Holistic Health

Calcium and Iron Herbal Tea for Pregnancy

2012-03-09T15:37:00.000-08:00

At the end of my first trimester, I'm still relying on foods, not excess supplementation, to provide the vast majority of the nutrition I need for my pregnancy. My herbal infusions are taking center stage as the task of eating becomes less focused on nutritional data per bite, and more focused on what will stay in my stomach.

Minerals during pregnancy are just as critical as they are at any other stage of life. So many women rush out and buy prenatal supplements when they become pregnant, but this can be a big mistake. The health of the fetus rests critically on the months preceding conception, and by the time most women discover they are pregnant, so many irreversible decisions and developments in the life of the fetus have already been made.

Since dairy is a mucous forming, lymph congesting, acidifying precursor to bone loss, it's certainly not right for a truly healthy and natural pregnancy. In addition, consumption of dairy is now inextricably linked to type 1 diabetes and cancer due to IGF-1 found in this very profitable, yet nutritionally lacking, group of food. An easy to read and very detailed, researched report can be found here. This is certainly not the life altering health challenge we as parents want to give our children.

As pregnant women, we must focus on the green world for bio-available nutrients, and fortunately critical minerals like calcium and iron are found here in unlimited amounts, as well as phytonutrients such as chlorophyll that can only be found in edible plants. Minerals ingested from dark, leafy greens and green edible plants like weeds and other herbs are assimilated efficiently and easily by the human body, and are safe as both foods and nutritional supplements. On your next visit to your herbalist, midwife, or other natural health practitioner, share with her your interest in obtaining your daily nutrient needs from green plants.

Today, I'm making the following, and sharing it with my children. The best part about drinking the green infusions from edible plants is that you can enjoy them with your entire family in age appropriate doses. I add a few drops of Stevia to the portions I give my children.

Multi-Mineral Calcium and Iron Infusion

1 part Yellow Dock Root
3 parts Nettle Leaf
2 parts Oatstraw
1 part Red Raspberry leaf
1 part Peppermint (unless breastfeeding- will decrease milk supply)

Soak the Yellow Dock in 1 quart + 1/3 cup COLD water in a saucepan as long as possible. I like to leave it overnight, but half and hour is also fine if you can't spare the time. Try to make your infusions the night before if they include roots. If your infusion does not include roots, just boil the water plain.

Next, bring the water and the Yellow Dock to a boil and immediately reduce it to a low simmer for 15-20 minutes tightly covered. While the water boils, add your remaining herbs to a large glass quart jar. I like to use about half an ounce. This is a nutritive tonic infusion, similar to a broth, and as such you can drink plenty because these herbs double as edible foods.

When the timer goes off, pour the entire contents of the saucepan into the quart jar. Since you'll have lost a little water to steam, you should have just about 1 quart now, and enough to fill the jar with herbs to the rim. This is why I suggest adding a little extra water. With the roots and leaves brewing together, put the lid on immediately and leave for at least 2 hours, preferably 3-4. This makes enough infusion for one person to drink throughout the day by the cup.

There are plenty of other herbs I've left out here, such as Alfalfa and Red Clover, but I don't like to use too many herbs in an infusion. 2-3 is plenty, and single herb infusions are extremely powerful themselves, so use what you can source locally, and wildcrafted is best. Just drinking a strong nettle infusion will give you a huge boost of chlorophyll, phytonutrients, minerals, as well as lend support to many areas of the human body.

Other advantages to this blend are it's abilities to calm my children down gently (Oatstraw), it's liver supporting action (Yellow Dock and Nettle), it's tonifying action on my currently stressed out uterus (Red Raspberry Leaf), and it's tummy soothing effects on nausea and indigestion (Peppermint). This brew comes out extremely dark, like a deep amber/black due to the color of yellow dock and the extremely high concentration of chlorophyll in the nettle leaf. Adding 5 drops of stevia to the entire quart will neutralize any unfamiliar "earthy" flavors, until your tongue remembers the taste of real food :)

Raw Vegan Pregnancy- 9 Weeks

2012-02-21T10:45:00.000-08:00

...It's getting real around here.

Today I'm feeling better than I have in quite a few days. This week has been particularly trying. I'd thought my nausea had leveled out, but it surprised me by going into overdrive, and there was a 24 hour period where I wasn't able to eat a thing. I'm having to supplement my diet, which I'll describe in full, and my exercise is more sporadic than calculated. I'm noticing a nasty cycle: Often I'm too sick to eat anything, which weakens my already tired state, making it impossible for me to workout, even though my workouts are one of the only things that can stimulate my appetite at the moment. It's getting tricky.

The worst has happened: I've developed an aversion to my dark, leafy greens. T_T These are crucial in my diet, so I've had to make some adjustments. I've added two supplements into my diet temporarily to ensure I've got enough energy to make it through the day. The first is Garden of Life's Raw Protein. This might be seen as unnecessary, and I agree: for those who are able to eat enough food, there's no need to supplement for protein, absolutely none at all. However, with the aversion to leafy greens (a huge source of amino acids), and my small appetite and inability to keep food down sometimes, it's an extra bit of insurance. At only half a scoop in a small banana smoothie, it's a very concentrated source of nutrients that doesn't require any extra stomach room.

In addition, I am also using Trader Joe's Super Green Drink in my daily smoothie, as well. One scoop of this stuff has 2000 mg of greens such as barley grass, spirulina, chlorella, and also includes both digestive enzymes and non-dairy probiotics, something that I'm having to double up on recently. Did I forget to mention that pregnancy slows your digestion to an almost complete standstill?

Here are some other natural, living tonics I'm relying on in early pregnancy.

Kombucha: Another choice that might be seen as "dangerous", but I've been drinking kombucha for the better part of a decade, and limiting my dosage to just two ounces a day, and this is mixed with ginger juice. It's sort of a last resort, since all of my homemade sauerkraut, kim chi, and other cultured vegetables make me sick to even think about them. Kombucha, however, I'm feeling strongly drawn to, so a light brew is definitely working for me at this time.

Herbal Infusions: I don't usually go a day without my strong herbal tonics, and pregnancy hasn't changed that in the least. I have, however, eliminated my strongly cleansing and adaptogen tonics and instead opted for blends that offer both strong plant based nutrition and gentle uterine toning actions. Some of my absolute favorites for pregnancy are Nettle Leaf for dark, leafy green nutrition, Yellow Dock as an iron supplement, Raspberry Leaf as a uterine tonic, and Dandelion Leaf and Root to prevent jaundice and build a healthy baby liver.

Today's Herbal Pregnancy Tonic:

Fennel (nausea)
Red Raspberry Leaf (uterine)
Oatstraw (calcium/mood)
Dandelion Root (water retention/liver)
Yellow Dock (iron)

Today I was feeling inventive, but I normally like to keep my tonics to three herbs or less. I got some fresh Oatstraw, though, and I was anxious to try it :)

Raw Vegan Pregnancy- 6 Weeks, 6 Days Along

2012-02-05T19:29:00.000-08:00

Let's be honest- the first trimester sucks. My first child, born back in 2006, gave me very little in the way of morning sickness, but my second child in 2008 was a nightmare of nausea. Interestingly, I was living a high raw lifestyle by the time that second pregnancy rolled around, but it had little effect on morning sickness.

Fast forward to 2012-

It's awful. The worst part is that certain fruits are making me sick just thinking about them! Important fruits! I'm having difficulty with the texture of bananas, which is problematic because they're essentially my rice. Thankfully I finished off the last of the persimmons a few weeks ago, because that melty, jelly like consistency of a really ripe persimmon is NOT as attractive as it was last month. Right now, winning fruits have a juicy, fibrous texture with little potential for mushiness.

Today, I ate:

blood oranges
navel oranges
cara cara oranges
mangoes
blueberries
almonds

When I first was struck with the sickness, I couldn't manage to get in my greens. My digestive system slowed to a crawl, and digesting greens, even shredded romaine, became a complicated stomachache. Fats cause the same response, especially when they're mixed with the greens. Young coconut meat is a winner right now, as is half an avocado by itself. Now, I'm able to get in my greens by having them in a juice made with lemon, apples, ginger, and cucumbers. I picked up some local bok choy and baby spinach at the farmer's market, so I'll be juicing those for the next few days, in addition to the organic romaine hearts I got on sale this week. 3 organic romaine heart for 99 cents. Win.

I'm eating little meals as often as possible, which is a huge change from my usual large meals 3 times a day I was used to (and enjoying). But the longer I go without eating, the worse the nausea gets, and trying to eat the same size meals I did last month just isn't going to happen. It's almost as if my stomach shrank overnight!

Today, my workout was

Time Attack- 12 minutes plus warm up and cool down

A series of 5 body weight exercises performed at 20 reps each, as many rounds as you can before the time runs out. Video and details can be found here at BernaciseMe.com

Tomorrow should be a 30 minute run at noon.

I'm feeling less attracted to OJ and more attracted to eating my oranges chopped. I'm just going with whatever I can eat without regretting later.

Surprise! My Raw Vegan Pregnancy!

2012-02-04T17:22:00.000-08:00

Nope, it's not a joke- I'm pregnant!

After my difficult journey through my first miscarriage this past October, I've completed a wonderfully cleansing detox followed by a deeply regenerating juice feast in December. Now that January has passed and I've spent some time reaching down deep into my health on all levels to make the necessary preparations, I am once again ready to accept the gift of pregnancy.

Provided that all goes well, this will be my first high raw baby. My last pregnancy was a 50 percent raw, all vegan, all whole foods path, and it was so, so simple. In fact, my birthing ritual lasted a mere 2 and a half hours! I walked for miles a day, even just days before I gave birth. This time, I want to further my goals and record here my experiences, challenges, and successes on a high fruit and greens raw vegan diet.

Don't forget to connect with me here, on Facebook and Twitter to keep up on my fruity pregnancy journey! I'll be posting daily menus, workout routines, difficulties, and basically giving you the raw deal on what it's like to eat a TRUE whole foods diet while creating a human life! I'm looking forward to sharing this journey with all of you :)

Raw Vegan Fruit Shopping Haul! Frugal Raw Food!

2012-02-03T20:59:00.000-08:00

I'm back again with another fruity shopping update, complete with pictures! I had a great shopping week, and I managed to snag something a little more fun than just plain old bananas. But hey, let's not knock bananas, I can't go a day without them! Good thing I found 5 bags of them, marked down, ripe, and ready to eat!

I froze quite a bit of them, especially any that looked like they might not last a few more days without getting a little too soft for my tastes. This week I also picked up a bag of Trader Joe's Very Cherry Blend in the frozen section to make cherry berry soft serve. Yum!

Here's a treat I haven't had in a few weeks, and these ones came out delicious!

These mangoes are pretty big, and I grabbed them for only 85 cents apiece! One of my favorite local ethnic produce markets had a giant pile of them, so I grabbed up 8 of them. I had my first one tonight: so soft and melty, perfectly ripe with no bruises. Just perfect, like honey.

The pineapples this week are wonderful. I know I've got a great pineapple when I can eat an entire one for breakfast and have no sore tongue afterwards, and that's just what I got with these amazing fruits. I picked up 4 of them, and each one was only $1.40

Now, my favorite find. I managed to grab this 30 pound box of blood oranges for...guess. Go on, guess how much it was.

$9.00

Yup!

They aren't all perfectly ripe, and I think it's still a little early in the season, but they're ripening up slowly, and I've been mixing these with my delicious and perfectly ripe local cara cara navels I picked up for only 49 cents a pound. Mixing the two juices makes a beautiful blazing sunset appear in my glass, since the two are so thick with pulp that it's difficult for them to mix together. I am so grateful that I am able to start my day with so much nutrition and energy for mere pocket change! Get on out into your own neighborhood, because you can do the same :)

Raw Vegan Fat Free Eggplant Chips!

2012-01-25T14:33:00.000-08:00

Wow, this is an easy one, and a classic, too! It gets passed around the raw food forums often and its popularity rises with each new flavor "tweak". However, I'm going to give you the basics, and you can tweak to your heart's content! I make this recipe especially for my young kids and they love it!

These are amazingly simple crunchy little snacks that will give you the crisp of a potato chip in an oil free, potato free, and totally guilt free mouthful. You need only two ingredients: eggplant and apple cider vinegar.

Slice your eggplant thinly, and I mean THIN! A couple of centimeters is good; it doesn't have to be like paper, but the thinner, the better. Lay them out on a glass pan and give them a good soak in ACV. Now, if you like, you can add other herbs and seasoning to the ACV before you pour it on. Nutritional yeast, spice blends like mexican or curry, garlic powder, chipotle powder...if you like it, add it in. But the basic recipe makes a great salt and vinegar style chip. Adding salt is definitely optional and not recommended. The ACV has a great sweet and salty flavor, but a dash of Braggs Liquid Aminos will add a little more depth.

Soak these for at least a few hours or as long as you can, and then dehydrate overnight in your dehydrator or oven on the lowest setting with the door cracked open. I put mine to dehydrate around 7 pm and turn them off around 10 in the morning, but my dehydrator doesn't have a heat dial, so you can experiment at home. The great thing about these is your can't over-dehydrate- the longer you let them go, the more Pringles-esque they become!

I've only used the larger Mediterranean eggplants, so I do not know how an Asian eggplant will fare. It might be better, or it might not work at all! If you try it that way, be sure to post your results!

Congratulations, Giveaway Winners!

2012-01-24T12:46:00.000-08:00

Congrats to both of our winners! Your packages will be sent out ASAP!

If you haven't been notified at this point, I'm happy to tell you that you'll have another chance to win a new prize shortly. In the meantime, keep an eye on this blog through Facebook and Twitter to be the first to know about new giveaways, as well as important news in holistic health, nutrition, and herbal medicine!

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Mono Banana Diet? Raw Vegan Banana Island!

2012-01-22T21:25:00.000-08:00

Sounds crazy, right? Who in their right mind would eat nothing but bananas?

People who want to lose weight, detox, and kill junk food cravings!

Mono fruit diets are an amazing way to give your body a chance to catch up with all the poison it's been carrying around for years! This isn't pseudoscience- every day, your body is exposed to toxins, from inevitable chem trails from overhead planes, to avoidable like pesticides on food and chemicals in shampoos. Your body does have a wonderfully complex and capable system of detoxification and elimination for naturally occurring toxins, but when it comes to the man made toxins it simply throws it's hands up in frustration and resorts to storing this sludge in your fat cells. For years.

Going on a mono diet can give your digestive system and well deserved break, giving your body a chance to play catch up with all the gunk caught up in your gears, so to speak. The average American is carrying literal pounds of fecal matter in their intestines, and eating a pure fruit diet will help to loosen up the debris and carry a lot of it out.

When you eat one food and one food only, it really gives your taste buds time to think. In our modern culture, we thrive on thrill, and we jump from one food to the next looking for a new, flavorful pizzazz to hit our tongue, even in the span of one meal! Appetizers, side dishes, main course, dessert...all of it adds up to over-stimulation in the brain, and one big check that your digestive system simply can't cash. The human stomach was not designed to properly digest thirty different ingredients at once! By eating one nourishing food for several days at a time, you'll be re-training your tongue to recognize chemical additives and so-called "natural flavors" for what they are-nasty!- and letting your digestive system play it safe with just one ingredient, which can go a long way to healing a multitude of stomach and digestive symptoms.

Best of all, when you choose to mono a moderate to high calorie, high nutrition fruit like bananas, you can rest easy knowing you'll be meeting your basic needs for maintaining energy and health. Unlike strict water fasting or low calorie cleanses, you can safely eat as much as you like. In fact, you can eat as much as you can! It's nothing to eat 20 bananas in a day, and an adult woman would just barely have her caloric needs met, depending on the size of the bananas and her activity levels! Since bananas are low water, high calorie fruits with loads of fiber, you'll never be able to overeat. This can be an incredible healing journey for those who struggle with distorted eating patterns and fear of food. No need to count calories- count bananas to make sure you're eating enough!

A mono diet is one of the best compliments to a full body cleanse. If you are taking a pre-packaged cleanse like those from Dr Natura, or the simple herbal liver healing or gentle detoxification tea blends I create, a mono fruit diet is one of the best things you can do to ensure your cleanse gets as deep as possible. Lighten the load on your body and let it heal!

After some time passes, you'll want to increase your consumption of greens and other fruits, but while you're in the detoxification stage, you'll be drawing on your own stores of fat, B12, and other nutrients, so there's no need to worry about "building up" while your bod is in the process of "breaking down" a lifetime of illness and improper treatment. There are "banana island" support groups on raw vegan websites all over, so find a couple of people to share your experience with and let go of your fear of achieving true health!

Worried about what to eat after your cleanse? Or troubled by the sheer amount of herbal detoxes and supplements out there? I do offer private consultations as a certified Nutritional Consultant and Master Herbalist, so if you can't find help in your area, I would love to help you reach your health goals.

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Giveaway ends TONIGHT! Enter to win Herbal Baby Care Breastfeeding Balm!

2012-01-22T09:08:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to enter here! It's super simple, and you could WIN one of these:

My 100% Natural Breastfeeding Nipple Cream and Infant Care Balm! Two winners will be selected to win either a full size container or a sampler size! Here's the link!

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GIVEAWAY Starts NOW! Natural Mommy and Baby Care Product!

2012-01-15T14:53:00.000-08:00

The new giveaway has finally come, and I've got a brand new line of handcrafted natural shea butter and Caledula breastfeeding nipple cream and infant skin care salve! So, to spread the news, I'm giving away a full size right here, right now! This giveaway starts today, Sunday, January 15th, 2012 and ends in one week on Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 11:59 pm.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Formulated specifically for breastfeeding mothers, this brand new, freshly poured product contains only 4 ingredients and contains NO concentrated essential oils and NO preservatives.

This unique formula is 50% luscious, pure Shea Butter from Ghana, an incredibly moisturizing nut butter that can help to improve or even eliminate dry, cracked nipples. The Shea Butter is melted down with Organic Coconut Butter which not only provides additional skin-softening and healing qualities, but also contains Caprylic Acid which helps to combat yeast infections such as thrush and other forms of candida.

This creamy butter base is mixed with bright yellow Calendula blossoms slow infused for months in extra virgin olive oil and strained, giving this cream it's sunny hue. Calendula is a safe, common herb and one of the most popular choices for topical healing. These three ingredients are set into a soft cream with small amounts of natural beeswax, only half as much as a standard salve to ensure easy spreadability and softening on contact so you don't have to rub your sore nipples any more than you have to!

In addition to acting as a powerful nipple soother and protectant, your New Mother's Nipple Cream also acts as a wonderful healing balm for your baby, as well! Use it for dry skin, diaper rash, and even cuts and scrapes for your older children. This super concentrated formula takes just a tiny amount and will last you a VERY long time. Remember to keep it in the fridge in hot weather!

I make my formulas one batch at a time to ensure top quality- no one wants an herbal product that's been sitting on the shelf for years! They make wonderful gifts for baby showers, baby blessings, or any holiday present for a breastfeeding Mommy. It will be the one gift she is thankful for the most! I've breastfed two babies years ago and I wish I'd had something like this on hand, and I think any breastfeeding Mommy will agree!

Ingredients: 100% pure Shea Butter from Ghana, Olive Oil infused with Calendula Blossoms, Organic Coconut Butter, Natural Beeswax

As a certified Master Herbalist, my herbal creations are the result of both research and intuition, and every single item is blended, tinctured, pressed, infused, and packaged by hand in tiny batches to ensure a high quality product.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TWO WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN! In the second picture, you can see one full size and one sample size white cosmetic tubs. In addition to one winner, one runner up winner will be chosen to win the sample size, as well.

HOW TO ENTER: You can enter up to three times.

1. Like "Morning Star Apothecary" on Facebook and leave a quick note on the giveaway post. Share with your friends and family- everyone knows someone who can use FREE stuff!

2. Become a public follower of this blog. It's easy, just click the "Follow" button to the right ---->
Leave a quick comment on this post to let me know that you're a follower.

3. Follow me on Twitter @kombuchadiva. Re-tweet for your friends and family!

Not only will you be entering to win, but you'll be the first to know about future giveaways, and be able to keep up on the latest tips on living a TRUE whole foods, natural lifestyle!

Pics of INSANE Raw Food Shopping Deals and Bargains!

2012-01-13T09:28:00.000-08:00

I had a comment on an older entry a little while ago asking me specifically where to shop for deals. Now, this comment came from my area, so anyone outside the Sacramento area will have much different results, but the point is, no matter where you live, there are likely steep discounts hiding right around the corner from you. Here is a list of the most common ways I've found to buy fruits and vegetables for rock bottom prices.

Check ALL of your local grocery chains. Out of several we have here, including Raley's, Safeway, and BelAir, Save Mart is the only company that discounts in my area (to my knowledge). Out of the SaveMarts in Sacramento, and there are many, only three that I know of discount enough perishables to warrant regular trips. So, if you're in an area with a SaveMart, make a few trips at different times of the day/different days of the week to see they've marked anything down. This might sound like a time and gas-waster, but time them with other errands. I'm taking my kids to their Grandmother's house later today, and there just happens to be an out of the way SaveMart less then a mile away. On the way home, I'll make a 5 minute stop inside and grab whatever's been stickered. If there's nothing, no gas wasted, and if there's a haul waiting for you, you'll be able to stock up! Not only am I able to buy bananas and greens this way on a semi-regular basis, I'm also able to pick up healthy vegan items for my non-raw family, like the portabello mushrooms here:

The organic iceberg lettuce in the picture leads me to me next topic: local ethnic markets! I have two in my area that I visit regularly. One is Eastern European/Russian in focus, and the other is Middle Eastern/Ethiopian. At both of them I can regularly find discounted fruits and vegetables. I picked up this organic head of lettuce for 50 cents last week! Within the last month I've gotten a box of large mangoes for $6.00, manila mangoes for 50 cents apiece, local oranges for 39 cents a pound, a 5 pound box of grapes for 4.99, and medium RIPE pineapples for $1.50. That's off the top of my head. These places are tiny, and tucked away in smaller neighborhoods or located just off of main streets. Your best bet is to hit Yelp or another online city search and make a list of places to visit when you've in the area. You'll know a good shop when you see one. Both of mine keep huge bins of fruit outside that line the entire front of the shop.

Next up: dollar stores! In my area, we have two chains, Dollar Tree, and 99 Cents Only. Dollar Tree has limited food and only stocks boxed and canned good for the most part, but 99 Cents Only is a gold mine for raw food vegans. I routinely, and I mean at least every 2 weeks, find deals like this:

Everything here was 99 cents each. They buy these in cases overstocked from local grocers who need to sell off their lettuce before it goes bad to make a profit, and 99 Cents Only buys them up and sells them for a buck! I can get organic greens of all kinds, including pre-washed salads like these, or 3 packs of organic romaine as of this week. Other non-organic produce includes 50 cent cucumbers, banana 5 packs, 2 pound bags of carrots, cabbage heads, and fresh or frozen berries. Since they buy up deals and not by demand, the supply isn't regular, so try to go weekly and buy up what you can.

Another way to go is discount outlet shops. We have several in our area including Big Lots! and Grocery Outlet. Grocery Outlet is by far my favorite, and I found an insane, rock bottom deal there last week that was so great I bought 5 cases:

Larabars are amazing transition foods or occasional treats for low fat raw vegans. They are made with nuts and fruit- and that's it. This particular variety is made with raisins, dates, walnuts, pecans, and cinnamon. Each case has 16 bars, which sell for about $1.50 each at places where they are sold such as Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. My frugal blog readers, I purchased these for $1.99 a case. No. Joke. They make perfect additions to my son's lunchbox, and even a treat for me! Since they only contain fruit and nuts, they're great for emergencies when you aren't able to find ripe fruit, like hiking, camping, long car trips, etc.

In addition, one of the Grocery Outlets in my area has a discount fruit rack. This week I was able to purchase two 5 pound bags of apples for just $1.99 each. But even at locations without the discount rack, they have a produce section with good deals on fruit regularly.

I hope this post has given you some leads on how to get started on discount shopping in your area. Keep watching for more raw food shopping hauls, an upcoming handcrafted herbal giveaway especially for breastfeeding Mommies, and more fruity adventures!

Juice Feast: Final Day

2011-12-24T19:58:00.000-08:00

Holy crap...it's over!

I'm drinking a cucmber-cilantro-carrot-coconut water juice while I write this. It's intense, to say the least. I've eaten more cucumbers in this last 9 days than I normally do in the span of 2 months. The cost of eating this way was completely manageable for a short term feast. Since many of the staples are on sale during the holidays, like celery, apples and cucumbers, it was a good time for it. Doubly so since the holidays are also accompanied by immune system destroying "treats" loaded with sugar and flour...it's no wonder they call it the flu season!

I started adding some of the pulp back into my drinks today, and my Christmas feast will consist of two varieties of mango- one of my absolute FAVE fruits! So, we made it to the end of the feast, but we're far from done with our holiday cleanse. Tomorrow we begin mono mealing water rich fruits until digestion is back to normal. Never break your feasts or fasts with heavy cooked foods! Start with orange juice with all the pulp retained, and move on to mono meals of mangoes, grapes, and other water rich fruits. After digestion resumes normally, add back in the bananas and dates! Instead of eating my greens, I am going to continue juicing them in the evening indefinitely. I am able to get in an insane amount of greens, and I like to eat several ounces and sometimes even a pound of them daily. With a green juice, I can be sure to get all the minerals and amino acids I need, even on the days when a green smoothie or a salad doesn't happen for me.

Next week I've got plans to visit The Green Boheme here in Sacramento to finally add some overt fats back into my diet. Interestingly enough, my nutritional scores on Cron-O-Meter showed I got plenty of essential fatty acids from my juice feast. Don't forget that fruits and vegetables contain trace amounts of fat, so it wasn't a fat free challenge, it was an overt-free challenge. I'm looking forward to having a nice raw gourmet dish with some soaked nuts and seeds!

Let's talk about what's changed for me since the beginning of the feast. At the top of my list of improvements is my teeth. I had a tooth that was really starting to hurt, and it gave me trouble on a daily basis. I'm very happy to report that I have felt no pain from the area since the second day of my juice feast, despite consuming plenty of fresh squeezed fruit juices. I've also noticeably lost inches all over my body, especially in my midsection. I've slept very well, and I feel...remineralized. I don't feel as intense of a pull towards greens and vegetables, and while I'm not sick of them by any means, I don't crave them nearly as much. I feel as though I've gotten a good dose of healing overall, and I know I've detoxed plenty. However, I can feel my true appetite breaking through the fog of emotional and habitual hunger, and it's time to start adding whole fruits and vegetables back in. My interest in holiday foods and even cooked vegan foods has diminished drastically. I just want to chew on some romaine, eat some raw tomatoes, and I'm really excited to eventually start eating off of my big bulk order of local organic Bautista dates I've got in the refrigerator.

Also, remember that big pile of unripe bananas? Check this out:

They're waiting for me!

Juice Feast: Days 5 and 6!

2011-12-23T09:53:00.000-08:00

I'm sipping on an apple-cucumber-celery-ginger juice as I'm writing this. Day 5 was not so fun. I'm having a hard time letting myself rest, and I keep getting frustrated with how little I'm accomplishing. I'm supposed to be letting my body heal, but the urge to "get stuff done" is strong. I completed about 35 minutes of weight training yesterday, which was fun, but my moods are a little erratic and the weird fuzziness in my mouth is now full fledged ick, and tastes bad. Brushing definitely helps.

Today was much better. I woke up feeling weird in my midsection, and I rubbed my stomach and found that any and all bloating and irritation in my digestive system is gone, and my stomach was MEGA flat. What a nice way to start the day. My clothes fit so much better. I don't have a huge amount of weight to lose like some people who do juice feasts, but I'm seeing a lot of water retention disappear rapidly, as well as any candida-caused tummy puffiness. I'm not using a scale for this feast because I'm not here to lose weight, I'm here to detoxify my body, but the good news is that excess weight is just a symptom that can usually be easily cleared up by detoxification. So, it's a win-win.

I spent 4 hours today grocery shopping for myself and my family, and not once did I feel pangs of hunger. I shop at a lot of discount markets where they sell some of the most horrific poison ever deemed safe for consumption, so it's always being shoved in my face at every endcap, but willpower is ALWAYS stronger when the body is filled with mineral-rich foods. That's why I always recommend green smoothie to all my clients, even the ones who aren't interested in raw foods. I drank 36 ounces of orange juice before I left, and made myself another juice when I got home. There's always Jamba Juice if I get stuck somewhere. They can make orange and carrot juice, as well as wheatgrass shots, although I'm already over halfway finished with my feast, so I don't really have to worry about it much longer. I'm really happy with how things are moving along, and I'm so happy that I decided to do this.

Juice Feast: Days 3 and 4 with Pics!

2011-12-20T09:55:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how fast the time is passing! Today is day 5, and there's only 5 more days until Christmas!

Day 3 was by far the best day yet. I was at a holiday cookie party all afternoon, which normally would have been a nightmare, but I brought two huge jars full of mineral-rich juice and kept my tummy full the entire time. It's amazing how satiating the juice is, and my body seems to really like it!

Day 4 is where things started to shift for me. Yesterday I had a burst of energy in the morning, followed by a general tiredness that washed over me in the afternoon. By evening, I was pretty listless, and tried watching a movie, but it wasn't as good as I'd thought it would be (The Change Up) and it ended up making my mood worse. I gave myself a short Reiki session after everyone had gone to bed, and that helped my mood a lot, and I slept through the night for the first time in a long time.

I've got an icky taste in my mouth and a fuzziness on my tongue that won't go away. Completely normal, but still slightly unpleasant. I'm also experiencing a resurfacing of various memories that, while not forgotten, aren't ones I think about commonly, and these memories are accompanied by strong surges of emotion that run the gamut between joy and sorrow. I let these come, and acknowledge them. Detoxification happens on all levels, and I'm happy that I've done this before, because I'm better equipped to deal with a wide variety of possibilities.

Today is day 5, and even though I slept well and my body feels awake, I still feel listless, and I don't really want to do anything. I made scrambled tofu for my kids as a treat, and it wasn't the least bit appetizing, so if you're worried about your willpower on a juice feast, I'm happy to report that both times I've juice feasted I was amazed at just how awful cooked food starts to smell and look after a few days. Though, I sometimes sit and think about all the fruit I'm going to tear through when I'm back in the land of the eating. I'm planning on having a juice for breakfast on Christmas, a green smoothie for lunch, and either a juice or another green smoothie for dinner, and starting mono mealing fruit the day after. I was planning on ordering a take out meal from The Green Boheme, but I think that even raw gourmet would definitely be too much for my stomach after 10 days of juice only. However, I have BIG PLANS to hit them up the week after Christmas and have a nice dinner!

I haven't been exercising since I started the juice feast, and I'm feeling like it's time I should. I miss it, and my body is asking for it, so since I'm taking in plenty of calories I'll indulge in some seriously fun rebounding this morning! Rebounding is one of the best exercises you can do, especially during a cleanse, because the motion encourages detoxification all the way down to the cellular level.

How about some pictures? This was one of my first meals: a bag of organic baby carrots I snagged for 60 cents, a large cucumber, a couple cups of grapes, and an entire bag of romaine lettuce. Romaine tastes very romaine-y, just so you know.

This is breakfast on day 3: 5 apples, a large cucumber, 1 head of celery, and half a bunch of kale.

Today I'm going to try and get something done. I played about 5 hours of Skyrim yesterday and defeated The Wolf Queen, so here's hoping I can achieve something similar in the real world today :)

Juice Feast: Days 1 and 2 + Menu!

2011-12-17T14:25:00.000-08:00

Right now, it's early afternoon on day two, and I'm sipping on this:

That is a juice made from green grapes, celery, cucumbers, and several ounces of local cilantro I got at the farmer's market this morning. It was SO GREEN I had to take a picture of it! Making juice has actually been pretty simple. It's not as much of a chore to juice with the Vitamix and a strainer bag, since I only have to wash the bag and the pitcher when I'm done, and I don't need to break down a whole juicer several times a day. However, after this morning's juice, I'm going to use my citrus juicer for my oranges from now on. Orange pulp doesn't work very well with the juicing bag.

I'm feeling better today, but yesterday was not so great. I usually have either a green juice or an orange juice for breakfast, so my body didn't get the whole "juice feasting" memo until halfway through the day, and by evening, I was feeling fuzzy around the edges and I was tired a lot earlier than normal. Went to bed at 9:30 and slept until 7:30 this morning. I went out to the farmer's market and got 3 huge bunches of cilantro about the size of my five year old's head, a big bunch of kale, a big bunch of yellow chard, 3 heads of celery, 6 pounds of carrots, and 20 pounds of oranges. Add to that my stash of cucumbers and apples at home, and I should be good for another few days.

This really isn't that hard. With some other fasts and cleanses, hunger is a big stumbling block, but I feel so full of juice all the time that I'm not craving anything else. My Cron O Meter nutrient scores are unbelievable. I get more nutrition by lunchtime than I was getting in a whole day before, and I was getting some pretty high scores even then.My high mineral intake is knocking cravings right out of the park.

Here's what I ate yesterday:
3 large cucumbers
10 apples
1 fennel bulb
2 cups green grapes
2 pounds carrots
2 small romaine heads
5 ounces baby spinach
4 stalks celery

I'm eating three meals a day, and each meal is roughly 500 calories worth of produce, so there's no chance I'm even close to starving myself. In fact I actually went a little bit over Cron O Meter's caloric intake recommendation yesterday. Win.

For those of you interesting in planning out a full cleansing schedule, here's mine. It might change over time as my needs change, but my overall framework goes something like this:

Wake up: Big glass of water with black walnut hull tincture (parasites)

1 hour later: Psyllium husk powder and Bentonite clay shake (colon cleanse)

10 am: 1 + quarts of juice

In between meals: herbal infusion made with herbs to support blood, lymph, kidney and liver cleansing

2 pm: 1 + quarts of juice

In between: more herbal tea

6 pm: 1 + quarts of juice

Before bed: 2 ounces of Aloe juice in water

I'm also drinking purified water throughout the day. It might seem like overdoing it, but it's actually very important to keep drinking plenty of water even though everything I'm eating has been juiced.

With day 2 halfway over, I'm feeling pretty confident about my ability to continue until Christmas Day. However, if I remember correctly, it wasn't until day 4 or 5 before I started to get into some deep cell detox, so I'm going to enjoy this easy going feeling while it lasts and get some more holiday presents put together.

Starting A New Juice Feast!

2011-12-15T09:40:00.000-08:00

Let's be honest- sometimes, in the winter, if you're not careful, you can end up a with a lot of unripe fruit and a dwindling supply of ripe ones to eat NOW. From December to about March, bananas take forever to get nice and spotty, and popular winter fruits like oranges and persimmons can sit for weeks before ready for consumption. Right now, I'm dealing with this:

A whole pile of bananas that won't be ripe for several days. What happens when the happy frugivore doesn't have perfectly ripened fruit? In this case, I take it as an opportunity to let my body do a little house cleaning, and get ready for the green juice paradise that is a Juice Feast!

Well, it's been so long that I think my first juice feast was one of my very first series on this blog! I believe it happened in September 2009, but it might have been 2010. It's been too long is the point! So, since cucumbers are on sale this week at 4 for $1.00, I've decided to start on a juice feast tomorrow that will take me all the way to Christmas Day.

I'm sure most of you have already read about or even tried a juice FEAST, but for anyone out of the loop, it's a way to completely detoxify and re-energize your body without fasting or giving up all of your daily activities, like one would have to do on a water fast. Since I'm going to be using my Vitamix and strainer bag to make awesome veggie, leafy green, and fruit juices three times a day at a minimum of 500 calories each, I'm going to be getting plenty of calories so I can keep up with my life and still get all the benefits of fasting. Hence, juice feasting!

If you've never done one, you just can't imagine the wonderful, tingly feeling of getting such a huge dose of chlorophyll (sunlight!), vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, amino acids, EFAs, and everything else your body needs in one sip. Instead of making your digestive system work for those precious nutrients, let's give that hard working system a well deserved break. By juicing all of your food and doing all the digestive work before even swallowing your meals, your body is given the gift of time, and your body, as smart as the rest of nature, knows just what to do with this free time: clean out all the years of backed up junk you shoved into it.

Juice feasts can last a week, a day, or up to three months. There's no fear of starvation because in a juice feast you consume plenty of calories and get far more nutrients than you ever would by chewing your food.

So, what happens to all those pesticides, herbicides, sprays, chemtrail residues, food additives, dyes, makeup chemicals, air freshener hormone disruptors, and the like, all of which is trapped inside your body? During a juice feast, they are unearthed from your body and given the old heave-ho, and they come out whichever way is easier for your body at the time. Toxins can come out through your sweat, your eliminations, urine, mucous...and since the colon is an important area of elimination, it needs special attention on a juice feast. Most juice feast consultants will advise a series of enemas or colonic irrigation appointments, and that is a very efficient method. However, for short juice feasts or for those who just don't have the cash for a series of holistic treatments but still want to detoxify, you can substitute with an at home colon cleanse. Many companies make them, and my favorite, as always, is Dr. Natura's Colonix and Toxinout programs. These kits provide everything you'll need for a whole month!

This is just the juice feast introductory post! Over the next week and a half, I'll be sharing with you my daily juice feasting schedule, my personally designed program (based on my own individual needs, so no copying!), additional things I may be taking, and the good (and bad) juice recipes I come up with. If you want to see what happens and start planning for your own juicing journey, don't forget to subscribe and follow on Facebook and Twitter!

Fresh Raw Green Juice- Minus the Juicer!

2011-12-10T16:39:00.000-08:00

Who says you need a super expensive high powered juicer to enjoy the amazing simplicity of fresh veggie juice? I certainly don't, and since I'm all about saving as much money as possible, I use my blender! You'll need a high powered blender, one that can purify raw vegetables and fruits such as the Vitamix, which is what I have, but there are other options. My Vitamix is by far the most useful machine I've ever purchased, as well as the hardiest. I've been putting it through misery on a daily basis, sometimes twice a day, and it's never disappointed me yet!

You'll also need a good strainer bag made for raw foodists, such as a juice feast bag or a large nut mylk bag. I use this one, and at only 6 bucks, it's been a great investment.

This gorgeous green juice was made in a blender, not a juicer, and contains carrots, parsley, celery, romaine, and ginger root. I simply threw everything in the blender, crammed it down towards the blades with the tamper until it was completely liquified, and strained it through the bag. The whole process takes maybe ten to fifteen minutes, and the best is that I only have to clean a blender! As a former juicer owner, I know it's a big hassle to clean all the parts of the machine.

With dark, leafy greens being in season, why not do a weekend juice feast? With your blender and your strainer and a host of fruits and veggies, there's nothing stopping you from getting a huge dose of raw, vital phytonutrients! Even adding in a vegetable and leafy green juice a couple times a week is going to make a huge difference in your skin, hair, nails, energy levels, and your overall health and well being. Instead of settling for chewing on salad all day, why not run them through the juice bag and drink it down in a matter of seconds? There's no way you could chew your greens well enough to extract the amount of nutrients you can get by juicing, and trying will have you gnawing on greens for hours a day. Save your time, skip the salad, and double the amount of greens you would have eaten in the first place.

Raw Food Shopping on a Tight Budget/Giveaway News!

2011-12-08T10:29:00.000-08:00

Part Three of Raw Food Shopping on a Tight Budget! Scroll down for new GIVEAWAY news and a chance to choose the next prize!

Another installment on shopping for a simple raw food diet is here on the CHEAP is here! Here's a nice pic of my spoils :)

This is an absolute WIN as far as shopping at major grocery stores. See those green stickers? Produce MARKDOWNS! The largest size of Earthbound Farms organic greens retails between $5.00 - $6.00 in my area, and this one has been marked down to $2.99. It has to be eaten within the week, but that's the beauty of shopping this way for the raw food lifestyle: we need ripe raw produce NOW, and the grocery stores mark down ripe, raw produce that need to be eaten NOW. It's a win-win.

Next to the greens is a small container of sweet tomatoes marked down to $1.49 and a set of four organic yellow sweet bell peppers (a FRUIT!) for $1.99. And behind those is my favorite bargain- five bags of ripe, ready to eat bananas for only 99 cents a bag. At prices like these, eating a whole foods diet is actually cheaper than buying processed food. Each of those bags has about 10-12 bananas apiece, and many times they are all organic.

All in all, I paid about $11.50 for this pile of produce. Add on my $12.00 twenty five pound bag of oranges I buy that lasts me a week, we're looking at almost $24.00. I'll probably add about ten more dollars over the week in 99 cent bags of spinach, celery, and eating off of my backup dates I buy in bulk from my local California date farm, and I'm looking at roughly $35.00 a week. With a dietary foundation like this, I always have some money left over to splurge on a couple of mangoes or a bag of grapes, whatever happens to be on sale in my area. I also like to grab apples now that they've gone down in price.

The point is, I've successfully found a way to drive down the cost of fresh raw foods so much that it would ridiculous NOT to eat this way. I'm eating so many whole foods nutrients that I can cut way back on the amount of supplements I take, which saves me even more money!

In the next raw food shopping post, I'm going to delight your eyes with yet another picture of fruit, this time, the gorgeous Persimmon, and also share with you a way to go grocery shopping without setting foot in a store or even paying a dime!

Giveaway Update!

Don't forget to subscribe here on Google connect on the right hand side of the page, as well as on Facebook and Twitter, because I'm gearing up for another natural health giveaway! I've got three choices, and I want to know what YOU want to win! In you comments, let me know if you'd like a chance at winning a current popular health and wellness book, a popular supplement, or a handcrafted natural herbal healing product. The next giveaway is up to you! You can also let me know on Twitter or Facebook!

For my Fruity Friends...Raw Vegan / Fruitarian Jewelry!

2011-12-05T08:55:00.000-08:00

Oh, wow, I had a GREAT fruit haul this week and I took pictures! There's nothing sweeter than saving a ton of money on natural, whole, raw, ripe fruits and vegetables! I'll share those with you soon, but I just wanted to share this brand new vision with you all.

As you have probably gleaned from my haphazard postings, I really, really like fruit. So much so that I've been creating jewelry for the last few months inspired by my love for fruits. It's true, I've been making jewelry since high school, but only recently has my beading taken a slightly...fruity turn. My second Etsy store is the new home for my pieces, which I am now locally known for. Nothing can quite grab the eye like a brightly colored bracelet filled with adorable little fruits, and I get loads of compliments on my trademark citrus earrings! Instead of hogging all the fruit beads for myself, I thought I would make a few pieces inspired by the ones I've been sporting around town and share them with other fruitarians, frugivores, raw foodies, and other people who just love fruit THAT MUCH!

I hope you're all having a bright, fruity day! I woke up this morning to find FROST on my windshield! I've got to get out there and dig up those roots before the cold sets in! I've got my eye on a bramble of overgrown blackberry vines just waiting to be harvested for some wildcrafted Blackberry Root extract. See you soon with more adventures in living the holistic life for cheap!

Heal Yourself with WILD plants!

2011-11-29T11:03:00.000-08:00

There's a certain kind of magic in using wildcrafted herbs in teas, tinctures and salves, and it's not all a romanticized ideal. Wild plants aren't coddled like their cultivated counterparts, growing under optimal conditions on farms. No, the wild herb must fight to survive, digging her roots deep into the earth to draw up nutrients that tender plants growing under the care of humans just aren't motivated to do. They struggle for sunlight and water, growing hardier, and all that angst and turmoil makes for nutritious food and an amazing medicine!

The very best thing about wildcrafting plants is that it's something that can be done anywhere in the world. Virtually everyone reading this article has an abundant source of vitamins, minerals, and free medicine available to them, and best of all, you're likely one of the only people in your neighborhood interested enough to take advantage of this sustainable resource. I've yet to come across any like-minded foragers in my travels. The important thing to remember is that like endangered animals, there are many plants out there that are in serious danger of being overharvested to the point of extinction. Popular herbs like Echinacea and Goldenseal should be left alone if discovered in the wild and allowed to spread.

Our interest in this post lies with wild common plants, usually known as weeds or pests to gardeners busying themselves with appearances. To you and I, living in line with nature, many of these weeds are truly miraculous healers and nurturers.

It's so easy to find a dandelion, isn't it? I grew up making wishes on the puffy, seeded globes by blowing them into the wind, not even knowing I was helping to propagate one of the best sustainable sources of food and medicine in my area. Despite our childhood efforts, American livers are in a poor state, and yet a major resource for healing is -and has always been- beneath our feet. Dandelion root is a powerful liver tonic, safe and non-toxic, perfect for everyday use. The leaves of the Dandelion plant are sold at health food shops alongside bundles of Kale and Collard Greens, and are a rich source of minerals, including iron, calcium, and also contains over 400% of your daily intake of Vitamin K in just 1 cup of raw greens! Don't throw out those Dandelion plants when you rip them up from your front lawn! Blend the greens in your daily green smoothie (and throw in a few dates, because they are bitter!), and make a fresh decoction of the root or collect enough and make a simple folk tincture. Dandelion tincture is a wonderful way to support your body and is quite safe and extremely beneficial taken daily.

Remember that your city might and probably does spray pesticides along public walkways. In addition, herbs collected too near the side of the road may be poisoned with smog. Try your luck in large unkempt fields, your own backyard, a friend's parent's unmoved lawn, or natural parks with wooded area where chemicals aren't allowed. Generally, if the weeds are left alone to grow to a large enough size for collecting and are abundant, it is probably not sprayed. WASH your findings! Wildcrafting food should always be practiced sustainably, and never take more than a third of the plant life in any area. Leave tiny plants alone, and collect larger growth that is strong enough to grow back. Many weeds even thrive off being harvested and can grow back twice as strong and double in size!

Here is a simple yet powerful salve that I have created using only WILD, locally harvested Plantain!
Combining simple, local healing herbs with oils and butters can yield strong and effective salves that will outperform store bought toxin filled creams. You just have to look at the world in a way that you might never have before :)

*Remember to discuss your herbal supplements with your herbalist or natural health practitioner.

Thanksgiving- Turkey? or Tree Ripened Fruit?

2011-11-17T21:36:00.000-08:00

Here in America we have an interesting holiday called Thanksgiving, which I feel illustrates our attitude towards food and appetite quite nicely. On Thanksgiving, we starve ourselves all morning in anticipation for the yearly feast, usually ready between 1 and 4pm, and then we eat until we can't eat any more, capping off the day by dozing off in front of the television. Ironically, that last bit usually occurs while viewing a sports game, dazedly staring at muscular, fit athletes working up a sweat on the field. But we don't just stuff ourselves, we concentrate our efforts by eating the absolute worst foods available- bird flesh dripping with it's own bubbling fat stores (hello, carcinogens), soggy stovetop bread, canned gelatinous cranberry sauce, and if you're lucky, a few poor green beans and sweet potatoes that have been boiled down and baked until there's hardly any nutrition left to them. Ah....America.

In recent years I've enjoyed a nice Tofurkey or Quorn roast in the midst of our large traditional Thanksgiving, and every year it's met with the same upturned noses and reluctant taste tests from family and friends. Hey, I think they taste pretty good, but I used to think that about the yearly Thankgiving binge-fest, as well. Why do we continually perpetuate disordered eating? I understand that throughout history we've celebrated a harvest or a time of bounty by eating plenty when we could, but those days are long gone here in America, and trust me when I tell you that this is the LAST COUNTRY ON EARTH that needs a holiday centered around food. Food is available. There are no more nationwide food shortages at the moment. The highest percentage of Americans have never harvested a thing in their lives.

My Mom always says "Everything in moderation" in defense of the Thanksgiving menu, but I've recently come across an interesting quote that has me thinking twice about this tired old adage:

"Moderation? It's mediocrity, fear, and confusion in disguise. It's the devil's dilemma. It's neither doing nor not doing. It's the wobbling compromise that makes no one happy. Moderation is for the bland, the apologetic, for the fence-sitters of the world afraid to take a stand. It's for those afraid to laugh or cry, for those afraid to live or die."
~ Dan Millman

And of course, I can't forget the simply fabulous Oscar Wilde, who thought similarly:

“Everything in moderation, including moderation.”

I don't think that unhealthy food in moderation is sensible. Moderation has become an easy way out, a cultural excuse to have that extra brownie when no one is looking. Is gorging once a year on fatty, boiled, dead foods any different than a once a year drinking binge? Poison is poison- end of story. Many people justify a weekly treat like an ice cream or a doughnut as a reward, and this behavior is not only popular, it is promoted by health authorities! But who could justify a weekly cigarette? And why draw the line there?

So, throw caution to the wind and eat your fill of all the natural foods you care for. Go ahead- have that extra banana! It's Thanksgiving, and you've been good all year. Get another plateful of pineapple. You deserve it. Don't compromise your beliefs for the sake of "moderation". Go big, or go home.

P&B Shakes- Winter Full Body Cleanse!

2011-11-14T21:23:00.000-08:00

It's time to take a break from all the insanity and non-stop action of the Spring and Summer! It's true- humans need their "hibernation" time just like many other animals in their natural habitat, and just because we've put walls between ourselves and nature doesn't mean it isn't still inside of us. Now that the sunlight is slipping away, we can turn in earlier and turn within, as well.

Autumn and Winter are all about shedding our unwanted and unnecessary baggage. Watch the trees learn to let go of their leaves and consider letting go of toxic accumulation. The colder months are the perfect time to do a full body cleanse! The weather keeps most of us indoors, and our energy levels just aren't at their peak like they are in the hot summer months, so take advantage of the abundance of lazy energy. Right now I'm doing a long term cleanse with Psyllium Husks, Bentonite Clay, and my own Detoxification Tincture. Commonly known as P&B shakes, these generally consist of 1 teaspoon powdered Psyllium Husks (or 1 tablespoon unground husks) and about 1-2 tablespoons of liquid Bentonite Clay shaken well in 1 cup of water and then followed by another glass of pure water. It's so vital for you to drink plenty of water, especially during a cleanse, and with a P&B cleanse, 2 liters a day might not be enough for some people.

Here's my schedule, for those of you who like to put your own cleanses together. I'd recommend this if you've got the training, if not, then you're a perfect candidate for the Dr. Natura Colonix and Toxinout package, the ONLY cleanse that I pay money for.

Wake up: Cleansing tinctures or herbal infusions, parasite blends if needed.

1/2 hour later: P&B shake. You want to leave some time for the herbs to be absorbed, because the clay will stop them (and any other supplement) from working effectively. The clay and the Psyllium expand in water and will absorb anything in their path, including your expensive pills! Don't bother taking medications with these shakes, either. You'll have to wait about 2 hours after the shake, so definitely take anything you need beforehand.

Late morning and Afternoon: Another dose of herbs, along with some strong probiotics at least once.

Evening: 2-4 ounces of Aloe Vera juice just before bed. I've only recently begun adding this to my cleanses. It replaces senna or other laxatives one might find in a cleanse, and also helps to soothe the digestive tract and heal any irritation. This can be especially helpful if you're combating Candida, as the roots may have caused inflammation and possible damage to the intestines, like Leaky Gut Syndrome.

I'm to the point where I've done this so many times I'm pretty much winging it with whatever I happen to have at the moment. If you know what you're doing, I've found that creating a cleanse with simple ingredients, like clay and Aloe, can be just as effective as many off the shelf kits.

Have you ever used a natural cleansing kit? Which one did you try, and how were the results?

Fresh Raw Juice Groupon for Sacramento/Folsom!

2011-11-12T09:07:00.000-08:00

Check out this deal for fruit and veggie lovers in the Sacramento area! For just $10.00, you get a punch card for four 20-ounce fresh-squeezed juice blends (a $25 value)!

If you wanna double up on that, you can buy a punch card for 8 drinks for $22.00, as well. I've never been to Juice It Up!, but I'm definitely getting this Groupon to give them a try, especially since I spend so much time in Orangevale, just on the other side of the fence from Folsom. Freshly made fruit and veggie juices are insanely expensive, so take advantage of this Groupon to stay raw on the road!

Final Chance To Enter The Herbal Giveaway!

2011-10-31T13:46:00.000-07:00

Here's the post if you missed it- a Morning Star Apothecary pure and natural health a beauty set! Today is the last day to enter, so check out the post and leave your comments! Winner will be chosen tonight and notified tomorrow!

Part 2- Raw food shopping on a TIGHT budget!

2011-10-29T15:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I got a great haul at the farmer's market this morning, so I've got a few more pics and ideas on saving a ton of money while eating a nutrient dense diet.

Oranges are a great source of both minerals and vitamins, as well as calories for energy. I get these delicious local Valencias weekly, and I pay just $12.00 for 25 pounds! These bags will soon switch from Valencia to Navel, but all oranges are a steady source of nutrients through the winter in a lot of different areas. They make a great staple, so check your local growers for a good deal. My local grocery stores do NOT sell these at a reasonable price. They are usually at least $1.00 a pound, while I pay only half that for tree ripened local oranges that taste like agave nectar when juiced and don't have that strong tart aftertaste.

Tip #2: Farmer's Markets DO have better fruit for cheap! My market, which is TINY compared to some in larger cities, has a fruit stand that sells discount fruit bags. They bag up fruit that is ripe or ugly with small imperfections but otherwise totally delicious, and sell them for $3.00 for a 6 pound bag. That is an AMAZING savings! I got 6 pounds of white peaches and 6 pounds of pluots for $6.00 TOTAL.

I also frequently buy my persimmons this way. I get tons of them from a family member, but if you'll remember, I am cray cray for persimmons and eat them as much as possible during their depressingly short season. Oftentimes the super soft, ready to eat Fuyus don't sell well, and one stand in particular will start selling those in discount bags.

So, it's not just grocery stores that sometimes sell their ripe fruit at a steep discount, but local farmer's, as well. Like I said in part one, this is what I've found in my area, although no one advertises these sorts of deals. You'll have to get out there and look, ask around, and sometimes just get lucky. But once you build your reliable sources, you'll be swimming in food AND have plenty of money left over for a fun trip to a local raw food restaurant, which I had the pleasure of doing last week. Look forward to more cheap raw food deals, a visit to The Green Boheme in Sacramento, and the announcement of the winner of the Morning Star Apothecary 100th post giveaway! If you want to enter there's still time!