I am super excited to announce the release of my latest recipe book!

It’s called “11 Snacks to Silence Your Stomach“.

I’ve been working hard preparing, measuring, and photographing each of these recipes. These are all tried and true recipes that I make regularly.

They’ve even got my boyfriend Robin’s seal of approval. If you know him or how he likes to eat then you’ll understand that he is very picky. ;)

Why Free?

Why am I giving this delicious snack recipe book away, you ask?

Because I believe it’s great to give back to every one of you who have made my business what it is today.

But I’m also releasing it to give you a taste of what kind of recipes I like to put together. Because once you know how great tasting some of these raw recipes can be, you’re a lot more likely to sign up for my latest project when I unveil it. ;)

More Recipes and Menu Plans

After you’ve devoured the deliciousness which is the “11 Snacks to Silence Your Stomach” ebook… make sure you keep an eye out for my future emails and videos.

I’ll be announcing and unveiling my latest project – code named The Magick Menu!

Lots of love and snackish goodness!

Mindful Monday is a tradition where we take a few minutes to reflect on the week gone by and the one ahead.

Feel free to join in the fun by commenting!

What Are You Grateful for This Week?

• International Women’s Day: It’s time to celebrate International Women’s day, and what better way than with The Women’s International Summit for Health? I’ve been sending out links to WISH to my newsletter subscribers for the past few weeks in anticipation for today. Because we really need to celebrate women and women’s health together.
• Thought Provoking Movies and Good Food: Friday night I enjoyed an evening in good company at one of Toronto’s raw restaurants called Rawlicious. (I loved the raw pizza I had, super double yum!) We watched the movie The Yes Men Fix the World, and it was a very relaxed but insightful movie followed by great conversations.
• An Awesome Walk by the Lakeshore: Sunday my boyfriend Robin and I took the most amazing walk along the lake shore. It was sunny, it felt like spring, and there were these gorgeous sea birds out on the lake. It was a great way to get reconnected to nature. It made me realize how much I love being outside in it.

What Do You Intend for the Coming Week?

• Lots of Ease in Finishing my Work: I’m heading to SXSW in a few days and I have this massive to-do list to finish. I intend to check things off easily, in a flowing way that doesn’t cause me stress or worry. I know everything will get done.
• Simple, Quick, Packing: I’m generally good at packing and organizing before a trip (see my how to eat healthy at SXSW post) but I want this time to be stress-free. I know that the weather in Austin is going to be warmer than here, but I’m ready to pack a little variety to make sure I’m comfortable no matter what.
• An Awesome Time in Austin: I intend to meet some awesome people, learn some cool stuff, and enjoy myself at SXSW. Looking at the schedule at SXSW is a little overwhelming. I know it’s all about hanging out in the Bloggers Lounge or meeting people between sessions rather than trying to fit every panel in.

Note: I will be back with more Mindful Monday in two weeks from now!

Leave a comment below and let us know what you’re grateful for today and what you intend for the coming week. :)

Next week I’m flying out to Austin, Texas to attend the South by Southwest Interactive conference, also known as SXSW.

Traveling always involves a lot of planning from the plane tickets to the accommodations. One of the things that I’ve found incredibly useful is to also plan out my healthy eating strategy.

To give you a glimpse into what I’m doing to get ready for SXSWi here are my suggestions to eat healthy at SXSW…

Note: All of these recommendations are based on my extensive travel experience throughout Europe and Asia. I learned a lot of these the hard way, so you don’t have to. :)

Eating Raw on the Plane

If the first part of your journey takes you on an airplane, you’ll need to bring some food that you can eat immediately.

I like to bring some fruits that don’t bruise easily like apples, peaches, plums, and so on. I also usually bring a few bananas to eat at the gate while I’m waiting for my flight.

I have had trouble bringing oranges onto a plane going from Canada to the United States. The citrus import laws are different, but it still baffles me that you can’t bring and orange that was grown in Florida back into the United States. Anyways, that’s just my little rant.

In general you can bring fresh fruits and vegetables onto a plane, as long as you plan on eating them in the air. They just don’t want you to declare any plant products at customs when you land.

Bring Food From Home

There are certain things that you can pack and bring with you, saving you time and effort once you arrive.

Dehydrated Snacks

If you have a dehydrator you can make some fruit leather to pack with you. I’ve already made a large batch of green smoothie “leather”, that’s just a green smoothie that I’ve dehydrated.

I’ll be bringing several sheets of green smoothie leather in a baggie and it makes a great snack because it’s light and super nutritious.

Make a Trail Mix

Another great thing to bring is a trail mix or some nuts and seeds. You can bring a few different types of nuts or you can just mix them all ahead of time. This is an awesome snack if you need something a little heavier too.

Pack Larabars

Of course you can always bring along a few Larabars or other raw bars. These pack well and no one will confiscate a packaged bar from you as you board your plane.

They’re also very much like a treat, so carry one with you if you feel tempted by unhealthy desserts or snacks while you’re out.

Do Your Research

You can always do research about nearby restaurants and juice bars before you leave. If you leave it to the last minute or plan to do it once you arrive, you’re a lot less likely to follow through.

Here are a few Austin specific restaurants and juice bars, just to get you started:

• Beets Cafe: Raw restaurant and cafe, with good reviews.
• Barboleta Gourmet: Raw restaurant opening up again right before SXSW.
• Daily Juice: Fresh juice bar, a bit out of the way but may be close to where you’re staying.
• Yelp List of Juice Bars: A massive list of juice bars in the Austin area.
• Eat Well Guide Austin: I’m not the only one with the idea of eating healthy at SXSW. Download your Eat Well Austin guide here.

How did I find these places? One of my favorite vegetarian friendly restaurant review sites is called Happy Cow. Check out the Vegetarian restaurants in Austin.

Get Thee to a Grocery Store

One of the first things I like to do when I land is to find a grocery store. You can research these before you leave and find the closest one to your hotel.

Some of stuff I buy when I go to a grocery store on a trip include:

• Bananas
• Apples
• Oranges
• Baby carrots
• Whatever vegetables look good

Bring a Reusable Water Bottle

I’ve found that the most important trick to stay healthy when traveling is to drink plenty of water. It’s hard to think of drinking water when you’re always on the go, so bring your own reusable water bottle.

They may make you empty your water bottle before you board the plane but at least you’ll have it when you land and you can use it throughout your trip.

Trust me when I say that drinking more water can make the difference between getting sick or feeling tired. Water is definitely more important than food in this way.

Prepare Ahead of Time

Bring food with you everywhere you go, even if you’re going to a restaurant at some point during the day. You never know when you’ll be hungry or faced with nothing but a vending machine.

Another tip is to bring a blender with you, or find out if anyone will have one with them. This may be a little bit hardcore for some people, but I know that I personally do better with a green smoothie or green juice daily.

If you don’t bring a blender then you can definitely get green juice at most juice bars.

I usually bring a few whole fruits with me wherever I go, along with some nuts, and a water bottle.

It may seem heavy, but when you’re getting a lull in energy it’s totally worth it to take out a banana from your bag and feel satisfied.

Go with the flow & have fun!

After all of these tips, I’m going to recommend that you not be too hard on yourself! After all, you’re going to SXSW or whatever event you’re going to for a reason. And it’s probably to have fun, learn some stuff, and meet great people. Not to be obsessed about the food.

You’ll probably eat something that you wouldn’t have eaten were you in your normal environment. That’s fine!

Like I mentioned in my how to eat raw when you’re eating out post, it’s a lot more about your attitude than it is about the food itself.

So enjoy yourself, be gentle on yourself, and enjoy the great company. :) If you’ll be at SXSW interactive, follow me on Twitter and be sure to say hi!

Got Any More Recommendations?

The tips in this post are all based on my experience, but I know you’ve also got some great tips and expertise to share.

Leave a comment below and let me know what has worked for you, and what you recommend for making the best of SXSW and travel!

Well there’s a simple way to deal with that. It’s all about making food that most people would recognize, except instead of buying it in a can or a box you make it yourself.

With that in mind, I’d love to share with you a recipe that is a huge hit with both raw and non-raw friends and family.

My Wicked Guacamole Recipe

Most people will thank you for serving up such a fresh wholesome snack. With the rampant access to unhealthy snacks, everyone is working hard to make healthy choices. You’re actually making it easy for them to eat right!

If you’re really worried that people will want something that’s not raw – you can pair this guacamole recipe with some organic corn chips or some raw crackers.

The dinner itself can be a more traditional dinner with some cooked options. But you can rest easy knowing that you’ve plied your guests with more than their recommended dose of veggies for the day!

More Raw Snack Recipes Coming Your Way…

On the guacamole video page you’ll notice a sign up box to get more recipes. Once you’re on that list you’ll get access to my upcoming free recipe book.

So go ahead, get on the goodies list – and let’s make some delicious snacks for ourselves!

Mindful Monday is a tradition where we take a few minutes to reflect on the week gone by and the one ahead.

Feel free to join in the fun by commenting!

What Are You Grateful for This Week?

• Canadian Hockey: Yesterday the Canadian hockey team won the gold medal in the winter Olympics, and it was epic. There was no shortage of cheering on the streets of downtown Toronto, and it was just such a fun time to be Canadian. ;)
• Meeting New Friends: I’ve been making connections left and right, some of which are just so much fun and I am super grateful! Check out Liz Rice for her veg*/eco friendly events, Justine for her Etsy marketing materials, and Bianca for her freelancing. I’m also grateful for meeting with my wildly brilliant friends Tara and Jamie!
• The End of February: With the end of February comes March! I am super grateful for both the warmer (I assume) weather and the fact that SXSW is coming up! If you’ll be at SXSWi let me know, I’d love to meet you. :)

What Do You Intend for The Coming Week?

• Rolling Out the Goodies: I’ve been hard at work creating my next set of recipe videos, and a new recipe book. I’m super excited that this week I get to share a piece with everyone!
• Recipes & More Recipes: I’ll likely have my head in the recipes for a big chunk of this week, not that I mind. I can’t wait to share what my next Big Thing is going to be! :)
• More Live Events: Working on promoting my next live raw event, happening in April. I’m hosting another live Spread Your Raw Food Wings class here in Toronto, woohoo! There are only half the spots left, so if you want in click here to sign up.

Your turn, now

Leave a comment below and let me know what you’re grateful for this week, and what you intend for the coming week.

Today’s post is a treat for those of you who are struggling with cravings or emotional eating.

Peggy Carey, the author of this article, is also offering a special promotion to Raw Foods Witch readers so be sure to read till the end!

This is a guest post by Peggy Carey also known as The Zest Lady.

I have been a yo-yo dieter all my life… losing 50 pounds and then gaining it all back in a couple of years.

As a result of my desperate quest to reach my ideal weight I ruined my health.

I finally found the secret to losing excess weight and keeping it off in a way that also promotes vibrant health and fitness. I lost 45 pounds using a combination of raw food and essential oils.

Achieving your ideal weight can be challenging, but there are many tools that can help you reach your goal. Let’s look at aromatherapy and how essential oils can be used as a weight loss and maintenance aid.

Using Essential Oils for Weight Loss and Weight Maintenance

As a result of his research Dr. Alan Hirsch says that we feel full because of a special mechanism in our brain.

One reason we stop eating comes from signals designating being full or a sense of being satisfied.

An emotional state can also trigger a desire for food and we can control these feelings by inhaling certain scents.

The sense of smell can help us suppress appetite and all those irrational emotional responses we have to food.

Using our sense of smell consciously can give us control where our will power fails. For most people, using scents can curb cravings.

The Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Institute of Chicago found that by inhaling an aroma throughout the day, you can inhibit the desire to eat.

Dr. Hirsch, in his study, found that the more people used scent to control their appetite, the more weight they lost.

The key was to vary the oils used to prevent becoming desensitized which would reduce the effectiveness of the inhaled oils.

How to Use Essential Oils to Keep Your Irrational Hunger at Bay

Experiment by choosing three essential oils to use throughout the day.

Put a couple drops of each one of the selected oils on the cotton wick of your Be Lean Whiffer™ aromatherapy pendant.

Hold the Whiffer™ close to your nose when you feel you need a stronger scent.

The more you use these scents, the more effective they will be. Each day change the oils you used previously with three different ones.

This can be done easily by unscrewing the cap and inserting a new wick. Save the used wick for another day in a glass vial. (Oils can dissolve most plastics.)

Recommended Essential Oils for Weight Loss

• Peppermint: Is a digestive aid that soothes an upset stomach and helps with digestive problems.
• Grapefruit: A natural weight loss appetite suppressant through a process called lipolysis dissolves fat. (Combines very well with lavender in a Whiffer aromatherapy pendant).
• Bergamot: Stimulates your endocrine system and produces a sense of calm and well being and alleviates stress. Lavender can be combined with bergamot to enhance this calming effect.
• Tangerine: A diuretic and is also used to calm the nervous system.
• Orange: Helps overcome depression and gives emotional support.
• Ylang ylang: Used to clarify thoughts and assist in a feeling of wellness and calm.
• Patchouli: Used as a sedative and relaxation aid.

It is suggested you start with peppermint oil, because it provides unique weight loss benefits.

Dr. Alan Hirsch’s study found that inhaling peppermint can directly affect your brain’s satiety center, the ventro-medial nucleus of the hypothalamus.

This powerful essential oil makes you feel full after a meal. The result is that you can eat less and still feel satisfied.

You can choose to either inhale peppermint oil before a meal or drink a few drops in a glass of water or tea right before each meal.

Make sure the oil is pure enough to ingest. Do not ingest oils that are not marked GRAS (generally regarded as safe) or are not labeled for supplement use.

In Essence…

Essential oils are a terrific and natural way to suppress appetite and calm emotions as they relate to food and stress.

For safety and effectiveness, read the directions that come on the bottles of each essential oil before inhaling or ingesting.

Reaching and maintaining your ideal weight is a very important step towards achieving vibrant health.

Get more health related tips at Peggy Carey’s site The Zest Lady.

The Special Offer I Mentioned

To help you get started with essential oils, Peggy has generously offered to give anyone who buys a Whiffer pendant putting the code “RFW” in the comment-box a free pack of cotton wick storage vials.

Simply enter the code “RFW” in the comment box at check-out to receive you free gift! Click here to pick up a Whiffer and get your essence on!

P.S. I am experimenting with one of Peggy’s handmade Whiffers and will be sharing my experiences in future posts! Join me and get your own Whiffer and oils here.

Is there a movement away from Raw Veganism?

(Click here to watch the embedded video about raw food.)

It’s a very interesting phenomena, and I think it’s one that really needs to be addressed. Gena Hamshaw from Choosing Raw wrote about her commitment to being vegan and how she was vegan before going raw. I respect her position and determination, and love the piece she wrote about her stance on the issue.

On the other hand you have people like Anthony The Raw Model and Daniel Vitalis who are into the more primal way of eating, including animal products. They are also to be respected for openly discussing their own trials.

Where I Stand on the Issue

As you know my approach to raw foods has never been one of all-or-nothing. Because of that, I don’t see this split in the raw food movement as being such a monumental shift.

The truth is that I think a 100% vegan raw food diet is great if you really need to cleanse or purify your body. Most of us do at some point, if the food industry is anything to go by.

However, I don’t think it’s perfect for everyone in the long term. I think that different people have different body types, live in different climates, and have access to different quality foods.

I am very much in tune with the animal rights movements and treading lightly on our planet.

However I don’t think that adhering to 100% raw veganism is the only way to champion those causes. If you think about it, you can be a good steward of the earth even if you do consume animal products.

Raw Veganism For Health Reasons

Chances are you came to the raw food movement to improve your health, and I think that it is a great starting point to changing unhealthy habits.

I also think that it is your responsibility to do your research and eat the way that makes you feel your best, and if that means taking supplements or eating something that is not raw and/or vegan then I say go for it.

The raw vegan diet is very idealistic, but the truth is that most of us don’t live in an idealistic society.

I admit it, I am an idealist and I wish that it could be as simple as surviving only on raw vegan foods.

With books like The Vegetarian Myth coming out and more research and discussions about how environmentally friendly a vegan diet can be, I think it’s necessary to take a step back.

Raw Veganism and Animal Rights

I know of monks in China who are completely vegetarian. Still, there are other monks who choose to eat animals because they say that eating only vegetables does not limit the amount of harm done to other life forms like bugs, worms, etc.

Of course the real problem is not so much the fact that some people choose to eat animal products at all. But rather the way animal products are sourced unethically.

We are growing animals in factories. These dark conditions are certainly no way to raise animals, let alone animals to be eaten.

So here’s my take away point

You are an individual and you are allowed to research, experiment, and see for yourself what works best for you and your body type.

If that includes raw dairy products, a little bit of meat or fish, or some ethically sourced eggs then I say go for it.

Some of the most nature-respecting native peoples were hunters who ate animal products. They never abused the earth and they made the most of their position as shepherds of the planet.

It’s our time to do the same.

If you’re going to take care of yourself, you need to care of the planet as well.

That means eating organic, grass fed, ethically sourced animal products if you choose to do so.

That also means including lots of raw fruits and vegetables into your daily diet.

Finally, breathe deep…

Just because there is division in the raw food movement, doesn’t mean that eating fruits and vegetables raw is less effective or less important for your health.

I believe it’s important to get everything out in the open and to really dig deep.

Mindful Monday is a tradition where we take a few minutes to reflect on the week gone by and the one ahead.

Feel free to join in the fun by commenting!

What Are You Grateful For This Week?

• Speaking at PodCamp Toronto 2010: On Saturday I spoke to roughly 80-100 people on How to turn your Raw Passion into a Budding Business using Social Media. It was so much fun, there were some great questions and I felt so energized during and after the talk. It reminded me why I like speaking!
• Great romance novels: I read a few great romance novels over the week-end and it was a great way to unplug from the computer.
• Exercising my creativity: I had fun making a little raw meal planning video. It’s a parody on the google commercial from the superbowl and it was just a fun way to flex my techy video skills too!

What Do You Intend For the Coming Week?

• To Make Stuff Happen in my Kitchen: I’ve got a lot of ideas for recipes brewing, and I just need to set aside some time to make them happen in my kitchen!
• Make Progress & Wrap up some projects: As you know, I’m working on my next Big Thing, and things are moving along nicely. I would like to get the majority of the work for this project done and wrapped up nicely this week.
• Swimming: I plan on working pretty hard this week but I also want to balance that out with going swimming and taking an exercise break.

Over To You Now…

What are you grateful for this week? What do you intend for the coming week? Let us know in the comments & happy Monday!

The truth is that the majority of us can’t afford a Vitamix, or at least not yet.

When I first went raw I certainly didn’t spring for a Vitamix or a Blendtec, and I don’t expect you to either. So what are you supposed to use in the meantime?

My Recommended Low-End Raw Food Blender

From my point of view, you can get by with most types of blenders when you’re first going raw.

You might not be getting the smoothest smoothies, but if you’re willing to let the machine rest between blending you can still make some great green smoothies!

Here is the equivalent of the first blender I used when I first went raw. It’s called the Hamilton Beach WavePower Plus 14-Speed Blender, and is a very basic low end raw food blender.

I used this blender for about 3 years before moving on to another blender. It stayed true, and I kept it clean so it barely rusted.

All blenders have the possibility of defects, so if it doesn’t last you as long you’ve been warned!

You might also consider getting a blender with a glass container, since these tend to be a bit more durable.

Just make sure you DON’T get a blender with a spout like this one. I’ve had one of these, and smoothies and sauces can get stuck and they are a pain to wash out!

What to Look for in a Blender

If you want something between the very low-end type blenders and the very high end blenders, here are some points to keep in mind.

• Look for a glass container or a BPA-free container: it will last longer and is less prone to stains and scratches.
• For true blending power, go for 350 watts of power. Note that this isn’t the most important thing (it’s not a racecar!) but you want at least a minimum of power.
• If you want something that’s truly easy to clean you’ll want a blender with removable blades, so you can wipe them clean and they won’t rust. (This isn’t the case for high end blenders, but they tend to be easier to clean overall.)
• You’ll want to look for different blending speeds, and a pulse mode so you can control how smooth or chunky your food becomes.
• Make sure the blender has a secured lid, possibly with one of those optional opening covers that you can use to add ingredients mid-blend.
• One of the most overlooked parts of the blender is a skid-proof base. When you’re blending on a high speed, the base is likely to start sliding across your counter unless you’re holding on tight or you got a blender with a solid foundation.
• Lastly, be willing to give your new blender a fair try and if it’s not right to return it. You don’t need to spend a lot on a blender to get a good one, but keep in mind that it may not last as long!

High End Raw Food Blender Reviews

If you’ve read any raw food web sites or books, you know that two of the most highly recommended blenders for raw food are the Vitamix and the Blendtec.

I often get asked which is better, and whether my decision is influenced by the fact that I’m an affiliate for Vitamix.

Well, are you ready for my shocking answer? It’s a bit anti-climactic, but here goes.

The no-holds-barred honest-to-goodness truth is that they are essentially interchangeable! If you can get your hands on a Blendtec, trust me when I say you will be satisfied with what you make in it.

If you can buy yourself a Vitamix, you will also be equally satisfied since it makes a super smooth mix.

I know everyone has a preference, and I encourage you to just stop the “analysis paralysis,” and if you can afford one of these two high end raw food blenders – just pick one and go for it!

I’m not going to over-analyze these two blenders, since you can get all the information you need from their web site.

Reader’s Poll…

I want to know! What kind of blender do you use?

Leave a comment below and let us know what brand of blender you use, and whether you’d recommend it or not.

Mindful Monday is a tradition where we take a few minutes to reflect on the week gone by and the one ahead.

Feel free to join in the fun by commenting!

This week I’m taking some time away from the computer. That’s right, I’m celebrating both Chinese New Year with my boyfriend Robin, and Valentines Day.

So this post is actually a scheduled post that I wrote on Friday. Enjoy and feel free to join in the fun by commenting!

What Are You Grateful For This Week?

• Systems! I’m really working on streamlining my business systems and so far it’s working out quite nicely. I’m glad I’m building these things into place now and not waiting until things get too complicated to fix them.
• Videos! I’m really grateful for having made and published the Raw Relationships video with my boyfriend Robin. I’ve been getting a lot of good feedback and it’s just awesome to hear that it’s helpful for people.
• Dentists! Okay, maybe not grateful for going to the dentist but I’m grateful that it’s my last appointment until summer. Plus it was one of the shorter rendez-vous with a dentist I’ve had so that was something to be grateful about too!

What Are Your Intentions For the Coming Week?

• Partnerships: Partnerships and working together with other people have really been on my mind lately. I know that all of the ideas and details will sort themselves out nicely this week and the next.
• To Crank Out Some Good Stuff: As you know, I’m working on my next project and things are starting to shape up nicely. This week I’m really going to be pouring my creative and productive energy into getting this stuff in a presentable form and out of my head!
• Figuring Tax Stuff Out: In general my tax situation is pretty simple, but I want to get some momentum on this so it doesn’t come back and bite me later.

Interviews

I’ve been interviewed over at EpicSelf and you’ll definitely want to hear what I have to say about raw food, paleo diets, and other topics there!

Over To You Now…

Leave a comment and let us know what you’re grateful for today, and what you intend for next week!