We hear nutrition buzz words like antioxidants, free radicals, and oxidative stress all the time… but what do they really mean, and more importantly what does it mean for your health?

Photo by Darren Hester

What Are Free Radicals?

Free radicals is a chemistry term that describes a molecule that is unstable. A molecule is unstable when it has an uneven number of electrons, and is constantly searching to bond with other molecules to gain that electron.

When an unstable molecule bonds with an existing stable molecule, it “steals” the electron it needs and causes a domino effect by making the once-stable molecule turn into a new free radical.

The term “free” refers to the fact that these molecules are traveling throughout the body looking for a fix (an electron).

Sounds innocent enough, but free radicals are responsible for:

• Accelerated aging
• Destruction of DNA
• Clogging of arteries
• Tissue damage

I should add that our body naturally produces free radicals when it needs to fight off viruses and bacteria. However, most of us have way too many free radicals due to environmental factors like pollution, radiation, smoking or inhaling smoke, pesticides, herbicides, and stress.

What Are Antioxidants?

Antioxidants are phytochemicals, vitamins, and other nutrient dense substances that fight free radicals. Antioxidants to the rescue!

How can you tell if a food has antioxidants? Colors!

Plants create different colorful pigments to protect themselves from the sun’s UV rays. Plants too can develop free radicals if they are under too much ultra violet sun light. That’s why they develop bright and colorful antioxidants.

Lucky for us, we can eat these colorful plants and fruits and gain the beneficial antioxidants to help us fight free radicals.

Ever notice how all of these “antioxidant superfoods” are dark and colorful like pomegranate, blueberries, acai, etc? Yep, it’s those color pigments that have the antioxidant properties we’re looking for.

Antioxidants act like scavengers for free radicals, giving them one of their electrons. The key is that antioxidants continue to be stable even if they donate an electron. Hence antioxidants have a stabilizing effect, that can repair damage and prevent more from happening.

Antioxidants also improve your body’s immune system, helping you fight off colds and out of control cell reproduction.

Photo by Doug Wheller

How Do You Get Antioxidants Naturally?

I’ve already hinted at this in the previous section, but the trick to getting your antioxidants in naturally is to eat lots of colorful plant based foods.

Think in rainbows. Dark blues and purples, shimmering reds, yummy oranges, delightful yellows, powerful greens.

When you shop at the farmer’s market or grocery store, look for the bright colors. Manufacturers try to lure you in with brightly designed boxes and cans, but if you let your instincts kick in you’ll be drawn to the naturally beautiful colors of fresh organic produce.

Studies have shown that eating more than 5 portions of fresh fruits and vegetables each day can cut down your risk for heart disease and stroke by 25%.

I think these natural antioxidants are working their magick!

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What’s your favorite colorful fruit or veggie? Leave a comment below and let me know!

This article has been a long time coming, and it is hard for me to post pictures and write about my journey with acne. I started getting lots of pimples when I was eleven years old, and tried everything to get rid of it.

Finally, after years of struggling with facial and body acne, I feel like I am ready to share what I have learned to stop zits and breakouts. I’m by no means an acne expert, I share only what has worked for me.

Acne photos – before and after high raw diet

Hormonal Acne, Pimples, and Sugar

I started having lots of acne and breakouts when I was 11 years old. At that point in my life candy was a staple in my diet, and so were processed sugary foods like cakes and cookies. I also drank soft drinks left and right.

Oh, and I should mention that my favorite restaurant growing up was McDonald’s. For the toys.

Since I started breaking out at a young age (no one else had acne yet) my parents and I tried all kinds of things. I went to the dermatologist, the esthetician, and bought every type of cream and “system”.

I kept hearing “rumors” that acne was caused by chocolate, or soda, or sugar. When I asked my dermatologist, the answer was a flabbergasted – of course not! Diet has nothing to do with breakouts, it’s all hormones. (Now I know that the body is a sum of the whole, and that nothing is ever isolated!)

Nothing really put a dent into the acne, no matter how much on the spot acne treatment stuff I applied. The years went by and I continued to eat peanut butter sandwiches, lots of sugary snacks, junk food, and soda.

Acne and Birth Control Pills

Finally in an act of desperation when I was 16 I went on the birth control pill, as recommended by my dermatologist.

I saw a slight improvement in my skin, even though the acne never completely went away. Unfortunately the birth control pill would go on to affect a lot of other things in my body.

I gained about 20 pounds in one summer when I started on the pill. This exacerbated an already messed up relationship with food and emotions.

It also put my hormones out of whack. In fact when I decided to stop taking the birth control pill 5 years later, I had a hard time getting my period back.

Oh, and when I stopped taking the birth control pill my acne remained at the same level. So really, I think the pill did more harm than good… especially when you take into account the side effects and how it threw off the balance of good bacteria and yeast in my body.

Homemade Acne Treatments

So what do I think is the best homemade acne treatment? A change of diet, quite truthfully. I’ve tried all the creams, all the homemade masks, and the closest I’ve come to clear skin is by eating right.

So what do I consider to be “eating right”? Eating lots of high water content fresh fruits and vegetables, reducing or even eliminating sugar, wheat, and dairy.

Here’s a little bit of what might be going on underneath your skin, and why what you eat really influences acne and breakouts:

• You get breakouts and pimples when oil glands get infected with bacteria, causing an inflammation response and filling up with white blood cells and pus.
• Eating foods that boost your immune system will help your body fight the bacteria, thus reducing the inflammation. Immune system boosting foods include those high in Vitamin C like oranges, kiwis, and broccoli.
• Sugar causes spikes in energy and blood sugar, and generally leads to a compromised immune system, low energy, and a cycle of eating more sugar.
• Sugar also feeds the yeast, causing an imbalance of good bacteria in the body. Without the good bacteria to protect you, you are more vulnerable to breakouts.
• Stress has an impact on the immune system, essentially shutting down our digestion and other auxiliary “services” to undertake the fight or flight response. That’s why you get more breakouts when you’re stressed.
• Toxins and other unwanted substances can get lodged in the body, either through the foods we eat, the air we breathe, or the products we put on our skin. If you observe breakouts after using certain products, discontinue their use.
• Allergies and food sensitivities cause your body to go into an immune response, leading to constant inflammation, and reducing your body’s immune response sensitivity over time.
• Water is essential for flushing out the toxins, hydrating the body and the skin. Make sure you’re drinking enough water every day.

Acne Tips

Here are some other acne tips I’ve learned along the way.

1. Check out Acne.org for videos on how to wash your face to reduce inflammation.
2. Picking pimples is not recommended, it causes scarring, and just encourages more pimples in the same spot.
3. Be gentle on yourself – a lot of this is about mindset, and change is never an overnight transformation.

Finally, I need to say that I’m not totally blemish free. I still get some acne and pimples, but it’s much more manageable.

In fact, I usually know exactly why I am getting breakouts. Lack of sleep, too much stress, not eating right, a certain type of make up or lotion, that time of the month, etc.

Got Any More Acne Treatments or Tips?

I’d love to hear your acne story. If you found a natural way to reduce or stop your acne, let us know in the comments!

We’re all in this together and the more we share, the better for future visitors who are in need of advice.

Photo by Patrick

This story starts a long time ago, in a small town where families had dozens of kids. Her name was Monique, and she was a bright eyed bushy tailed girl, who liked to draw horses and sometimes people too.

Monique liked to dance, and she hid stacks of love letters under her mattress. As she grew older, she did what most young girls do. She settled down and got married. Then Monique started a family of her own.

Somewhere along the way she stopped being a bright eyed bushy tailed girl. Not that she wasn’t happy, because clearly she was. She had all that a woman could hope for, and she was content.

But somewhere along the way, she stopped doing the things that had kept her healthy and shiny-eyed.

She stopped drinking water.

As Monique grew older, she watched her children move out on their own and start families. She even taught some of her grand children how to draw horses and sometimes people too.

When one of her bright eyed bushy tailed grand daughters asked Monique why she didn’t drink water, she replied: “Because I don’t want to go to the bathroom too often.”

How Much Water Really Affects Us…

We all think that wrinkles are normal, and that it’s age that makes us sick and weak. But what if it was just a matter of keeping your body fully hydrated?

Monique was my grand mother. She passed away when I was a young girl, suffering from bladder and kidney issues and later on cancer.

I’m sure there were other contributing factors, but from my research and experience I know that drinking more water could have helped keep her healthy longer.

Photo by Cyron Ray Macey

How Much Water Should You Drink a Day?

We’ve all heard something about drinking 8 eight ounce glasses per day. But the amount of water you drink should really depend on the individual, as well as your lifestyle.

If you exercise and sweat a lot, then you would need to drink more water. Also, it’s important to note that drinking liquids other than water are not a good substitute.

Even changing the amount of minerals the water contains can change how your body absorbs it. So think twice before drinking anything other than pure water, and counting it toward your total.

My recommendation for figuring out how much water you need to drink in a day, is to look at the color of your pee.

Yes, it might seem silly, but it’s a great way to get immediate feedback on how dehydrated your body is. If your pee is dark or yellow, then you aren’t drinking enough water. It’s only once your pee is clear that you know you’re getting enough water.

Notice that most mornings your pee is dark, whereas throughout the day it is more clear. That’s because our bodies get dehydrated during the night from exhaling, sweating, and because we aren’t drinking any water during the night.

Should You Drink Less Water if You’re Eating Raw?

Recently, I was talking to a client about green smoothies and he mentioned that he had to go to the bathroom more often after drinking a smoothie. Since green smoothies are high in fiber, that made sense to me but he was more worried about having to pee more often.

A lightbulb went on in my head, since I had heard the whole “I don’t want to pee too often” excuse somewhere before.

The truth is that high water content fruits and vegetables are good for you. They help flush out toxins in your body, and they keep you hydrated with the most purely filtrated water available – from plants!

I recommend you use the same strategy of looking at your pee to determine if you’re drinking enough water.

How Much is Too Much Water?

With every recommendation there’s always a caveat, and this one is the possibility of drinking too much water. I remember hearing about a case where people drank so much water while fasting that they experienced major problems, and some even died.

Clearly, it’s a case for listening to your body. If your pee is clear, then don’t try to force yourself to drink too much extra water. Just to be on the safe side.

And remember that going to the bathroom often is not a bad thing! If you are worried about an elderly person, why not bring a bedside commode for them to use, so they can get the health benefits of drinking enough water.

Tricks to Keep Hydrated

If you really don’t like the taste of water, try adding a slice of fresh ginger, or cucumber, or a lemon or lime. This adds flavor, it’s inexpensive and can make drinking water a little more enjoyable.

Another tip is to have water with you where ever you go. That means bringing a water bottle, or knowing where the water fountains are.

If you need more tips, check out the follow-up article all about how to drink more water every day!

What other tips do you have for keeping hydrated?

Share in the comments below!

Photo by Hannah Webster

Last night I attended a group healing session here in Toronto. The session was called “A night with intention”, and was facilitated by a man with over 10 years experience with energetic healing.

The topics we discussed really got me thinking. First of all, I truly believe that each of us has the ability to heal ourselves.

How else can the body know what to send to heal a paper cut? Why should it be different for cancer, or heart disease?

If you came to raw foods for healing or weight loss, then trust in your body’s ability to return to a whole balanced place.

Raw Food is Only Part of the Healing Puzzle

One thing I’ve really been pondering on a lot lately is the realization that raw food is just a tool. For some cases using raw food to heal yourself is the best choice. In others, maybe a different approach might work better.

I’m not a fan of conventional Western medicine and the emphasis on the quick-fix pill-popping “solutions” it provides. But if I get hit by a bus, send me to the emergency room – don’t try to heal me with raw food or an energetic healing technique.

There’s a time and a place for each of the healing tools we have available to us.

Similarly, there’s something to be said about the placebo effect. If the placebo effect operates in 1/3 of all healing cases, then why don’t we learn more about this miraculous possibility? If I can heal someone just by placing my hands on them, or by jumping on one leg and waving a magick gourd… then why wouldn’t I do it?

Health Promoting Environments

Disease and illness happens over time, it rarely just appears out of nowhere. That’s why I believe that the environment in which we live is just as important as the food we eat.

For example, if you live in a very toxic and mentally damaging environment you’re not likely to feel your best.

Create a safe healing sanctuary for yourself with your favorite plants, relaxing music, comforting smells, and maybe a cushy blanket or pillow.

If there are unsupportive people who bring you down, find a way to let them know their treatment is not welcome or distance yourself from them. This is tough, but sometimes necessary.

Healing Thoughts

This is something that Jonathan Mead and I talked about in our Raw Food Q&A Call. Jonathan said something that really zeros in on one of the biggest pieces of the healthy living puzzle.

“It’s better to be eating something that’s not raw and feeling good about it, than to be begrudgingly eating something raw but feeling horrible.”

This works both ways, if you beat yourself up when you “fall off the wagon” of eating raw foods, you’re inflicting more pain and stress on yourself than the non-raw foods themselves might be.

The thoughts you think and the feelings you feel play such a huge part in the healing process.

If your thoughts and feelings aren’t supporting your healing efforts, it might be time to change your habits or find a practice that takes you out of your head space.

Healing with Raw Foods

I don’t think there’s one right way to go about healing yourself. For me, eating more raw food has been the first step on a journey of whole body and mind healing.

For you, raw food might be step one or step three, it doesn’t really matter. Find what works for you, and go from there.

All I know is that raw food has been instrumental in healing myself and those around me.

To find out more about my healing journey with raw food, and how I came to eating this way watch my video interview here.

What has been instrumental in your personal healing journey?

To most people the term “raw food diet” might seem a little extreme, if not far-fetched. That’s why I want to spend a little bit of time today explaining exactly what Raw Food is all about, and a few reasons why some people include more Raw Food in their diet.

(Oh, and just a little reminder that I’m not advocating a strict 100% raw food diet. I think we can all benefit from more raw food, but it might not be right for everyone right off the bat. Right batman? Right.)

(If you’re reading this via email click here to watch the quick introductory video.)

What Does The Raw Food Diet Consist Of?

The raw food diet consists mainly of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. These four main food groups are great because they are essentially the revitalizers and immune system builders of the body. Not to mention that anyone can benefit from more fruits vegetables in their diet.

Reasons Why Raw Food is “Raw”

The raw food diet further qualifies food that is raw by stating that it not be heated above 112 Fahrenheit. The reason being that food heated above 112 Fahrenheit loses some of its digestive enzymes. All foods have enzymes that help us digest and absorb nutrients properly. Without these enzymes, we use our own limited supply of enzymes to digest food.

Raw Food as a Creative Outlet

Okay, you might be thinking that eating a bunch of carrots and raisins is not going to keep your taste buds happy. Fortunately, raw food is full of opportunities for creative food prep.

• Raw food allows you to make wacky green smoothies that are full of essential nutrients that help you maintain your weight while building strong bones and muscles.
• Raw food is a great way to try new fruits and vegetables that you’ve never even heard of before. Fancy trying durian fruit, or venturing out into new green territory with kale, collards, swiss chard, or even dandelion greens?
• With raw food you have a chance to experiment with new food combinations and spices. You can load up your blender with produce, hit the blend button, and cross your fingers. Chances are it will turn out tasting great.

I hope this quick article gave you a little more insight into exactly what the raw food diet consists of.

I just wanted to add that there are also variations of the diet that include raw dairy products, eggs, and even raw meat. I don’t think any one diet has all the answers, and I encourage you to find what works for you.

What if you could drink a magick potion that would revitalize you, clear your system of unwanted toxins, and take less than 13 minutes to make? Green Smoothies can do just that, and much more.

1. All you need is a blender and an open mind.

The great thing about green smoothies is that it doesn’t require much to get started. (You could invest in a Vitamix for silky-smooth shakes, but that’s totally optional.) My biggest suggestion is to give green smoothies a try before you get a better blender. That way you’ll be convinced of their effectiveness.

2. Green Smoothies are quick to make.

If you’re in a rush you can get a green smoothie ready and blended in less than 13 minutes. You can just blend and go while you drink the green smoothie on the run. You could even make a green smoothie ahead of time. Then store half of it in the refrigerator using a glass mason jar and it will still taste great one day later.

3. You get a steady stream of energy. (No crashing!)

You won’t experience the up-and-down spikes that you might from an all fruit smoothie when you make it a green one. That’s because the fiber rich greens slow down the absorption of fruit sugars, providing you with just the right amount of energy and nutrition at a pace that your body really loves.

4. Green smoothies can be enjoyed year round.

When your garden is overflowing with greens, just whip up a couple of batches of green smoothies and enjoy these inexpensive nutritional drinks. You can also benefit from green smoothies in the winter, by using frozen fruits and greens that you might have preserved from the summer. Green smoothies provide you with a lot of options all year round.

5. Green smoothies are ideal for weight loss.

Whenever you feel a craving coming on, make yourself a green smoothie instead of indulging your craving. (If you’re having a lot of trouble with cravings, consider hiring me to do a Magick Power Session and we’ll eliminate them together.) Green smoothies help cut cravings because they are satisfying and provide your body with tons of nutrition.

6. Greens are the most Under-appreciated Superfoods.

We all know green tea is great as an antioxidant. What is green tea made of, if it’s not greens? Skip the middleman and just increase your intake of greens. Green leafy veggies are great because they have tons of cancer fighting properties, immune system boosting vitamins and minerals. Upping green leaf intake has been shown to reduce heart disease and prevent other degenerative diseases. That’s what I call super. To find out more about greens, get my free special report.

7. Satisfy every taste bud.

If you have a sweet tooth you’ll enjoy making green smoothies with lots of fruit. If you want something a little edgier, you can add some Raw Chocolate powder and make it a nutritiously devious dessert. If you want to replace a meal, you can make savory green smoothies using ingredients like tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, and even spices to make it a satisfying hearty meal.

Fancy a bowl of a witch’s green magick goop?

8. You Get to be a Modern Witch

Modern witches use blenders to make their magick potions, because cauldrons are so 13th century. Making green smoothies is a lot like casting a spell or making a magick potion. It brings out the childlike qualities in all of us, and it even sets the magick of healing in motion. I like to eat my green smoothies in a bowl with a spoon, because it’s even more like a witch’s mysterious bubbly concoction.

9. Get your daily portion of fruit and vegetables.

One green smoothie probably contains more fruits and vegetables than most average Americans eat in a day. It’s one of the easiest ways of increasing your fruit and veggie intake. Plus you don’t need to carry an easily bruised banana around.

10. Chock full of amino acids.

If you’re worried that you’re not getting enough protein, increase your green smoothie intake. The more greens you eat, the more amino acids that you provide your body with. Your body uses these amino acids to produce protein.

11. Indulge your creativity and experiment.

You can throw almost any fruits or veggies into your blender and it will turn out tasting pretty good. (It helps if you follow some basic guidelines, of course.) Green smoothies give you the flexibility to create your own recipes, but they’re also a great way to use up leftovers.

12. Green smoothies are chimney sweepers for your body.

Over time, food that doesn’t get digested properly can get stuck in your system and become a burden on your elimination organs. Green smoothies act as a chimney sweeping brush to flush out all that toxic waste. The more green smoothies you drink, the cleaner your bowels will become, and the better your elimination. If you want to feel great, make it easy for your body to take the trash out. Oh, and that helps with releasing weight too!

13. Green smoothies are a great addition to any eating plan.

What I like about green smoothies is that they can act as a “gateway drug” to raw foods. It’s so easy to just add a green smoothie to your current diet. There’s no reason not to give it a try. If after a couple of months you’re feeling great, you might choose to increase your raw food intake a little. That, my friend, is the power of green smoothies.

The Basic Green Smoothie Recipe

Feel free to use this basic green smoothie base and experiment. (Remember #11!)

• 2 Bananas
• 1 Peach
• 5 Strawberries
• Handful Spinach (increase greens gradually over time, and you’ll find you crave more of them!)
• 1 cup water

After you make your first green smoothie, you’ll want to learn about trying new recipes and rotating your greens here.

What Are YOUR Favorite Green Smoothies Recipes?

I’d love to hear what your favorite green smoothie recipes are! I know there are tons of variations out there, but which one is YOUR favorite?

Photo by Bruce Tuten

If you’re interested in eating healthy, you’ve probably come across the concept of eating organic food. “Organic food” is surprisingly controversial. I decided to put my witch’s (thinking) hat on, and explore the issue from both sides so you can make informed decisions.

The interesting fact is that production of organic food has grown by about 20% every single year since the 1990s. Not only is organic food a hot topic, but it’s one that we are bound to be affected by one way or another in the future.

What Is Organic Food?

The definition of the word organic varies, because each country has its own laws regarding the certification of organic produce.

In general, organic means food grown without non-organic pesticides or herbicides, using natural fertilizers (some non-organic fertilizers are sometimes used). Some laws also go as far as saying food should not be genetically modified, and specify the number of years the soil must have been cultivated organically.

The organic certification process is long, so some farms that use organic techniques might not yet be certified. Smaller farms might not even be able to afford organic certification. That’s why I think it’s important to realize that the word organic is not a final destination.

Is Organic Food Better?

Although organic food has downsides, organic food is better in at least these three aspects:

Benefits of Organic Food Item #1: More Nutrition

Eating produce that has been grown organically has been shown to contain more nutrition than conventionally grown produce.

Think about it this way: land that is well taken care of will be able to supply plants with more nutritional value.

On the other hand, industrialized farming tends to focus more on yield and profits. The quality of the soil is secondary, and thus the quality of the produce suffers.

Benefits of Organic Food Item #2: Better Tasting

Food that has been grown organically tends to taste better than conventionally grown produce.

Taste tests ran in 2001 have shown that organically grown apples tend to be sweeter, have a better texture, and more crunch. I’ve also noticed a difference in taste between organic and non-organic produce, to the point that I’d fly my carrot stick across town for organic produce.

Again this comes back to the idea that organic soil conditions are more conducive to growing strong trees and plants.

Photo by TheBittenWord

Benefits of Organic Food Item #3: Ecosystem Diversity

An organic growing environment allows a wider range of insects, plants, and organisms to coexist naturally.

Conventional agricultural methods eliminate much of the diversity of living organisms that occur naturally in soils. Industrialized farming also focuses on growing one or two types of produce across a field, further reducing the diversity of plant life.

Diversity enables a more balanced sustainable environment over the long haul.

The Downside of Organic Growing

Although there are many benefits for organic food, there are also downsides.

The main downside of organic food is the potential for a smaller yield. Some of the “potential” yield is eaten by bugs, lost to competing plants, or not able to grow without sufficient fertilizers.

Some scientists have argued that if the world were to convert to an entirely organic farming system, the yield of produce would be insufficient to support the world’s population.

Further studies have shown in a comparison of the two agricultural system that organic farming would indeed be able to support the current world population.

If farmers from poor countries were to switch to organic farming, they could actually increase their yields. So what’s stopping them? They don’t always have access to manure to replenish their soils.

I have to keep reminding myself that “conventional” farming methods are actually quite recent in the history of agriculture. Organic farming methods were the norm because we didn’t have pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and synthetic fertilizers.

The Ideal Organic Environment For Your Food

Sharon Mollerus

In an idyllic world, everyone would have a magickal garden big enough to sustain their families year round. If you find such a place, let me know, mm’kay?

Still, I like to believe that having your own garden is one of the best and easiest ways to increase your intake of organic fruits and vegetables.

As a private garden owner, I’ve had to make some choices about using pesticides and fertilizers in my garden.

I’ve chosen to let the bugs take a bite out of my produce because I don’t want the runoff from pesticides to kill fish in the surrounding lakes and rivers. In so doing, I learned some tricks to deter bugs that aren’t harmful to the environment or my family.

What to Do If You Can’t Buy Organic Produce?

If your budget doesn’t allow for organic produce, or organic produce simply isn’t available in your area, here are a few tips.

1. Washing Your Non-Organic Produce

The Jay Kordich recommends washing your produce with lemon juice and salt. You can also buy vegetable and fruit washes and soak your produce for a few minutes before rinsing it off.

2. Peeling Your Non-Organic Produce

Another option is to peel the skin off non-organic produce. This is very common in China, where the use of pesticides is rampant. During our trip to China, My Alchemist Man and I had to peel every apple we ate, or face the wrath of overprotective Chinese relatives.

The downside is that much of the nutrition of a fruit comes from the skin.

3. Be Selective About Your Organic Food

Organic produce can cost between 10 to 40% more, so picking and choosing between organic and conventional produce is a good way to save money.

This list is also known as the Organic Dirty Dozen. It has the 12 items that you should always buy organic. The other 12 items are those that you can buy conventional with minimal effects.

This list is based on the amount of pesticides and residues found on the fruit and is provided by The Environmental Working Group. (They also offer a downloadable pdf to bring shopping with you!)

In general if I need to choose I will pick fruits that are normally peeled as my conventional buys, like bananas, mangos, avocado.

The Organic Food Definition Continues to Evolve

People who were at the forefront of the organic movement are now looking for something that better describes their ideology.

The demand for organic foods has completely transformed the way that organic food is grown. Today a lot of organic food is actually grown on bigger farms, with less diverse crops to maximize output. Does that sound familiar? Big organic farms are starting to resemble conventional farming methods.

One way to get past this commercialization, is to join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. You buy a “share” of the farm’s potential crops, and receive weekly or biweekly boxes of fresh produce.

CSAs allow the consumer to meet the farmers, see the farm, and know exactly how their food is being grown. It also gives smaller farms a cushion if their yields aren’t the same from year to year.

As the laws surrounding the word organic continue to change, how will we as consumers stay informed? It’s something that’s on my mind and probably on your mind too.

I will continue to write about the changes in the organic movement as they develop.

What are your Organic Food Questions?

Have you started eating more organic food? Has it made a difference for you, your taste buds, or your community?

Photo by D Sharon Pruitt

Is it possible that including more raw foods into your life is actually easier than going vegan? Let’s look at some comparisons to find out.

Raw vs. Vegan Imitation Foods

Although both raw foods and vegan foods provide so-called imitation foods, raw foods tend to be very different from their cooked counterparts. When you’re eating vegan chips, it’s very different from eating celery sticks.

That’s not to say that Raw Food doesn’t have any foods that mimic your favorite cooked foods. The difference is that vegan foods tend to resemble your old time pre-vegan favorites.

The reason it’s so much easier to go raw on some level, is that you’re not trying to trick yourself. You know you’re eating raw food and exactly what it is, and you’re not lying to yourself.

Less Tofu and Soy Products

For a number of years soy based products have been touted as a health food, and many vegetarian and vegan “fake meat” products are made of tofu. Soy can cause all kinds of issues if eaten in large quantities.

Soy causes hormonal imbalances, that can surface as less masculine males, and mood disorders for females. Soy is also an allergen for many people, and can cause all kinds of issues such as thyroid problems and lowered immunity if eaten in large quantities.

Asian countries generally did not eat a lot of soy, they fermented it for 3 years and used it as a light condiment. I am often surprised by how little we know about other cultures that supposedly eat a lot of soy in their diet.

One thing to consider is that although soy is very common in Asian countries today, consumption has changed a lot in recent years as advertising and manufacturing changed.

Raw Food Energy

In terms of energy, Raw Food cannot be beat. Since you are eating fresh raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds your body knows how to digest these basic food groups. So you get the fuel from it immediately.

Raw food also places an emphasis on food combination, which helps people to digest quickly without taxing their system and experiencing a dip in energy.

Raw Food Going Mainstream?

The more people who include raw foods in their diet, the more normal it will become. The same thing happened with vegetarianism. When “regular people” started ordering vegetarian meals, it became acceptable to be vegetarian.

A vegan diet high in Raw Food is also a good alternative, if raw isn’t right for you.

It is easier to include more raw food in your diet than it is to eliminate meat and dairy. That’s because you’re starting with a blank slate, whereas veganism and vegetarianism focus on removing certain foods.

When going raw, you are straightforward with yourself about what you’re really eating, you avoid soy and all of the common problems associated with it, and you increase your energy levels.

There are a lot of common reasons for going raw. To lose weight, solve a digestive problem, or heal your relationship with food. But here’s a list of 9 things that resulted from adding more raw food into my diet, in a question and answer format.

1. How to Try New Fruits and Vegetables? Eat More Raw Food.

One of the interesting things that happened after I started eating more raw food, is that I started to try different things at the supermarket. I tried all kinds of new vegetables and fruits that I had never even heard of before. Some of my new favorites include durian, mangosteen, and persimmons.

I also rediscovered some of my old favorite fruits like strawberries and raspberries. I used to pick raspberries from my grandmother’s raspberry patch when I was a kid, and going raw really rekindled those good memories.

Photo by The Futuristics

2. How to Get Started Gardening? Eat More Raw Food.

I was never much of a gardener, but after going raw I realized that we are much more connected to nature and we think we are. Starting a garden was a revelation for me. I discovered how the earth we walk on every day is responsible for the food we eat. (Yes, even meat!)

Now I just love going through the garden and figuring out all kinds of tricks to get better results. Weeding the garden isn’t as fun as planting or harvesting, but it’s definitely a fun and enjoyable activity for me.

3. Want to Try Alternative Medicine? Eat More Raw Food.

At the same time that I decided to go raw, I also decided to explore the world of alternative medicine. Not so much by choice as by circumstance. With the magic of Traditional Chinese Medicine, I was able to heal a lot of my internal imbalances naturally.

Chinese Medicine also places a lot of importance on the foods we eat as medicine themselves. Just like Hippocrates did, saying “Let Food Be Thy Medicine.”

4. How to Reduce Acne? Eat More Raw Food.

I’ve had acne since I was 10 or 11 years old. My parents and I thought it was just my hormones, and so I went on the birth control pill when I was young.

Back when I was a kid, my vegetarian martial arts instructor, used to tell me that food was causing my acne. Of course I didn’t want to believe it, so I continued to ignore this advice. Now that I’ve been raw, and the longer I stay raw, the clearer my skin looks.

5. How to Take Back Your Kitchen? Eat More Raw Food.

Before going raw I knew very little about cooking or preparing food for myself. I ate at a cafeteria in high school and University. I didn’t know how to feed myself so I resorted to lots of packaged and pre-made “foods”.

Going raw really taught me about nutrition and how to make food for myself, and for others. That’s really made a big difference for me, because I don’t have to look in the fridge and cupboards and wonder what you eat.

Photo by Sporkist

6. How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint? Eat More Raw Food.

Everything we do has an impact, and right now everyone is even more aware of the impact that their food choices are having on the planet. I learned that for 1 person eating a piece of steak, there are 49 people eating out of an empty bowl. If you don’t have steak, all 50 people could have grain in their bowls, including you.

Meat has many more hidden “side effects” than we like to think about when we’re having a nice dinner. All of these hidden steps cause so much environmental waste. It’s not time to waste, instead let’s be very efficient in our environmental choices right now.

7. How to Improve Your Grades? Eat More Raw Food.

I went raw during University, and I truly believe that raw food helped me get better grades. I was able to concentrate better in class, and to prepare meals quickly for myself. Starting my day off on the right foot and focusing really helped me to learn better, and I definitely got better grades after I went raw.

8. How to Make Doing Dishes Less Boring? Eat More Raw Food.

With raw food there are no greasy pans. Yes, if I want to make something complex I might need to use a bunch of different ingredients and appliances. But overall, there’s a lot less greasy pan scrubbing, and a lot more going outside to enjoy the sunshine happening for me.

9. How to Increase Your Self Confidence? Eat More Raw Food.

Now that I’ve educated myself about what’s healthy and what’s not, I feel that I have more control and understanding of what is going into my body. I no longer have to look at so-called experts to figure out what it is to eat.

Whether meat is good or meat is bad, or carbs are good and then carbs are bad. It doesn’t matter to me anymore. I make my own choices, and I listen to my body to find out if I need to make any changes to my diet.

What About You?

What has raw done for you? Anyone can answer, whether you’re just starting out on raw food are not. I want to find out about your experiences, because we’re all in this together.

Photo by Darwin Bell

In keeping with my mission to help people understand raw and living foods better, I’ve decided to start a weekly series here on Raw Food Switch.

This week with Mother’s Day just gone by, I chose to focus on raw foods for mothers. Moms can most definitely benefit from raw foods, whether they go all raw or not. I’m not a mom, so many of these benefits are those reported by friends and other raw vegans.

1. Increased Breast Milk

If you’re a new mother having a hard time providing breast milk for your child, you will be pleased to know that raw food can help. You don’t need to go all raw in order to get the benefits of raw food, and provide enough milk to your children.

Simply drinking 8-16 ounces of green leafy juices every day will help you produce more milk. Here’s a simple recipe that you can use and adapt:

• 5 Leaves of kale, swiss chard, romaine lettuce, bok choy, or other green leafy vegetable
• 2 Stalks celery
• 1 Apple
• Half a lemon

You could also add some carrots, cabbage, or more apples to change the taste!

2. Weight Loss After Giving Birth

Every woman wants to be able to get back to their slim selves after giving birth. Sometimes it’s a lot easier said than done.

If you’ve been eating a high percentage of raw foods before and during your pregnancy, you won’t have much to worry about.

On the other hand if you put on some weight that’s just not coming off, be gentle with yourself and take the transition to raw foods slowly. You don’t want to experience detox while you are breast-feeding.

Just know that incorporating more raw foods, green smoothies, and salads in your diet will get you where you want to be. Oh, and that little thing called exercise too, but you’re smart and you already knew that. ;)

3. Reduced Post-Partum Depression

Be sure to eat enough chia seeds, flax seeds, walnuts, and other nuts & seeds before, during, and after your pregnancy. These foods give you tons of healthful Omega-3 fatty acids, that prevent post-partum depression.

Plus if you continue to feed your brain with these healthy oily nuts and seeds, you will be able to better deal with stress.

Being a mom can be a stressful job, so give your brain the ability to “shut down” the stress response when it needs to with these Omega-3 foods!

More Raw Food Benefits…

This post is part of the Raw Food Benefits Series.

• Raw Food For College Students
• Raw Food For Weight Loss
• Raw Food For Weight Gain
• Raw Food For The Elderly
• Raw Food For Mothers