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