A Gluten-Free Vegan Mom Who Knows

Aiding Our Body's Detox when Juicing and in Everyday Life

2012-01-27T23:14:00.010-05:00

Detoxing on a plant-based diet.

PLEASE NOTE THIS THIS BLOG POST IS IN PROCESS...

Also, if you haven't done so already today, please take a moment to vote for me in the Top Vegan & Vegetarian Moms - 2012 contest.

You may vote by clicking on the picture below.

(There is more information at the end of this post regarding the contest.)

I love to detox but dislike the symptoms, so I do everything possible to try to minimize those symptoms as I start gradually prepare my body for the juice fast. I begin by eating raw several weeks before I intend to begin my juice fast, but since eating raw is still detoxing my body, I use the methods below when starting my raw diet juice fast prep. (I know that many of your know that I went completely raw on 17 December 2011 after being a high-raw vegan for three years. I went completely raw to see if it alleviated my asthma symptoms. It did. I'm still raw.)

Here are the detox symptoms that are common as the toxins are being pulled out of our cells and released into our bloodstream and begin to travel throughout all of our organs and throughout our entire body. Once in our bloodstream, it is our job to provide those toxins an exit so that we do not suffer from the symptoms below:

Headaches and other aches and pains
Fatigue
Weakness or dizziness
Skin eruptions
Coated tongue
Fever
Emotional irritability
Lack of concentration
Gas
Bloating
Frequent urination
Temporary constipation or diarrhea
Temporary of stopping of menstration
Yawning
Tight muscles
Mucus or other discharge
Sugar cravings

Here are ways that I assist my body with detoxing. I use most of these methods daily while the others I use systematically.

Detox therapies that I use daily:

Deep Breathing
Tongue Scraping
Dry Skin Brushing
Sleep Well

Detox therapies that I use systematically:

Epsom Salt and Apple Cider Vinegar Baths
Simple Cleansing Bath
Lymphatic Massage
Colonic Irrigation
Air Bath
Detoxing Yoga
Neti Pot
Rebounding

Other Detox Therapies:

Enemas
Sauna

Rebuilding and Strengthening:

Milk Thistle
Probiotics
Plant-based diet without dairy
Regular exercise that builds a moderate sweat

Lifestyle Changes:

Food and Nutrition
Enjoying Life
Nurturing Yourself
Building Self-Love and Self-Acceptance
Avoiding Toxic Substances in Diet, Home, and Daily Lifestyle
Yoga and/or Breathing Exercises

Deep Breathing

Your body is designed to release 70% of its toxins through breathing, and most of us don't breathe properly. I know that when I used to get stressed or upset, I would start to hold my breath because I was so tense. If we are not breathing effectively, we are unable to assist our bodies with toxin elimination while causing the other systems in our body to work overtime. Not breathing properly can lead to illness.

Other benefits of deep breathing:

Releases tension
Relaxes the mind and body while bringing clarity
Relieves emotional problems
Relieves pain (I breathe the deepest during deep tissue massages - ouch!)
Increases muscles within your body
Strengthens your immune system
Improves posture
Improves the quality of your blood (removes all the carbon-dioxide while increasing the oxygen and blood quality)
Increases digestion of food
Improves the nervous system
Strengthens the lungs
Strengthens the heart
Assists in weight control (overweight: extra oxygen burns up the excess fat more efficiently; underweight: extra oxygen feeds the starving tissues and glands)
Boosts energy levels and improves stamina
Improves cellular regeneration
Elevates moods

Tongue Scraping

Brush your teeth and the scrape your tongue as soon as you awake and definitely before you eat or drink anything because while you were sleeping, your body was detoxing and one main way it eliminates those toxins from your nightly fast/detox is through your tongue and mouth. Morning breath is causing from the toxins pulled from your cells while you were fasting during the night. If you swallow those toxins back down, you are merely redepositing those toxins back into your body.

Scraping the tongue removes the toxins and bacteria from the gut that were deposited there during the night.
Buildup of bacteria causes bad breath (halitosis), and varies types of digestive and respiratory problems can result from continued absorption from these waste products.

My tongue after Day 3 of Juice Fasting
Picture taken at 6:00 PM

Toxins deposited on my tongue after juicing all day.

Dry Skin Brushing

"Daily dry brushing increases the activity of pore and eliminates more waste materials (uric acid crystals, catarrh and impurities) than any soap and water." ~Ann Wigmore Institute

Your skin is your largest organ and releases a pound of waste a day (hence the constant dusting). The skin is called the 3rd kidney because it eliminates a quarter of the toxins from the body (the lungs are the 2nd kidney).

Benefits of Dry Skin Brushing:

Stimulates blood and lymphatic system
Helps eliminate toxins from the body
Increase circulation
Removes dead skin layers/cells
Encourages cells to regenerate
Helps digestion
Stimulates the hormone and oil glands
Reduces cellulite (It requires daily brushing for several months to see results - when you stimulate the skin, it begins to break up the toxic deposits of stored fatty tissues that pucker the overlying skin into cellulite.)
Strengthens the immune system (It moves the toxins through your system more quickly while stimulating the lymph to move waste matter out.)
Stimulates the nervous system (Stimulating the nerve endings in the skin rejuvenates your nerves and activates individual muscle fibers.)
Tones the muscles
Tightens the skin (Increases blood flow to the skin while stimulating the creation of new cells.)
Nurtures your body while enhancing your general health

When dry skin brushing, always brush towards your heart, beginning with the soles of your feet. Do not brush wet skin as it will not have the same effect. Brush before showering and in between changing your clothes.

Picture by The Plastic Diaries

With either long sweeping strokes or brisk circular motions, work upward from the soles of your feet to the legs and thighs.
Brush all the way up your legs, then over your abdomen (in clockwise circular motions), buttocks, and back. Spend extra time on your hips and thighs if you have cellulite.
Spend extra time behind your knees and in your groin area where your lymph nodes are located.
Brush from the palm of your hand toward your elbow and shoulder.
Spend extra time inside the bend where your elbow is and under your arms/armpits where your lymph nodes are located.
Move from the neck down toward your back and/or your chest.
Spend extra time under each side of your jaw where your lymph nodes are located.

Picture by Healthy Lifestyle Choices

Tips:

Always use a natural fiber brush.
The time to brush: before showering, after morning exercise, before breakfast (on an empty stomach), and before bed.
Brush gently where the skin is the thinnest (use a softer brush on your face).
Brush firmly on areas like the soles of your feet.
Do not share your brush.
Wash your brush with warm water and mild soap if needed. Let it dry in the sun.

Sleep Well

Getting a good night's sleep is as just as important as a healthy diet and lifestyle. Sleeping well:

Recharges your energy levels.
Allows your body time to repair and build bone, muscle, and tissue without being interrupted by the tasks that bombard you while awake.
Provides an opportunity for your body to repair and rejuvenate itself at a cellular level.
Plays a critical role in your immune function, metabolism, hormone cycles, memory, learning, and other vital functions.
Influences your overall health and general well-being.
Increase your ability to handle stress.
Refresh your looks.

The average adult need 7-8 hours sleep a night, especially between the hours of 10:00 PM (I better get to bed!) and 2:00 AM when the immune system most actively rejuvenates itself.

Epsom Salt and Apple Cider Vinegar Detox Bath

Fill your bathtub with hot, unchlorinated water. If you do not have a water filter, and 2 tablespoons of Hydrogen Peroxide (3%) to the bathwater.

After you dry skin brush, soak in a detoxification bath.

Detox Bath Recipe:
1 cup ACV
1 cup Epsom Salt
Peppermint and Tea Tree Oil (or other preferred essential oils)

Detox Bath Recipe:
Mix together and store the following ingredients:
2 cups Epsom Salt
2 cups Baking Soda
2 cups Sea Salt
5 tablespoons Ground Ginger

At bath time, add 1 cup of stored dried ingredients and 1 cup vinegar to a hot running bath along with your favorite essential oils.

Benefits:

Espom salt draws out toxins from your body relieving aches and pains.
Baking soda balances an over acidic system, refreshing, energizing, and softening the skin.
Sea salts soothe while healing open pores and blemishes.
Ground ginger increase circulation.
Vinegar soothes and softens skin.

Soak in the bathtub for 30 minutes while drinking a lot of hot herbal tea while soaking.

Simple Cleansing Bath

Lymphatic Massage

Colonic Irrigation

Air Bath

Detoxing Yoga

Detox Flow with Clara Roberts-Oss

Neti Pot

Traditional yogic cleansing technique that flushes out the nasal passages. This is great for preventing sinus infections and for combating allergy symptoms for air pollutants.

Rebounding

Milk Thistle

Milk Thistle has a reputation of being the most powerful herb for healing and strengthening the liver. You can take MT tablets or liquid or drink MT tea, but do not use multiple forms of MT at once useless directed to do so by your health care professional.

Make sure to check out my DETOXING PAGE. It contains 12 posts and counting.

Top Vegan & Vegetarian Moms - 2012 Contest

I have been nominated for another Circle of Moms contest. I am up for the Top Vegan & Vegetarian Moms of 2012!

Here is the link where you can vote and see the rankings:
http://www.circleofmoms.com/top25/top-vegan-vegetarian-mom-blogs-2012

Would you please take a moment each day to vote for me during the next three weeks?

Voting:
One vote per every 24 hrs
You can vote from your phone and/or computer each day
Voting ends 8:00 PM EST on 14 February 2012

Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to vote for me!

These contests are so exciting and I appreciate all your love and support.

Blog post to be continued...

Much Love!
Priscilla

Resources

18 Benefits of Deep Breathing and How to Breathe Deeply

Dry Skin Brushing for Whole Body Health

Supplements Taken by This Gluten-Free, Vegan Family

2012-01-26T22:04:00.002-05:00

Morning Supplements

I take three Pure Encapsulations products:

Calcium Citrate & Magnesium capsules (non-GMO - if your calcium of magnesium contains corn as most do, check to verify if the corn is non-GMO)
Liquid B-12
Liquid D3 (I take a liquid D3 because after being diagnosed with CD, my body was not absorbing a pill form of this supplement.)

Vitamin D3 is not vegan, but it is harvested from sheep wool, so I do not have a problem with its source (I also eat raw honey which makes me a bee-gan).

Nonetheless, much of the research I've read asserts that D3 is absorbed better by humans while other research asserts that D2 and D3 are interchangeable as there is no noticeable difference. After discussing this debate as well as considering my severe osteopenia with my doctor, I decided that D3 is a better choice for me. For more information on the D2 vs D3 debate, I suggest that you read Healthy Happy Life's "Vitamin D Discussion: D2 vs. D3. The Vegan Dilemma." It is a very interesting article with very thorough research. Garden of Life sells a "vegan" D3; however, it is interesting to learn how they create a vitamin when there is no plant source for D3. To learn more about this, read: "Garden of Life Vitamin D3 Derived from Lanolin."

Also in the picture above, is my Essene's probiotics Acidophilus & Bifidus (500 million cells).

Before bed probiotics

Even though I take a mild probiotic in the morning, I take the probiotics that my nutritionist recommended that I take daily

Professional Wellness probiotics:

Pro-Dophilus 50 (45 Billion CFU of Lactobacillus acidophilus and 5 Billion CFU of Lactobacilluscasei)
Flora-Guard 50 (45 Billion CFU of Bifidobacterium bifidum and 5 Billion CFU of Bifidobacterium lactis).

I take these probiotics right before I go to bed for better absorption per the recommendation of my nutritionist.

In addition to the above, I also take Oil of Oregano and Agrisept Oil on an as-needed basis. They both serve many functions in my health and for more information, please read "Natural Cold Remedy: Greg felt so badly that he asked me to make him my concoction!"

My girls also take the following supplements:

Pro-Dophilus 50
Flora-Guard 50
One drop (1,000 IU) of Pure Encapsulations' liquid VD3
Pure Encapsulations' liquid B-12

I am conducting research and will be consulting our Naturopath, my GP and my girls' pediatrician regarding the following supplements/nutrients in their vegan diet:

Choline
Vitamin K-2
Ortho Bone Vegan (GF status just confirmed! Both supplement and facility is gluten free)

For more on gluten-free supplements, check out my "Gluten-Free Supplements (Master List)". If your preferred brand is not listed, send me the brand(s) and I'll contact the company(s).

Much Love!
Priscilla

*Low-Iron Juice Recipe (3-Day family supply): 8 lbs of carrots, 6 lbs of yams, 1 head of cabbage, 1 bunch of parsley, 4 heirloom tomatoes, 3 inches of ginger, 1 whole lemon (with peel), 1 whole pineapple (with skin and core), 6 Fuji apples, 6 pears, 12 Valencia oranges, and 2 medium/small beets.

Juicing vs Blending

2012-01-26T14:09:00.002-05:00

Juicing Benefits:

Juicing gives a very fast nourishment
We can consume more fruit and vegetables than you could actually eat or consume from blending resulting in a more densely packed amount of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and other plant-based nutrients.
Juicing with a low RPM juicer keeps the nutrients intact while blending oxidizes and heats the food more which destroys more nutrients.
Juice Fasting: without the fiber from the fruits and vegetables, our bodies are able to use the energy otherwise used for digestion to detox/cleanse toxins from our bodies.

Blending Benefits:

Blending gives the same nourishment, although at a slower rate than juicing, but with the advantage of providing fiber for the colon and fat absorptions.

Chewing Benefits:

Chewing causes enzymes to be activated, thereby assisting the digestive process throughout the entire alimentary canal.
Chewing is important because digestion begins in our mouth while chewing. Some argue that blending is harder to digest because of the lack of saliva mixed throughout our food.

Fiber Benefits:

Fiber provides bulk, and keeps you regular. The leftovers from juicing can be tossed onto a bowl of rice, on a salad, and eaten raw.
Click here for over 30 ways to use your juice pulp and recipes: Juice Pulp Uses and Recipes.

Here is a great video that I highly recommend by John Kohler (Love Him!)"

"Juicing vs Blending: Which is Best?

See for Yourself!"

Juicing, blending and chewing are all great as we add more plants to our diet. However, as I write this, juicing is better because I am reaping the benefits of a juice fast that is not possible without my juicer.

Happy Fasting!
Priscilla

Other Articles:

Juicers: Omega vs. Champion vs. Breville (I've owned/used them all!)

Kitchen Appliances, Tools & Gadgets for a High-Raw Vegan Lifestyle

Juice Fasting: Regular Detoxing Cleansing and Why I Still Detox

Raw Plant-Based, Gluten-Free Vegan Diet: Including Results, Benefits, and Tons More Information!

Juicers: Omega vs. Champion vs. Breville (I've owned/used them all!)

2012-01-25T23:44:00.004-05:00

"One of the reasons why there is not a 'perfect' juicer is because fruits and vegetables have vastly different properties. The juicing method that is effective for one may not work while juicing the other." ~John Kolher

When discovering the perfect juicer for me, I learned that to store my juice longer, I needed a juicer with the lowest RPMs. I had to find a balance between low RPMs and juicing a combination of fruits and vegetables. Here is a glimpse into my juicing journey:

A juicer with the lowest RPMs is important to me because the lower the RPMs:

The less oxidation.
The less destruction of nutrients.
The longer you are able to store your juice if need be.

RPMs:

Breville Centrifugal: 6,000 (low) - 14,500 (high)
Omega VRT330: 80 RPMs
Champion Masticating: 1725 RPMs

I went through 4 Breville juicers (they never lasted more than 6 months).

After owning many Breville juicers and a Champion juicer, my Omega Juicer VRT330 is my absolute favorite. Here's why:

Omega VRT330 and VRT330HD Specifications and Benefits:

Warranty: 10-year (I paid extra to extend my Breville juicer warranty to 3 years - I believe its warranty was less than a year)
Self-feeding (my 3 yr old feeds the fruits and veggies into the juicer while I wash and cut)
Extracts more juice from my produce compared to my Champion and Breville.
Speed: 80 RPMs

How is the Omega VRT330 Different?

Upright Design / Low RPMs (80 RPM)
Small Footprint: Provides all the benefits of a masticating dual-stage single auger juicer but in much less space.
Patented, stone mill-like screw, which is 8 times stronger than augers on most other single auger juicers.
Silicone Wiping Blade - World's first juicer that automatically clears excess pulp from juicing screen as it juices. Benefits: higher yield and easier screen cleaning.

MAKING BATCHES OF JUICE:

Saving juice depends completely on the RPMs of your juicer even though your juice is ALWAYS best to drink it right away.

Many experts assert that with a low RPM juicer, the juice can last up to 48-72 hours before losing most of it's nutrients. I look at storing juice like cooking foods over 118ºF. When cooking over 118º, they lose all enzymes plus 50-90% of all other nutrients. When storing juice in airtight containers in a cold dark location (I store it in the refrigerator in the basement), I can slow down the lose of nutrients, so it's better to consume stored juice (under 48-72 hrs) than to cook a meal.

All of this plus a head of Bok Choy is in the bottles shown above.

Since I won't have time to juice until Friday, to continue my fast, I had to store extra juice for our consumption. It's not the ideal way to consume juice, but I'd rather not break my fast.

Our Omega in Action:

I have had my Omega juicer since March of 2011 - it has outlived all four of my previous Breville juicers.

Breville juicers are highly recommended in many books and DVDs, but my problem was they kept breaking before they were six months old and always in a middle of a batch of juice. Also, every book or DVD (i.e. Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead) does not talk about the importance of lower RPMs. Lower RPMs are so important as they keep all the nutrients intact.

After I listened to the recommendation of Natalia Rose in The Raw Detox Diet, I told my sister to buy a Breville and her juicer also broke within the first six months. Also, after my Breville juicer debacles, I learned of the importance of having a low RPM juicer. At that time my dream juicer was the Norwalk ($2,400), but I am more than happy with my Omega as it extracts almost as much juice as the Norwalk.

As for my Champion, it is difficult to use, it is not self-feeding, it has higher RPMs, and it does not juice leafy greens well at all.

I kept my Champion juicer because it is great for making banana whips, nut milks, nut butters, etc.

Here is my kitchen appliance post that includes all of my kitchen favorites.

I hope that this helps you make a more informed decision so that you can avoid many of the mistakes that I made.

Related Articles:

Much Love!

Priscilla

Circle of Moms: Top 25 Vegan & Vegetarian Moms - 2012

2012-01-24T21:02:00.002-05:00

I received an email today notifying me that I have been nominated for Circle of Moms' Top 25 Vegan & Vegetarian Moms contest. I am truly honored! Thank you!

My blog has been recognized again, and for that I am truly grateful!

It is your love and support that keeps me motivated while sharing my life and while helping others during their own gluten-free, plant-based, vegan/vegetarian journeys.

It warms my heart that many of you are taking the time to vote for me in this Top 25 Vegan & Vegetarian Moms contest. This recognition is a huge motivator, and this contest is so exciting!

You can vote EVERY 24 hours on your computer and/or phone for the next 21 days (14 February 2012) -- All you have to do is click on the link below and then click on "Vote." It takes less than a second. Thank you!

Click here to vote for me: http://www.circleofmoms.com/blogger/gluten-free-vegan-mom-who-knows?blogroll_id=45

The winners receive:

"We give our six million moms direct access to Top 25 program participants. The Top 25 winners of each list are featured on The RoundUp, Circle of Mom’s editorial channel. The feature includes a short interview, favorite posts, and a photo of each Top 25 winner. The Top 25 winners also receive a badge for their blog that links to their interview on Circle of Moms. Top 25 participants may also be invited to participate in Circle of Moms’ expert Q&A and The RoundUp editorial platform" ("Top 25 Vegan - Vegetarian Mom Blogs" on Circle of Moms).

I am SO grateful for each of you! Thank you for your love and support!

Much Love!
Priscilla

Natural Cold Remedy: Greg felt so badly that he asked me to make him my concoction!

2012-01-22T21:38:00.007-05:00

UPDATE (23 January 2012): It worked! He woke up a cured man and ready for the most important meeting of the year! She shoots, she SCORES!!! ;) His exact words were, "Your voodoo potion worked!" Ha! That it did.

Sydney had a fever for five hours on Friday, and once it broke, she was supercharged and has been going strong ever since! However, Greg began to fade fast this weekend.

Unlike Sydney, Greg was not suffering from a fever, and yesterday, while he took his Airborne, I took my Apple Cider Vinegar, Oil of Oregano, and Agrisept Oil cocktail because I too felt like I was fighting an illness.

This morning as I was feeling great, Greg felt so awful that he turned and asked for me to give him "whatever you took to make you feel better." I warned him of the awful taste, especially the taste of the Oil of Oregano. He said he was willing to drink whatever he needed to so that he would start feeling better, so I gladly mixed him up a cocktail.

Recipe:

1-2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

1 drop Oil of Oregano

4-5 drops of Agrisept Oil (Grapefruit Seed Oil, Lemon Seed Oil, Lime Seed Oil, Tangerine Seed Oil)

Splash of filtered water

Make sure you have a chaser!!

After Greg drank the above cocktail, he took a nice long nap, and when he woke up, he felt a lot better. However, the true test is how he feels tomorrow.

Please not that I am not a medical professional and I am not giving medical advice. I am merely using the tools given to me by my nutritionist to fight off an illness.

I continue to use OoO, Agrisept Oil, and ACV on an as needed basis because it has worked and continues to work for me. Hopefully it works for Greg too.

OIL OF OREGANO

"Oil of oregano at relatively low doses was found to be efficacious against Staphylococcus bacteria and was comparable in its germ-killing properties to antibiotic drugs such as streptomycin, pencillin and vancomycin." (Science Daily 10/11/2001)
"Last year British researchers reported oregano oil had antibacterial activity against 25 different bacteria." (Journal Applied Microbiology, Volume 88, February 2000)
"A clinical study in Italy has shown that oil of oregano can be used to treat intestinal parasites." (Phytotherapy Research, Volume 14, May 2000)
Oil of Oregano is a powerful painkiller. OoO superseded anti-inflammatory drugs in reversing pain and inflammation. OoO is nearly as powerful as morphine as a pain killer. (Healing Naturally)
Oil of Oregano has been used to treat indigestion, diarrhea, toothache, earache, nervous tension, rheumatism and coughs (whooping cough and bronchitis)
"Wild oregano is a veritable natural mineral treasure-house, containing a density of minerals that would rival virtually any food" (The Cure is in the Cupboard by Cass Ingram, D.O.)
Oil of Oregano contains calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, potassium, copper, boron, and manganese and vitamins C, A (beta carotene), and niacin.

AGRISEPT is a combination of citrus seed oils that fight viruses and improves one's health:

It is know to balance flora and fungus in the body.
It is loaded with healthy bioflavonoids.
AN END TO SORE THROATS Agrisept-L kills STREPTOCOCCUS: A simple remedy to a problem generally evaded instead of being cured. Gargle with Agrisept-L and water and it will kill the more resistant streptococcus.
Poison Ivy, Dermatose, Warts: Many forms of dermatitis, poison ivy, poisonous sumac, cysts and other forms of cutaneous infections are efficiently treated with Agrisept. The anti-virus, anti-fungus, anti-bacterial effects of this product seem to help the cure of most cutaneous atypic disorders by topical application of Agrisept
Hospitals use Agrisept because it is a non-toxic disinfectant.
This natural product has no harmful side effects and is non-toxic.
Agrisept-L has been clinically and laboratory tested with outstanding results.
Agrisept-L addresses one of the main inhibitors to weight loss which is Candida Albicans overgrowth. A preventative treatment with Agrisept-L that kills fungus is an excellent way to start a diet or weight loss program.
To extend salubrity and quality of your fruit and vegetables, rinse those with Agrisept. Its efficiency as a bactericide and anti-fungus will kill what is devouring and rotting as well as contaminating your dinners.
Agrisept-L REPLACES CHLORINE IN THE TREATMENT OF WATER.

Agrisept-L is used to kill:

Herpes

Influenza

Candida

Parasites

Streptococcus

Fungus

Staphylococcus

Salmonella

E. Coli.

Tourista

Check out more information here: http://www.herbalab.com/agriseptgse.asp.

AGRISEPT ($20.99 w/free Prime shipping)

And then there is SALINE and the NETI POT:

If your nasal passage is moist, your nasal passage will absorb the airborne germs before the move further into your body to create an illness.

What remedies work for you?

Much Love!

Priscilla

Cancer Caused by Toxins and Other Chemicals in Our Newly Constructed Home Causes Us to Turn to Organic Living

2012-01-22T17:39:00.002-05:00

"It's not uncommon to find some combination of pesticides, hydrocarbons, chemicals, heavy metals, and other toxins hiding in the typical dust sample." ~Jeffrey Hollender

Putty before we moved out of Ocean City, NJ

Last night, minutes before I feel asleep and seconds after I put Only Love is Real by Dr. Brian Weiss, M.D. down, I realized that today is the anniversary of my cat's death - Putty died at 7 years young.

Location: Ocean City, NJ

Putty died of brain cancer. Her cancer had a quick onset, and according to three separate veterinarians at two separate practices, Putty developed brain cancer due to her exposure to environmental toxins - we've been living in our newly constructed Ryan home for less than two years at the time of her diagnosis - before her cancer diagnosis, her health was impeccable and so was her diet.

Location: Ocean City, NJ

The hypothesis of environmental toxins causing her cancer was later supported when Daisy, our other cat, was diagnosed with cancer of her large intestine. Daisy and Putty were not genetically related and Daisy was 5 months Putty's senior. We acquired both of our cats from two separate litters from two separate families. We lost Daisy (at age 9) less than two years after we lost Putty.

Here is an excerpt from a post that I wrote for Practically Green called "A Green Beginning: Prepare for baby be reducing indoor toxins":

"[i]t was only after we suffered great sadness did we realize that we needed to make greener choices. For the first six years of our relationship, Greg and I lived at the beach in an older second story condo, and our cats, Daisy and Putty, were healthy. However, a couple of years after we moved into our newly constructed home that sits on an acre of land, both of our cats, who we considered our babies, began losing weight while showing other alarming symptoms. Both eventually died of cancer within a two-year span of each other; Putty of brain cancer and Daisy of cancer of her large intestine. Our veterinarian asserted that it was almost impossible for both of our cats, who were not blood related, to die of cancer within such a short span. Genetically, it is virtually impossible. After conducting much research, I was convinced that their deaths were environmentally related, and the EPA voiced concerns that cyclodiene pesticides might cause long-term damage to the liver and central nervous system, as well as an increased risk of cancer. Even though we were proud that our house was Energy Star certified, we did not maintain it with eco-friendly materials until after Putty’s diagnosis in 2003."

Daisy just before she passed. Notice her stomach area.

Since Putty's diagnosis, we completely changed our living environment to an organic, non-toxic one. However, we still have further to go.

Putty checking out the birds in our new back yard.

Our current home had pressed wood cabinets, stain-resistant, fire-retardant carpeting, new plastic products throughout our home were made with PVC, freshly painted VOC paint on the walls, not to mention the non-organic cleaning products, toxic lawn treatments we were using.

In the matter of two years, I lost my father and both of our cats to cancer. My father was diagnosed with brain cancer 11 days before he passed. Nevertheless, my immense grief fueled my search of uncovering common sources of many cancers as well as my execution of reducing our own risks to environmental and dietary triggers, and since during that time, Greg and I were planning to start our family, there was no time to waste.

Location: Ocean City, NJ

It is scary to know how toxic carpeting, non-organic mattresses, furniture, and many other household items are now nowadays. Everything is sprayed and/or treated with anti-stain, flame retardants, and other toxin chemicals that off-gas and pollute our indoor air. While plastic items also off gas and leech toxins in our food. These toxic chemicals win slowly killing us, our babies, and our pets if we do not act and remove them from our living environment.

Daisy sunning herself at our current home.

My cats were strictly indoor cats and were exposed to many toxins from our newly constructed home that lead to both of their premature deaths. However, since their battles with cancer, we've switch to:

No-Shoe Rule (indoors)
Open our windows and doors
No bottled water (especially the water cooler with large plastic #7 jugs)
Organic cleaning products
Organic lawn care
Organic mattresses
No-VOC paint
Organic health and beauty / body care products
Organic baby bath products
Organic Sunscreen
Organic linens
Organic produce
Organic clothing, especially cotton (but not all organic)
Installed electro-magnetic HVAC air filters
Indoor plants (64 and counting!)
Earth-friendly, reclaimed furniture
Secondhand, wood home decor, etc.
Replaced plastic items in the home, especially those in the kitchen
Eliminating paper, plastic and aluminum
Bought wood products without added 'urea formaldehyde'
Replaced non-stick cookware
Avoid furniture made with the synthetic flame retardant PBDE
Omit the use of over microwave oven
Radon Test Kit and Results
Waterless, non-toxic Lucky Earth car wash

Not to mention our other eco-friendly actions:

Our home solar panel system
Prius
Reusable bags when shopping
Reusable packed lunch supplies
Recycling
Recycling Computers
LED and CFL light bulbs
Growing our own organic produce
Planting trees every year
Spend more time outdoors
Eating an organic plant-based vegan diet

Here is an informative post I wrote recently that covers the toxins that we are exposed to daily no matter how old we are or where we live. This information inspires me to continue detoxing seasonally: Why I Still Detox: Toxins and Chemicals We Are Exposed to Daily.

Also, Good Morning America investigated what kind of threat indoor air pollution posed to the average person by setting up a child’s nursery with a new crib, changing table, rocker and decorations. The air in the nursery contained 300 different chemicals — compared to just two right outside the same house. For more, read "The Indoor Pollution Threat You May Have Not Known Existed."

Would you like assistance with reducing your risk of indoor toxins and overall 'green' living? If so, take Practically Green's Quiz while learning what and why are toxic to you, your home, and the planet.

Putty at our current residence.

With all that we have been doing, we still have a lot ahead of use, especially after the onset of my intrinsic asthma that is triggered from environmental toxins. My asthma is always triggered when I clean my home. Here are a few of the things are on our to-do list:

Carpet removal - replaced with reclaimed hardwood, especially on our second floors where our bedrooms are located.
Organic mattress for our master bedroom (the girls already have organic mattress, box springs, and pillows)
More plants
PURE Home air filter in our master bedroom
Have our air ducts vacuumed
When we remodel our kitchen, replace our pressed wood cabinets with non-toxic, eco-friendly ones
Whole house water filtering system (we currently only have a water filtering system in out kitchen.

Needless to say, the items on our to-do list are costly and will take time and lots of saving, but as with all of our other healthy decisions, when we make it a priority, we make it happen regardless of our finances because we simply become smarter with the money we do have.

Many eco-friendly lifestyle changes actually save us money over time - A LOT of money - so we have learned over the years to not let the initial costs scare us. We simple choose one large project each year and several small ones, and with time, we are living a healthier lifestyle.

Putty waving goodbye from our new home.

Cooking with your kids: setting a foundation for life

2012-01-20T13:21:00.000-05:00

Guest Post by Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer

Author, The Kitchen Classroom

www.kitchenclassroom4kids.com

Every parent wants the very best that the world has to offer for our children. We imagine them growing up into happy, productive adults with full, meaningful lives. I know that every parent wishes the best health and well-being for their child, too.

But as a cooking instructor who teaches cooking to teens and as a parenting coach who works with all different types of families, I see one foundational step towards optimal health that many parents overlook: teaching their children how to prepare food.

Ainsley, daughter of AGFVMWK.

Many teens who enter my cooking class have never picked up a knife to chop a vegetable. They aren’t confidant reading and following a recipe on their own. Although they are succeeding academically in school and are busy with all sorts of extra-curricular activities, no one has taken the time with them to teach them how to independently prepare a meal.

Without teaching our children some basic skills, they will grow into adults who rely on heavily processed canned or frozen food or fast food for their daily meals. Parents of the current generation need to reverse this trend and make sure that cooking is part of you’re the skills that you impart to your child.

This doesn’t mean that you need to rely on fancy recipes or ingredients. Here are a few tips to focus on having fun while making simple recipes with your beautiful children:

Start young: Your child doesn’t need to be reading or even talking to start helping you prep in the kitchen. Toddlers and pre-school age children can have lots of fun dumping ingredients into a bowl, stirring with a large spoon or washing fruit with you.
Focus on connection: The kitchen is a place to not only share food, but to share stories. Talk about favorite recipes, holiday gatherings that you remember from your childhood and exciting meals that you’ll be cooking together.
Work on skills: If your child needs support with reading or math, work on those skills in the kitchen (My cookbook The Kitchen Classroom has lots of ideas for boosting developmental skills through cooking). It’s a lot more fun than sitting at a desk!
Make cooking a fun experience: One way that I got my children excited to eat more fruits and vegetables was by introducing a ‘letter of the week’ and we’d try fruits & veggies to match that letter. They learned how to cut open a pomegranate, kumquat, quince and other produce we might not have normally purchased! You can try our recipes in my ebook ABC Fruits & Veggies 4 Me!
Do a little bit at a time: In your busy life, you don’t even need to make a formal time to teach cooking to your kids. Just look for little opportunities to engage them as you prepare food. Maybe they can peel carrots one night and snap green beans another. Over time, if you think about involving them in food prep, they will turn into adults who have wonderful cooking skills!

Sydney, daughter of AGFVMWK.

Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer is an author, parenting coach and cooking instructor. She helps families all over the world get into the kitchen together. Visit her at www.kitchenclassroom4kids.com.

Vegans and Protein

2012-01-20T12:37:00.006-05:00

One of my most frequent questions regarding the vegan lifestyle is: "Where do I get my protein?"

I get my protein from my high-raw, almost 100% grain-free (I eat cooked rice on my veggie rolls on date nights), soy-free, plant-based, vegan diet. I am comfortable with getting my protein (and calcium) directly from the source (plants) rather than eating (and/or drinking from) the animal that eats the protein-rich and calcium-rich plants. I go directly to the source.

Here's a great video by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau where she clears up the myths of being a vegan. It is a great video and well-worth the time. She talks about protein and calcium at 03:00.

The dairy and meat industry has ingrained in our heads that we need to consume animal products so that we meet our sufficient protein requirements. However, these protein requirements are a complete myth.

What is important is how our bodies digest protein since protein is found in all sources, especially in plant sources (i.e. veggies, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, etc.)

There is actually a condition called Glutaric Acidemia that is a rare inherited disorder where your body is incapable of breaking down and processing proteins. Those living with this condition are on a truly limited diet - white rice is a staple, but even white rice provides a healthy person with enough protein for survival.

Michael Charles Winery (picture from IOGA)

There is one protein deficiency called kwashiorkor. It is most common in areas where there is famine, limited food supply and low levels of education. This disease is more common in poor countries. It often occurs during a drought or other natural disasters, or during political unrest. These conditions are responsible for a lack of food, which leads to malnutrition.

Picture from Wikipedia

Kwashiorkor is very rare in children in the US. There are only isolated cases.

However, one government estimate suggests that as many as 50% of elderly people in nursing homes in the US do not get enough protein in their diet.

Picture from Whiggingout

When kwashiorkor does occur in the US, it is usually a sign of child abuse and severe neglect. With that said, I can say with certainty that you have no worries regarding not consuming a lack of protein.

My friend Lexie and I are both eating the same diet/foods and she is a tri-athlete who amazes me with her extremely long runs, bike rides, surfing, etc. all followed by strength training, etc. And she only eats an almost 100% raw plants-based, gluten-free diet!

How Much Protein Do We Really Need

Here's what Gluten Free Vegan Journey says about protein:

"The 'need' for high protein is centered on fear rather than fact. The initial research on which this myth is based was done in Germany around the turn of the century and was financed mainly by the meat and dairy industries. The average American consuming animal products (meat, dairy) eats much more protein than he or she needs. What happens to the extra protein? Metabolizing protein produces toxic byproducts that the liver must process, and then it is excreted by the kidneys. Thus, too much protein intake stresses the organs. According to the American Dietetic Association, a pure vegetarian diet supplies more than the required protein for one's daily need. Harvard University researchers have found that it is practically impossible to have a vegetarian diet that produces a protein deficiency unless you're only eating sweets and other vegetarian junk food. Vegetarian protein is a lot easier for the body to digest. At Hippocrates Health Institute it was shown that the people who ate the most meat were actually more susceptible to protein deficiency. Firstly, because the body finds it so difficult to digest animal protein, it often doesn't get fully digested and instead putrefies in our intestines. Secondly, the body doesn't really know what to do with all the excess protein, so it dumps it in the basement membranes. Basement membranes are those through which nutrients and oxygen are filtered into the cells from the capillaries and through waste products of the cells are filtered out into the blood to be eliminated. The more excess protein there is in the diet, the more gets dumped in the basement membrane. Eventually, the basement membrane gets so clogged that nutrients and oxygen are not able to pass into the cells and waste products cannot be eliminated. You begin to build up toxins and wastes and you start to suffocate on a cellular level. The build-up of protein contributes to hypertension, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease and diabetes."

Check out "Busting the Myths of Eating a Vegan Diet" for more busted myths of eating a vegan diet!

Much Love!

Priscilla

Facebook Giveaway: 12 Steps to Raw Foods by Victoria Boutenko

2012-01-19T13:55:00.000-05:00

My first giveaway for 2012 is 12 Steps to Raw Foods: How to End Your Dependency on Cooked Food by Victoria Boutenko

The following people entered for a chance to win:

1. Adam King

2. Amy Reid-Fratto

3. Angela Walsh

4. April May

5. Ashley Morlan

6. Bethany Souther Zell

7. BryJo Davies Ryan

8. Carrie Kniedler

9. Christina Nauss Roe

10. Dena Rani' Zink

11. Donna Mullen-Bell

12. Elizabeth Morgan Secora

13. Erin Otto

14. Ferris Duvall

15. Fugg Dat

16. Gillie Whitewolf

17. Hannah Giles

18. Jacqueline Joy Freeman Childress

19. Jai Kobayaashi Gomer

20. Jan Hallquist-Thompson

21. Jeanette Ramos

22. Jen Ross

23. Jennifer Soucier

24. Jennifer King

25. Jude Maui

26. Judy Moffitt Dasse

27. Karen Keogh Pasko

28. Karen Schulz-Harmon

29. Kayla Whitaker

30. Kelly Heavener

31. Kristy Maguire

32. Laura Ann

33. Laura Knowlton

34. Laura Lambert

35. Leslie Ann

36. Lisa-Marie Bogensberger Johnston

37. Maureen Brown

38. Melia Sharland

39. Michelle Lee

40. Michelle O'Connor

41. Misty Thompson

42. Monkie Cat

43. Natalie Whitten Dean

44. Nicole Carter Jones

45. Patricia Gorman

46. Rissa Miller

47. Roxana Saez

48. Sarah Meow

49. Shakira Wood

50. Sheryl Havelka Kincinas

51. Stephanie Moores

52. Sundee Rawlings

53. Susan Brown

54. Susan M. Kucskar

55. Victoria Wilson

56. Virginia Maphis

Here's Ainsley and Sydney picking and announcing the winner!

Congratulations!!

Please email me your mailing address at priscillawaite@gmail.com so that I can mail your copy of Eat to Live to you.

Much Love!

Priscilla

Eat to Live Gluten-Free Vegan Mom Giveaway!

2012-01-19T13:18:00.000-05:00

This month, I'm giving away one copy of Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman that I picked up at my local library for $.25. Yes, this is an ex-library copy but a copy nonetheless.

The following people entered for a chance to win:

1. Judy Ameigh Grover

2. Laura Genton

3. Megan Church

4. Kimberly Jones Warfield

5. Michelle Lee Halbin

6. Ferris Duvall

7. Jan Hallquist-Thompson

8. Tara Kelly

9. Astrid Morgan

10. Makiba Simmons-Ahearn

11. Celia Marie Hilts

12. Stacey Sharp Czap

13. Bernadette Gorham Wingertzahn

14. Beth Waite Catour

Here's Ainsley and Sydney picking and announcing the winner!

Congratulations!!

Please email me your mailing address at priscillawaite@gmail.com so that I can mail your copy of Eat to Live to you.

Much Love!

Priscilla

Vegan Risotto: Cashew Cheese Tomato Basil Coconut Risotto

2012-01-18T21:35:00.000-05:00

Okay. This this was my first attempt, and I'm sure I'm going to make many improvements; however, this was definitely a decent start.

Before I share tonight's cheesy vegan risotto, I need to give JoAnna a HUGE thank you for helping me out! Here's what she put together upon my dilemma/request: "Risotto and Italian Risotto with Tomato and Basil in a Creamy Coconut Sauce."

After studying "How to Cook Risotto Recipes" by In Mama's Kitchen, I wrote a page of notes and began cooking.

Ingredients:

4 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped (I will FINELY chop them in my food processor next time)

1 heaping tablespoon of coconut oil

1 1/2 cup of Lundberg Arborio rice

1/3 cup dry white wine

3 large plum tomatoes or 4 small/medium plum tomatoes

1/2 heaping cup of raw cashews

2 tablespoons dried basil or 1/2 cup fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon pink himalayan salt

Freshly milled black pepper to taste

1 clove garlic (optional)

1/2 of So Delicious coconut cream

1 tbsp Nutritional yeast

Directions:

Finely chop your onions in your food processor.
Add 4 cups of vegetable broth to a pot and turn on high until it comes to a boil. After it comes to a boil, turn heat to low so that it will be hot when you are ready to add it to your rice.
As your broth begins to heat, in your high speed blender add the plum tomatoes, raw cashews, basil, salt, pepper, garlic, coconut cream, and nutritional yeast - blender together and set aside.
Sautee your chopped onions in coconut oil.
Add rice to oil and onions and toast the rice for 3-4 minutes.

Gradually add your vegetable broth to your rice while constantly stirring with a wooden spoon. Never add all the broth all at once and never let it dry out.

When the begins to soften, add the white wine and stir thoroughly. Then add your blended ingredients and continue stirring until the rice is left with a little bite to it.

We cooked it down more from here. However, Greg took over while I made my raw dinner.
Greg doesn't take pictures while cooking ;) and since it is a mad rush while making two meals (one cooked, one raw), I abandoned my camera so that I could eat at the same time as Greg, Ainsley, and Sydney ate.

I will update this as I perfect my skills. Any suggestions as to how you would modify this recipe would be greatly appreciated!

Much Love!

Priscilla

Juice Fasting: Regular Detoxing Cleansing and Why I Still Detox

2012-01-18T14:43:00.000-05:00

I am often asked about juice fasting: prepping, detoxing, coming off a juice fast, not to mention my most frequent question: "Why do you still detox? There's nothing left with your clean diet and lifestyle."

I am going to answer all of those important questions in my Juice Fasting and Detoxing Series. My series will include the following:

Why I still detox.
How I aid my body when detoxing/cleansing.
What I do when prepping for a fast.
What my diet consists of after coming off my fast (this is more important than prepping).

Why I Still Detox:

There are toxins and chemicals everywhere in our polluted environment. Every minute of everyday we are exposed to many chemicals and other pollutants in our air, food, water, clothing and much more.

From: Naturally Clean

The report Polluted Children, Toxic Nation contains the results of the "first Canadian study to test for harmful chemicals in children's bodies, and the results show that Canadians, young and old, regardless of where they live, work, play, or go to school."

From: Naturally Clean

We are inundated with thousands of chemicals that are invisible, odorless, and colorless, and ultimately have a deadly effect on our bodies.

Poisons
Heavy metals
Pesticides
Herbicides
Cleaning solvents
Synthetic hormones and hormone-mimicking chemicals
Smog

From: Naturally Clean

The toxins that buildup in our bodies daily are absorbed into our bodies through contact with

Clothing
Cosmetics and body care products (our skin is our biggest organ, and as my body wrap post proves, our skin is amazing when absorbing anything it come into contact with)
Furniture
Carpets
Air (houseplants are the best indoor air filters available according to a NASA study)
Medications both over-the-counter and pharmaceutical medications
Food
Water
The overall environment in which we live

From: Naturally Clean

Our bodies are equipped with organs of elimination to clear away these toxins; however, since our environment is becoming more toxic than it has ever been, those organs are being overworked and those toxins begin to buildup in our bodies as we begin to

Gain weight (the purpose of body fat is to store toxins while keeping them away from vital organs - no toxic buildup in the body equals no need for fat as it disappears when no longer needed)
Fatigue
Lack of concentration
Susceptibility to sickness and disease.

From: Naturally Clean

There are countless studies linking environmental chemicals to human health (not to mention the environmental impact - but that's for another day). Toxins not only disrupt normal metabolic function of which leads to illness, they are also linked to skin diseases. The following are all linked to our exposure to chemicals and other environmental toxins:

Chronic fatigue
Fibromyalgia
Asthma
Infertility
Neurological disorders
Inflammatory disease
Cancer
Cardiovascular disease
Arthritis
Allergies
Obesity (there goes the fat storing the toxins again!)
Skin problems

From: Naturally Clean

Toxins can be found in:

Animal products (hormones, steroids, antibiotics in meat and dairy products, and mercury in fish)
Antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals
Bedding (foam and cotton mattresses and pillows contain fire retardants and pesticides)
Bottled water (read more regarding bottled water here)
Candles with lead-core wicks
Carpets
City air
Coffee and tea
Commercial shampoos, cosmetics, body care products, mail polish, hair dyes
Deodorants containing aluminum chlorohydrate, methylparaben, propylene glycol
Dyes in clothing, furniture, and other common products
Heavy metals in soil
Mold-contaminated foods (peanuts and cashews may be contaminated with aflatoxin)
Perfumes, colognes, and other scented products
Pesticides and herbicides
Petroleum-based chemicals cleaning products
Photocopiers and correction fluid (trichloroethylene/TCE)
Plastic products
Plywood and particle board products containing formaldehyde
Processed foods (additives, dyes, preservatives)
Rancid vegetables oils
Soft vinyl floors
Tap water (unfiltered)
Tobacco

While writing this post today, Alexis shared an article from Natural News on my Facebook fan page: "Top 20 things that are more dangerous to children than lead paint in Mattel toys." That list contained the following:

Mercury fillings
Vaccines
Hot Dogs
Antibacterial soaps
ADHD drugs
Sports drinks
Cough syrup and over-the-counter medicines
Sunscreen
Fluoride in the water
Processed milk
Fast food
Antidepressant drugs
Chemical laundry detergents
Flame retardant chemicals
Soda
Air fresheners
Synthetic vitamins
Dryer sheets
Bacon
Shampoo and bath products

From my experience, awareness is key. Once I am aware of the potential dangers of using or consuming a certain product or food (even organic garlic), I will eliminate that from my family's daily life.

From: Naturally Clean

How Toxic Are You?

The following symptoms may be symptoms of toxicity:

abnormal body odor or breath
arthritis
asthma
brittle nails and hair
cardiovascular disease
chronic constipation, diarrhea
chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia
coated tongue
compromised digestion
depression
environmental sensitivities, especially to odors
excess weight (fat stores toxins)
exhaustion, fatigue
food allergies
frequent colds and flu
intestinal bloating or gas
insomnia or over-sleeping
mood swings and anxiety
metallic taste in mouth
muscle and joint pain
poor memory or concentration
powerful food cravings
psoriasis, adult acne, rashes
recurring headaches
sinus problems

In our toxic environment, detoxification is crucial and a matter of survival. As we are assaulted by pollutants constantly, most of those toxins are stored in our body as acid, fat and mucus. Our bodies naturally eliminate harmful toxins through our liver, kidneys, lungs colon, skin, and lymphatic system. However, when our bodies cannot keep up with that overflow of toxins, it creates mucus, acid and fat so that they can come to the rescue as they are produced on demand. Unfortunately, when mucus, acid and fat are needed to store an overflow of toxins, we start to experience a cornucopia of symptoms of which can lead to chronic disease.

Many diseases are a form of toxicity in the body, and in order to reverse these diseases, we must remove the toxins through detoxing and cleansing our bodies. Fortunately for us, we are able to clean our bodies and since our cells regenerate and are highly impacted by our diet, we can completely transform our health in approximately three years (the time it takes for all the cells in our bodies to regenerate).

The effects of detoxification (reduced toxic buildup) has on our bodies:

a feeling of rejuvenation on all levels
better mental and emotional well-being
blood purification
clearer sinuses
efficient digestion and absorption
efficient elimination
freedom from additions to sugar, salt, refined carbohydrates, alcohol, junk foods, caffeine, nicotine
healthier, softer, smoother skin
heightened mental clarity, focus, concentration, and memory
improved sleep patterns
increased energy and vitality
reduced allergy symptoms
reduced cravings
reduces inflammation
slimmer, leaner figure
stronger immune system
youthful appearance

I can assert from my personal experience from eating a high-raw, plant-based diet full of daily juicing, seasonal juice fasting, liver flushing and other detox/cleansing regimens that all of the above benefits are completely obtainable and true, and the benefits are not limited to that list.

Since my Celiac Disease diagnosis in December 2008 and since adapting this new lifestyle with my medicinal gluten dietary restrictions, I have been reversing my bone lose at record speeds with diet alone (my osteopenia was one point away from being osteoporosis when I was 33 years old). By the time of diagnosis, my teeth were chipping from prolonged malabsorption issues, my bones were bruising, bleeding and developing stress fractures from minimal physical activity in everyday life, my life was a struggle with fatigue and a cornucopia of other symptoms.

After having documented symptoms of CD since childhood and after having become familiar with the disease because of my sister's prior diagnosis (she was diagnosed four years before me), I was immediately determined to reverse all that damage that has been done during those first 33 years of my life through an impeccable diet and detox/cleansing regimen.

My medical order imposed in August of 2008 that required me to refrain from all aerobic and resistance exercise and activity other than swimming and/or yoga, is now a distant memory as I have taken back my health and as I continue to achieve optimum health throughout each and everyday.

From: Naturally Clean

When knowing how toxic our air, water, food and clothing can be, I not only try to minimize my and my family's exposure, I also incorporate lifestyle changes that help our bodies to eliminate any buildup of toxins because I cannot protect us from everything.

My next post will be on the many ways I assist my body, and more specifically, how I assist my liver, kidneys, lungs colon, skin, and lymphatic system with the elimination of toxins and/or chemicals that I may have been exposed to overtime. That post will also include how I assist my body with eliminating the toxins that have been pulled from my cells, tissue, fat, and organs to minimize detox symptoms during a juice fast.

Thank you for your patience. I know that many of you have been waiting for these promised detoxing posts. The others will follow shortly.

Much Love!

Priscilla

From: Naturally Clean

Resources:

Naturally Clean: The Seventh Generation Guide to Safe & Healthy Non-Toxic Cleaning by Jeffery Hollender

The Simply Raw: Living Foods Detox Manual by Natasha Kyssa

"Top 20 things that are more dangerous to children than lead paint in Mattel toys" by Mike Adams at Natural News

Vegan vs. Bee-gan: Animal Rights Agenda

2012-01-17T21:36:00.000-05:00

Picture by Priscilla Matuson

Tonight, after I mentioned that I am a bee-gan on my Facebook fan page, I received the following comment:

"It would seem that an awful lot of vegans are bee-gans (including me)... I wonder if that indicates that there are now more vegans who are in it for the health effects than the animal rights agenda?"

Does being a bee-gan mean that I am a vegan who is not concern with animal rights? Absolutely not, and I'll tell you why!

I know that many vegans are against honey consumption due to the beekeeper having to smoke the bees to sedate them so that the hive can be opened.

Yes, I consume honey as well as vitamin D3 (comes from the wool of sheep); however, I personally weighed the pros and the cons for both the bees, the sheep as well as my own health.

I agreed with my doctor that I would continue taking liquid D3 drops until my osteopenia is completely reversed (I was one point away from having osteoporosis at the age of 33 due to decades of being a misdiagnosed celiac and suffering from malabsorption even with my healthy diet). Nevertheless, my doctor thinks that my osteopenia will be completely reversed this spring (in a little over three years after diagnosis) because of the huge strides I’ve made with juicing, plant-based diet and other healthy lifestyle decisions.

As with all foods I eat, I look at the nutritional value, and as far as the raw local honey I consume, I am comfortable with my decision, especially after I have personally opened a local hive and have seen that the bees are not harmed whatsoever when done correctly.

Picture by Priscilla Matuson
(After I spotted the queen - Do you see her???)

I also plan to keep my own bees to help with pollination of my own organic garden and to hopefully help save the species.

As for the bees’ well-being, I see my honey consumption nowhere near as harmful as cellular phone, wireless internet, satellite radio, satellite TV, etc. - all huge factors linked to the rapidly declining numbers of honey bees and linked to their shorter lifespans as well as to their overall demise. However, those electronic waves are not the only reason for the collapse of honey bees.

Conventional farming is killing honey bees even faster. Hence, my reason for buying only organic produce and not just sticking to the ‘dirty dozen.’

I feel that my commitment to organic gardening, my commitment to solely buying organic produce, for powering down all wireless devices and routers when not in use, and for my mindful support of a respected local beekeeper/honey provider reaps of my concern of the well-being of bees and for my support of the 'animal agenda.'

Just because I consume raw honey in my morning tea and because I make an occasional recipe that calls for a teaspoon of raw honey does not imply in the least that I lack a love for honey bees. I care for their well-being just as much if not more than the rights and well-being of other animals.

In my opinion, if vegans, as a whole, truly wanted to save and protect the honey bees population, every vegan would give up all wireless electronical devices and will solely purchase organic food and organic clothing (cotton is the most heavily treated crop with toxic pesticides and other chemicals). However, like me, I’m sure that an organic wardrobe is too costly for a meager budget and I cellular phone is an addictive convenience.

Just because a vegan is technically a 'bee-gan' does not imply in the least that he or she is not mindful of the other many factors that are annihilating the honey bees' existence as a whole. A honey bee rights activist, in my opinion, can still benefit for the health benefits from raw honey when consuming it in moderation while focusing what is truly annihilating the species.

This issue goes way beyond the consumption of honey. Pesticides and electronic airwaves are destroying the species at alarming rates and without honey bees, we will lack food.

The fate of bees will determine our own fate as eaters, and I am doing my part to ensure them a better future.

Picture by Greg Matuson

Much Love!

Your Fellow Bee Lover and Bee-gan

Juice Pulp Uses and Recipes

2012-01-15T21:28:00.008-05:00

Today, after sharing “Delicious Vegetable Stock from Leftover Vegetable Pulp” by The Tasty Alternative and after discussing other uses of juicing pulp with all of you, I decided to take our ideas further.

Here is a list of uses for your pulp beyond the backyard compost pile starting with the ones we already in the thread on my Facebook page.

Also, if you are not ready to use your pulp right after you are done juicing, freeze your pulp until you are ready to use it.

Dry Pulp (for dogs):

Mix it in with your dog's food.
Use the pulp as a main ingredient in your dog's raw food diet.
Use in your dehydrated dog biscuit recipes.

Dry Pulp:

Combine with soaked flaxseed when making crackers in your dehydrator.
Combine with raw honey or other binder, roll into balls and dehydrate.
Add to muffin recipes (carrot and apple pulp are the best for this).
Layer your veggie and fruit pulp in your vegetable lasagnas and casseroles.
Add to your tomato sauce.
Combine balsamic vinegar and veggie pulp for a veggie pulp marinade.
Add veggie pulp to any soup or stew recipe.
Sprinkle on the top of your salad.
Add to your salsa recipes.
Add to any dip recipe.
Add to your smoothies.
Add ginger and apple pulp to your herbal teas.
Add to your hot or cold cereal.
Use as a face mask: Carrot Pulp Facial Mask.

Wet Pulp (from soft fruits - berries and grapes):

Add a little water to the pulp and freeze for delicious ice pops.
Add to your homemade sorbets.
Use as a dessert topping.
Add to your GF pancake recipe.
Add to plain yogurt.
Add to your smoothies.
Use when making fruit leather in your dehydrator.

Juice Pulp Miscellaneous:

Feed to your chickens.
Feed to the wild birds.

Recipes:

Vegetable Stock by The Tasty Alternative
Carrot Pulp Marmalade by Mother Earth News
Carrot Falafel by Choosing Raw
Juicy Veggie Burgers by Greenbeane
Green Guacamole by Choosing Raw
Raw Carrot Cumin Wrap by Choosing Raw
Raw Carrot Oat Bread by Choosing Raw
Many Juice Recipes at All About Juicing

What to do with your Juice Pulp?

Green Patty Recipe

Do you have any ideas or recipes to add? If so, please share below!

Much Love!

Priscilla

Herbal Body Wrap to Start My Birthday Celebration Goes Awry

2012-01-14T23:27:00.003-05:00

This past Monday was my birthday, and to celebrate, I scheduled a detox body wrap (my first) and a colonic (my 10th) to start off a relaxing, cleansing day with fun events to follow.

My wrap began at 9:30 AM.

Helen, my much respected colon therapist (I'll blog more about her later), had prepared the herbal body wrap solution minutes before my arrival.

Here is what the body wrap procedure consisted of:

Helen mixed the premixed herbal blend with warm filtered water.
She then measured the target points on my body before and after my wrap (results appear below).
After my measurements were logged, she began soaking and then wrapping each towel around me extremities, torso, neck and head.
After she wrapped each area, she then wrapped each area with cling-wrap (Oh, no!! BPAs!! Yes, that was my first thought as cling-wrap doesn't have a place in my life or my home because of BPA exposure).
I then relaxed for an hour and a half on a heated table covered with a heated blanket (my body was actually cool because of the aloe).

While relaxing on the table, I drank two bottles of water to help my body flush the toxins out of my largest organ, my skin.

Even after my wrap was over, I had to continue drinking eight glasses of water a day for the next five days (I drank 8 pint [16 oz] glasses each day just in case).

After the hour and a half, Helen unwrapped me (I ran to the potty) and then she remeasured my target points. (I felt great!)

Helen tallied the results and little old me lost a combined total of 8 inches! Holy Cow! I did not think I had that much in me to detox!

Helen said that everyone holds their toxins in different parts of their bodies, and we both didn't expect these results! I'm always detoxing!

Nevertheless, the primary purpose of fat is to store the toxins/chemicals that enter your body and to keep those toxins away from your vital organs, etc., so without those toxins to store, that fat is no longer needed and disappears, hence those lost inches. Bye, bye, toxins!

The human body truly amazes me!

Okay, so when did things take a turn for the worst?

When I was about 15 minutes into my colonic, I started yawning and burping while experiencing increasing GI discomfort (the beginnings of my classic gluten symptoms). Even though Helen only uses gluten-free products in her wellness center/spa, I asked her again if it was gluten free. She asserted that it was. Helen suggested that maybe I was just experience heavy detox symptoms, but I've detoxed so much that I could tell that yes, I had mild detox symptoms and MAJOR gluten-like symptoms. Nevertheless, she finished my colonic with much success, and as soon as I was off the table, I took the max dosage of Gas-X and Protonix. After I finished up at Peaceful Escapes, I headed home to continue with phase two of my birthday, a celebration with my girls.

I felt better on the drive, but I still felt a gluten sick. By the time I got home, my gluten-like symptoms were starting to intensify again - to the point where I was in tears. It had to be gluten! So I called Life Force, the company that makes the herbal body wrap, and yes, the product is gluten free as are all their products. I continued to cry as I was on the phone with them.

Helen and I were texting back and forth and she suggested that maybe that since my last gluten exposure occurred less than 90 hours before my wrap that maybe the protein was still in my body and got stirred up during the detox. That seemed highly possible to me, or so I thought, and no one else has ever reported complications with this herbal wrap to Helen's knowledge.

Moments after learning of Helen's theory, I got onto my computer and began researching the exit time of gluten from mouth to cecum. However, all the studies assert that the exit time is 72 hours. Okay. Well, maybe I was the exception.

Instead of celebrating with my girls, Lauren, our sitter, worked on schoolwork with Ainsley while Sydney and I cuddled on the couch as I tried to sleep so that I could feel better so that I did not have to cancel my plans for the evening.

My girls were so confused as to why I was sick on my birthday of which brought me to tears again. What did I do???

After resting, I was determined to go to our local natural food store to meet Dr. Ivy Branin, our new Naturopath in the area. I got myself together as much as I could and Lexie picked me up and we were on our way. We had a lovely and informative meeting with Dr. Branin, bought a few things, and then headed home.

After I arrived back home, Greg had us packed up for our overnight stay at the Borgata in Atlantic City. I still felt sick, but I wanted that garden roll at Izakaya. I had been completely raw since 17 December and I wanted my raw veggies surrounded by rice. Izakaya's garden roll is my favorite! Nevertheless, we gave our baby girls sweet lovin' and headed over to AC.

Once at the Borgata, we checked in, dropped our bags off at our room and then headed down for dinner.

Dinner was great! I felt good. Actually, I felt great! I ate a double order of garden rolls like I always do and I drank 4 1/2 glasses of water.

Dinner was great and so was the service, and since Greg and I are regulars at Izakaya, Kira, our food server, brought out a lit candle on a plate while the DJ played 'Happy Birthday' as the entire restaurant sang to me. The management even comped our comped meal (we have endless room, dinner, club cover and drink comps thanks to Greg but we didn't have to use any of those comps on Greg's account). I felt like a superstar, but more importantly, I felt good for the first time since my gluten-like symptoms began. However, something happened as we walked back to our room to drop off our leftovers (I ordered a garden roll to go).

Once we got back to our room, I got severely ill. Still gluten-like symptoms. However, this time they were worse than I have ever experienced. Could this really be because of an old exposure? I felt so bad that if we were going to stay, I wanted to be alone, but Greg refused to leave me to play poker, so instead he took me home. On the ride home we thought about heading straight to the ER but decided to see if I felt better once in my own bed.

We were home my 9:20 PM. No Texas Hold'em (poker). No dancing the night away. No festive birthday celebrations. Instead, Greg took me straight upstairs and had me drink some ginger ale that released four gigantic burps. I then washed my face, brushed my teeth, flossed and put on my comfiest PJs and climbed into bed.

Eleven hours later, I woke up to discover Greg checking on me as he did many times that night. I was still sick the next day, but around 11:00 AM, Helen contacted me to reveal her discovery. She solved the mystery!

Garlic! There is garlic in and amongst the "27 select minerals and herbs, featuring Aloe vera" in Life Force's Herbal Body Wrap, and since I experience gluten-like symptoms anytime I ingest garlic, I knew this was the cause of my illness.

It all made sense! I had an overdose of garlic that was absorbed throughout my body. During my detox wrap, I poisoned my body because like many people, I have an adverse reaction to garlic, and like Life Force's website states, "Our skin is our body's largest organ. We sometimes think of it as waterproofing covering, but it is actually extremely absorbent. It's an ideal delivery portal, as well as an exit for excreting impurities. The herbal body wrap takes advantage of both pathways" while causing me to become seriously ill from the toxicity of garlic.

I did not fully recover from my garlic exposure until Thursday, three full days after my body wrap.

I am truly grateful to Helen for contacting Life Force again and for going through the ingredients one-by-one until she discovered the source of my illness. If she hadn't done this, I probably would have considered our first theory to be the only logical one, and I would have waited two plus weeks without a gluten exposure and would have tried the body wrap a second time.

Surprised above my reaction to garlic? If so, check out the two videos below.

Knowing your body type and why are garlic and onion bad

Eating Garlic is very toxic for the body

So now my list of foods that I am intolerant to are gluten, quinoa and garlic. There are other foods that I avoid because of the way I feel afterwards; however, I haven't identified if in fact my body is intolerant to those foods like it is intolerant to the ones above.

I am almost completely grain free except on date night when dining at Izakaya; however, since I haven't been digesting rice, I am going to ask the chef at Izakaya if he can make my garden roll without rice (that thought devastates me but I want to go completely grain free for awhile to see if I feel differently).

As for my birthday celebration, I am getting a re-do this Monday! Greg is truly the best as the re-do was totally his idea! and I gladly accepted ;)

Much Love!

Priscilla

Raw Vegan Recipe: Sweet Potato Wrap

2012-01-14T20:46:00.001-05:00

Here is my 6th raw recipe review out of the 125 intended for 2012.

Up next is another Mimi Kirk recipe: Sweet Potato Wrap.

After making sushi garden rolls the other night, I wanted to make a wrap so that I could enjoy and grain-free veggie wrap, and since Mimi's sweet potato wrap sounded appealing and since I already had all the ingredients, I gave it a go!

Ingredients:

2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

3 dates, soaked and pureed (or 1 tbsp agave or sweetener of your choice)

1/2 banana

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (I used raw coconut oil)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of powdered ginger

3/4 cup flaxseed, ground

Filtered water or Fresh apple juice as needed (I juiced 2 apples and used that juice)

Blend all of the ingredients except the ground flaxseed in a high-speed blender until smooth. Add apple juice (or water) as needed to give it a smooth texture. Add flax meal and adjust the consistency by adding more juice (water) if necessary. Blend until it is smooth and thick and until you are able to pour it. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Pour the mixture on nonstick dehydrator sheets a level to an even thickness. Dehydrate for 5 hrs at 105ºF. When dry on top, flip onto a mesh dehydrator screen and dehydrate another 5-6 hours or until dry, but still pliable.

Be careful not to overdehydrate. Store for up to three days in an airtight container or ziplock bag.

Cut your desired wrap to size and add your favorite filling.

Wrap tightly and serve!

Sydney tried a small piece of the wrap and wasn't too impressed.

Unfortunately for me, I didn't run to the store for my favorite veggie fillings, so my first impression of my wrap was not a positive one until I tasted the wrap by itself.

Tomorrow, I will try it again with a different filling while adding more pleasurable flavors. I will keep you posted after my next taste test!

Mimi Kirk has written a beautiful raw cookbook and I look forward to trying more of her recipes. You can purchase her Live Raw cookbook on amazon (Kindle: $1.99; Amazon Prime Members can read for free; Paperback: $11.53).

Also, check out Mimi's webpage: Young on Raw Food!

Much Love! Priscilla

Colibri Custom Catered Travel and Cate's (Owner) Story

2012-01-13T23:30:00.000-05:00

Cate Lazen's Story:

I've been sick my whole life and then was diagnosed after living a year in Mexico with my family. I worked for little girls' orphanage there raising money for scholarships designed to break their cycle of victimhood, violence and poverty. I fell in love with Mexico and its people, but I got progressively sicker until I needed emergency surgery. My family and I returned to NJ in 2009, and soon after -- I got the diagnoses that changed my life.

Colibri is my first for-profit business. I created a non-profit 11 years ago that allows 400+ people with disabilities achieve, earn, transcend stigma, and experience joy through the visual arts: Arts Unbound. I co-founded another that redefines a blighted, urban neighborhood as an arts destination, bringing arts programming to youth, galleries, outdoor murals, and performances to its members: Valley Arts District.

Now, I am an insider - serving MYSELF - and the needs of people like ME ... hoping to bring resources and opportunities to myself and my kids. It's a funny feeling to be self-serving, but I hope that my own interest in food, nutrition, and travel, and my own story of healing and awakening will benefit others too.

My main challenge living with celiac is not being able to eat in restaurants (especially while traveling where the language barrier exists.)

I love a "foodie" experience and always feel left out ... eating the side salad or staying home. Colibri makes FOOD the centerpiece of a travel experience that also includes high end lodging and tour services.

Colibri Custom Catered Travel is offering a special discount for its maiden voyage to Travel + Leisure Magazine's #4 pick for top ten world destinations: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. For seven days and nights, travelers with gluten sensitivity and those committed to the organic, sustainable lifestyle will enjoy farm-to-table, organic and GF cuisine and insider guide services from Colibri founder and former San Miguel resident Cate Lazen.

Trip includes all custom catered meals and outdoor adventure, town and farm tours, musical performance, tequila tastings, cultural experiences and more. A spacious hacienda in the middle of the historic center of town provides both private rooms and spacious dining areas under one roof.

Colibri Custom Catered Travel Facebook Page: be sure to click on all the tabs to meet our chefs, view our lodgings, and read sample menus.

And please "like" it and share it with your fellow FB food freedom fighters, friends, and travel enthusiasts!

The combination of world class chef talent and locally sourced, organic ingredients make all Colibri trips extraordinary foodie experiences and socially/environmentally responsible travel alternatives. Colibri travelers eat delicious food and support sustainable farming projects, fair wages, water conservation and soil preservation.

The Colibri launch trip is scheduled for one of San Miguel's most culturally vibrant times of the year: the week leading up to and including Palm Sunday: the 26th of March through April 2.

In celebration of Colibri's launch and maiden voyage, Cate is offering a 25% discount for her full service package:

$2000 per person

$2520 per person w/a single room

Payment schedule:

An immediate deposit of 50% confirmed upon clearance of payment secures space. 100% balance due March 4.

Refunds:

By Feb. 15 100 %

March 4 50 %

March 17 25%

March 21 none

Travel Insurance - Colibri strongly recommends at your own cost.

Included: all meals lodging, airport transfers, activities, classes, tastings, entrance fees, tips.

Does not include: Round trip air fare to Mexico, alcohol, personal expenses (prescriptions, toiletries, etc.), and

activities/cabs/tips outside of Colibri agenda (e.g. spa services).

Register Here to receive payment details and join our mailing list.

Looking Forward!

Cate Lazen

Fake Eggs and Fake Grapes

2012-01-13T14:53:00.002-05:00

Picture by Christina Kretchmer

Here is another reason why you should buy local and buy organic:

Have you heard about this fake eggs and fake grapes?

I just have because of my childhood friend, Jason, I just learned that people in China make and sell 'man-made' eggs, grapes, and other foods for a fourfold profit!

Rest assured, the FDA checks a whopping 2% of all the food we import. Imagine this being sold in the US.

Amazon.com Widgets

"Even with prosecution, there will still be people making them. As long as the poor society in China exists, there'll be strange things happening."

Cheers to Buying Local and Buying Organic Food!

Much Love!

Priscilla

A Gluten-Free Vegan Mom Who Knows

Aiding Our Body's Detox when Juicing and in Everyday Life

Supplements Taken by This Gluten-Free, Vegan Family

Juicing vs Blending

Juicers: Omega vs. Champion vs. Breville (I've owned/used them all!) Kitchen Appliances, Tools & Gadgets for a High-Raw Vegan Lifestyle Juice Fasting: Regular Detoxing Cleansing and Why I Still Detox Raw Plant-Based, Gluten-Free Vegan Diet: Including Results, Benefits, and Tons More Information!

Kitchen Appliances, Tools & Gadgets for a High-Raw Vegan Lifestyle

Raw Plant-Based, Gluten-Free Vegan Diet: Including Results, Benefits, and Tons More Information!

Juicers: Omega vs. Champion vs. Breville (I've owned/used them all!)

Circle of Moms: Top 25 Vegan & Vegetarian Moms - 2012

Natural Cold Remedy: Greg felt so badly that he asked me to make him my concoction!

Cancer Caused by Toxins and Other Chemicals in Our Newly Constructed Home Causes Us to Turn to Organic Living

Cooking with your kids: setting a foundation for life

Vegans and Protein

Facebook Giveaway: 12 Steps to Raw Foods by Victoria Boutenko

Eat to Live Gluten-Free Vegan Mom Giveaway!

Vegan Risotto: Cashew Cheese Tomato Basil Coconut Risotto

Juice Fasting: Regular Detoxing Cleansing and Why I Still Detox

Vegan vs. Bee-gan: Animal Rights Agenda

Juice Pulp Uses and Recipes

What to do with your Juice Pulp?

Herbal Body Wrap to Start My Birthday Celebration Goes Awry

Knowing your body type and why are garlic and onion bad

Eating Garlic is very toxic for the body

Raw Vegan Recipe: Sweet Potato Wrap

Colibri Custom Catered Travel and Cate's (Owner) Story

Fake Eggs and Fake Grapes

Juicers: Omega vs. Champion vs. Breville (I've owned/used them all!)

Kitchen Appliances, Tools & Gadgets for a High-Raw Vegan Lifestyle

Juice Fasting: Regular Detoxing Cleansing and Why I Still Detox

Raw Plant-Based, Gluten-Free Vegan Diet: Including Results, Benefits, and Tons More Information!