Let's Talk About Dairy

What did I Eat??

Breakfast:
17 ounces Crazy Cacao elixir with raw cacao powder and nibs, fresh Thai coconut water and meat, psyllium seed powder, flax seeds, raw vanilla bean, raw crunchy almond butter, Revitaphi superfood alkalizer and agave

Lunch:
Sunflower sundried tomato pate with celery and carrots
1 Bosc pear

Snack:
a few handfuls of raw cashews

Dinner:
A big bowl of Seaweed chowder soup (see yesterday's blog for that recipe); DELICIOUS!
Some herbed olives

Dessert:
3 bricks Two Moms in the Raw goji berry granola

24 ounces of water

Did you know that often, when a child (or adult) with asthma is taken off dairy, the asthma disappears? Dairy is both an "acid" food, on the Acid-Alkaline connection, as well as a muccus and phlegm producing food. Because we actually do not have the enzymes to digest cow's milk (not only those who are lactose intolerant; everyone), it creates an acid environment in the body with associated health symptoms. When we cannot effectively digest something (physically or emotionally), it "clogs" us up and produces symptoms. Dairy is really the largest culprit of that. Symptoms that have been associated with high dairy consumption are: Muccus and phlegm; respiratory issues, including asthma; arthritis and bone degeneration...What?? you may say, but it's dairy. It has calcium. Yes, it does, but if we are unable to assimilate the calcium, it does not serve us. The statistics show that the countries with the highest dairy consumption have the highest rates of osteoporosis! If it creates an acid environmant, then the body looks to alkalize. Calcium is a great alkalizer, so the body leaches calcium from the bones. OK, back to symptoms and illness associated with dairy; breast cancer and prostate cancer.
What can I do in place of milk and for my children? Either buy almond, rice or hemp milk, or make fresh nutmilk; once you do that, you'll never go back.
Nutmilk:
raw almonds, cashews or Brazil nuts (not roasted; no additives)
in an open bowl of water, soak a bunch of nuts overnight.
In the morning, drain, rinse and dry. You can put the bulk back in the fridge in a container and they will last about 1 1/2 weeks.
Now you've soaked the nuts and they are a "living" food. The enzymes have been released to help with digestion. Nuts are super high in protein; almonds in calcium.
In a blender, take a handful of nuts. Add 1/2 blender of water. Blend and see it turn into a white milk! Now you can add either agave sweetener, honey or a couple of dates. You can even add Stevia as a sweetener, and some vanilla extract. For a different flavor, toss in a banana. Your kids (and you) will love it!
Just go nuts...

To Each Her Own...Eat What Nourishes You and Let Others Do the Same

Saturday's Food:

Blueberry Bonanza with water, frozen blueberries and banana, psyllium seed powder, flax seeds, Revitaphi superfood alkalizer, agave

Lunch:
Guacamole with lettuce and orange pepper, raw cashews and apricots

Dinner:
a stuffed portobella mushroom, marinated with Bragg's, with sunflower, sundried tomato pate (soaked sunflower seeds, soaked sundried tomatoes and the water, olive oil, cayenne, dulse peices and flakes, sea salt, garlic, nutritional yeast)
Raw Chocolate Midnight Madness with fresh Thai coconut water and meat, frozen banana, raw crunchy almond butter, psyllium seed powder, raw vanilla bean, agave, cacao powder and nibs; this was rockin!

I let the writing of my blog go last night and allowed my body to fall into bed and get extra sleep. I am truly honoring its need to rest and rejuvenate, and my 2:00 AM blog entries keep me up really late. Though I love writing them, I knew it was time to tuck in early. Between my car breaking down this week and still in the shop, my hot water heating not working and my body going through Spring detox and change of seasons, my body is sending me signals that it has stored all this information and is asking for sleep to process and integrate it all.
So, last night, as I was at my computer after a full day with a dear friend, including a hike, for one minute I thought, "Will I be letting down my readers by not blogging tonight?" This was quickly circumvented by the thought that self-care and honoring is the best way to show up for others. My body always steers me in the right direction; from sleep; to energy; to emotional responses; to intuition; as long as I pay attention to its signals, I am on the right path for me.
So, I am writing yesterday's entry today and will now go whip up a raw Seaweed Chowder to take to my friend's for an Easter gathering. They will be eating a classic Easter meal (which I did with them at Christmas, and it was delicious), and today I am bringing my raw food with me. I get to focus on the relationships, and we will all be drumming and talking and 'revelring' as we always do when we gather. I am excited, because this soup is the Best Soup Ever; it's Matt Amsden's recipe from RawVolution. I've made it many times, and even cheffed it for workshops and demoed it at lectures. It tastes kind of like Vichyssoise, but with seaweed!
I'll also bring a stufffed portobella and a couple of coconut rolled dates.
I bought everyone some fabulous Italian pastries from a shop here where I live, filled with mini canolies and cream puffs.
Don't be afraid to mix your worlds; eat what truly honors you, say what you need for yourself, and fully honor others' choices, even if they are radically different than yours.
When someone comes to me for counseling, then I share education and health recommendations for how to shift their food and address their health issues; otherwise, I appreciate each person's individuality and right to choose what foods light them up; therefore, I got satisfaction in knowing I could bring these rockin' Italian pastries for my friends to eat on Easter.
If you do decide to eat traditional Easter food, please enjoy every mouthful; I know I did at Christmastime.
Please write in and tell me about your Easter Sunday...

Dear Ones,

My thoughts last night:
Using Multiple Intelligences (thank you, Anasatsia!), developed by Dr. Howard Gardner, professor of education at Harvard University, I tapped into my Spatial/Visual Intelligence last night to change my story:
Here was my story:
"Ohh, everyone stands at the local Dairy Queen waiting for their Summertime ice cream. It tastes so good. I want some, too! Maybe I should just go get some and forget this raw health stuff."
Now I picture myself belonging to a different club; the club of high health, unstoppable energy, clarity and focus; the club of abundant joy and confidence. I picture myself being really ME.
I visualize a dish with raw crunchy almond butter, goji berries, raw cacao (this is raw chocolate, without all the sugars, dairy, and fillers and with the high-end nutrients), agave for sweetener and mesquite powder for maple flavor. Yum I am eating it right now; I can picture how amazing I feel...and I am; right at this very moment! I step into my kitchen (for real) to make my luscious dessert. It is so good, I treat myself to two bowls!
I have transformed the story of who I am in relation to food, joy and being filled up emotionally into a whole new experience.
Peace & High-Health,
Hope