Travelling Raw - A Family's adventure with Raw Food!

The Organic Mum

2012-05-05T09:40:00.001+10:00

Hi Everyone!

I'm no longer blogging on Travelling Raw as I decided I wanted to talk about more than just RAW food!
Having Isabelle has opened up a whole new world including attachment parenting, co-sleeping, baby wearing, and so much more! But I will keep blogging about Raw food and all delicious food we eat and discover!

So keep in touch with us here at the Organic Mum!

Lots of love Sarah, Hamish and Isabelle xx

What and when do you feed your baby? Part 1/2

2012-03-17T16:45:00.000+11:00

Isabelle enjoying her food!

Isabelle has been exclusively breast feed for 5 and half months and has always been on the 95 percentile for her weight and height.. I hope and plan to continue breastfeeding Isabelle for at least 18 months, and I feel that breast milk contains such important antibodies for our growing children, its natures miracle juice!

At 5 and half months Isabelle had started all the tell tale signs of wanting to try food, as a larger baby I thought that her natural instincts of wanting to give some food a go my sign for letting her. BUT....

What do I feed Isabelle as her first foods?

Do I need to cook her foods?
Can i just give her raw vegies?
Where do I get the information from?
Who do I believe?

These were just some of the questions I had as a first time mum, but there were so many more.. so I went about doing a lot of research and have found and read many books, researched on the internet asked other mummas about the topic of which foods first and why?

What I plan to share with you is the information I found. I don't intend to offer any nutritional advice or even assume that what I am doing is right!

These are the books and websites I have consulted with and I would recommend mums to have a look at. I will add to the list as I read more;

Well Adjusted Babies
Rainbow Green Live Food Cuisine by Dr Gabriel Cousens
Baby Greens by Michaela Lynn
Creating Healthy Children by Karen Ranzi
Evie’s Kitchen by Shazzie
wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com

What I have found in did find in my research was A LOT of conflicting information on when and what foods to introduce at certain ages. In my travels of researching this information I would higly recommend Well Adjusted Babies. This book is one of the most balanced books I have found on raising healthy children. It covers the topics of which foods and why? The importance of calcium, iron but not in the conventional sense, Dr Jennifer Barham-Floreani makes aware that cows milk is not the answer and infact leafy greens provide far more nutrients that our main stream conventional foods would like you to think they do! She talks about Immunisation, pregnany and it goes on!

The next book I would recommend is Creating healthy Children - Another fantastic book which looks at attachment parenting, the importance of raw food in our children's diet and so much more!

And then there is Baby Led Weaning, Do I do that or do I offer pureed foods. Personally we will do both.

But back to the topic :) ... So with all this conflicting information I decided to put together a chart that lists three authors time lines of the introduction of food into a char (I have omitted their names - If you would like this information please contact me personally and I will let you know who they are) by looking at this chart you can see there are a lot of different stages that they say to introduce foods. I will update a spreadsheet in the next week or so which highlights the foods we have decided to introduce to Isabelle and when and why!

So why is there so much conflicting information out there? How are we as first time mums supposed to filter through all of this information and know what is right.

As you can see in the below charts some people recommend foods at different stages! Some experts say to introduce cauliflower and Broccoli at 7 months others at a later stage. Some say Carrots at 4 months others say 9 months.

It wasn't until I put all the information ( and there are more experts out there but I chose three that I actually like) that I could see how confusing this all can be!

Download chart by clicking here

Why is there so much conflicting information out there?
This I don't have the information for. But what I do have is motherly instinct on what is right for my child.. this is one of the main reasons why I put together a food chart which allowed me to see all the conflicting information and also the correlations.

When did I introduce Solids to Isabelle?
We decided to introduce solids to Issy when she was looking at food and asking for it. For Isabelle this was just before six months. Isabelle is a big baby and her cues were saying to me mum id like some of that! She lets us know when she is not hungry, I strongly believe that breast milk is the most important meal of all. And she is breastfeed before all meals to ensure that she is getting the essential nutrients first.

Which Foods do we introduce first?
We decided to introduce banana and avocado as her first foods. Why? These are natural encased pureed foods perfect for little bubbas.

Do I steam her foods or just blend her foods.. Surely blending foods is ok?
I found out that steaming foods is not the same as blending, steaming babies foods breaks down the cellulose structure of food is to hard for a babies system to digest. You could say here is your answer as to why not to introduce babies food at all if you look at it from a RAW perspective and some mothers may not. But this is what we decided to do.

Why don't we just do baby lead weaning?
For us we do a little bit of both. I found that as Isabelle is a bigger baby wanting more food and really asking for it we found that giving her some pureed food and in conjunction with Baby Led weaning was right for us. For more information on Baby Lead Weaning this is great website http://www.babyledweaning.com/

So when do we plan to introduce Raw foods to Isabelle?
We will probably do a blend of both with Isabelle... being high raw and also warming her foods.

Along with Baby Lead weaning we believe in the Ayrvadic method for raising children. That means that for the first two years of a babies life we will warm Isabelle's food, in conjunction with Baby lead weaning we will also offer raw fruit.

Babies and children have a unique constitutional type. According to the Ayurvedic theory of doshas everything in the universe is comprised of different proportions of space, air, fire, water and earth.

Babies tend to dislike the cold or being exposed to windy conditions. On the whole they have low, delicate appetites and love sweet, warm food. Gabriel Cousens talks about this in his book Rainbow Green Live Food see link here

Hopefully some of this information may be useful for you? And if you have any information on raising healthy children we would love to hear from you!

Isabelle is now 6 months and she has had her first taste of a Green Smoothie and I will continue to keep this up. We do intend to raise her as a Vegan at the moment, as she continues to grow this might change to vegetarian but her diet will contain a very high percentage and on most occasions Raw Food.

If you know of any authors who have some great information out there! please let us know we can share this information on our face book page! In out world its all about learning and sharing the information we find!

In my next post on this topic part 2 - I will explain a little further why certain foods are introduced at certain ages, and I will also put up a spreadsheet showing you which foods we plan to introduce and when.

Sarah :) and Issy!

Raw Tips when Travelling

2012-03-08T14:06:00.000+11:00

I thought I would share a few of the lessons we have learnt since traveling and trying to maintain a raw diet. I know a lot of people ask us how do you do it? Isnt it hard work? What about when your travelling, how do you maintain your raw diet!

Well the answer to be honest is to be organised and flexible and where you can make the best choice you can!

Isabelle All rugged up while we were camping!

Travelling to NZ saw some new challenges for us as didnt have our trusty Harry the Hiace Van we couldnt pack what we wanted into the Van and off we would go! Instead we had to find local produce, and sometimes not Organic. As we see it its not the end of the world:) Isabelle had also just started solids and I certainly didnt have the equipment to make her food from scratch so we compromised with Organic packaged baby food, and tried to feed her food which comes in its own natural wrapper, like Banana's, advocado, natures own baby food!

Some of the tips I have though are.

Make your meal before you get on the plane and take it with you! We made a big salad and packed it on the plane! Even international flights will allow you to take food on the plane you just cant take it through customs. So just make sure you eat all the fresh food up before you go through customs!
When you land ask the locals for the closest health food store or organic food store! We found a great wholefood store in New Zealand and we bought up big! We purchased all our nuts, herbs, seeds, seaweed, sprulina at the one store. This meant we had everything in a big box and didnt need to keep finding health stores every few days! It lasted the whole three weeks while we were there!
Find an OP Shop! When we landed we headed straight to an op shop and bought a big salad bowl, some knives and forks some cups etc.. Its cheap its recylcing and when we left we took them straight back to the Op Shop!
Try and purchase your produce from stalls on the side of the road. New Zealand was littered with road side fruit and vegetable stalls! often not organic but if you can get organic its the best option.
Be Flexible! We were often asked out for lunch and sometimes there is just not the option to eat Raw food. Our attitude is to enjoy what has been offered (we always try and eat Vegan and then Vegetarian) if its not Raw the Raw police are not going to come knocking at your door! I feel its more healthy to enjoy the company your in, and know that you will eat another raw meal the next meal.
If traveling with a baby make sure you take your baby backpack (we use the Ergo Baby Carrier) on board with on the plane! You often don't know how long it will take to get through customs! Landing back in Australia I had never seen such a cue before to get through customs! It took us three hours. And I was so thankfull that we had carried out Ergo Baby Carrier on with us! Isabelle was none the wise and our arms thanked us. It also meant she could sleep as all we had to do was pull the little head flap over and all the stimulus of all those people was shut out. I cant imagine how tired Isabelle would have been if she was in our arms and couldnt sleep!
Co - Sleeping Hamish and I don't practice Co-Sleeping with Isabelle when at home and we also have a Porta Cot for traveling with. However what you plan is not always the case. We found that as we were away from our home Isabelle wanted to be even closer to us! So more often than not Isabelle was in bed with us for the night. We actually went away with some family for the weekend and even our nephew was up in the middle of the night and hoped into bed with mum. Kids whatever age love to feel secure with their parents when in a strange place! Especially babies. Although I personally dont get much sleep when Isabelle is in bed with us I certainly got the best cuddles and snuggles and enjoyed it thoroughly! Now we are back home she is loving sleeping in her bed!

New Zealand Raw Adventures

2012-03-01T14:59:00.002+11:00

So we are back from New Zealand and had the most amazing time! Such a beautiful country with rolling hills and such breath taking untouched paradise!

Our New Zealand Adventures

Our trip started with Isabelle's First plane trip! I will post some tips when travelling with a baby in another blog, But it was only a short flight from Australia 3 hours so a few little sleeps for her and we were fine! We started in Auckland, not knowing where we could get organic produce on our arrival, we compromised (we often buy conventional on our arrival at places if we cant get our hands on Organic food straight away!) From Auckland we made our way up to Lake Taupo where we were to meet Hamish's family for a few days of camping, we also found our Organic Food supply, and an Op shop for a few plates, some knives and forks and a big salad bowl.

Now having never been camping with Isabelle before it was pretty interesting! At night we would put her to sleep in the pram and then move her to the porta cot. This worked a treat until she woke up and wouldnt settle in her porta cot, she just wanted to snuggle with her mum! Can you blame the little one! She was in such new surroundings that a mums cuddle was all she needed. So for the most of our trip she actually co-sleeped with us. I will write more on that in another post!

View from our house In Mahia (about an hour south of Gisborne in the North Island of New Zealand!)

For our dinners we often keep it very simple when Travelling, a simple Salad made from local ingredients is the easiest way to eat when travelling. Corn was in season and we ate sooo much of it! It's interesting a lot of people are shocked when we eat Raw Corn, we often just say try it its soo sweet why would you cook it? and when they try it they are pleasantly surprised at how tasty and sweet it is!

We didnt have a blender with us either for the first week so we couldnt make our normal Nut milks for breakfast and green smoothies. So for breakfast we would have some raw muesli and some soy milk. Lunch I would have some local organic bread with some salad, Hamish would often have a huge salad. Dinner would another big Salad, and I often had some cooked Barley (Travelling while breastfeeding and not having access to our normal food supply I often eat cooked carboyhdrates - Hamish is raw though). And Fruit fruit fruit! Natures energy snacks.
I will post some recipes we used when traveling on another post.

Hamish had a sneaky water ski too in Lake Taupo ( thanks to family with a ski boat) But Lake Taupo is actually a crater from a volcano - weird when you think about it! From Lake Taupo we headed to Hawkes Bay!

Hamish water skiing on Lake Taupo

When leading a raw lifestyle it is amazing how many of our friends and family were interested in what we eat. So I will post some recipes we spoke to people about in another post! Everyone loved Hamish's raw pate, and simply raw sushi is so easy to make for people at their homes!

To be honest we didnt really have the time to check out if there was any reall strong raw movement going on in New Zealand. But we did find some great health stores which we frequented often.
Chantelle's in Napier New Zealand is a must to visit. Raw of not.. the food was delicious and wholesome (I feel in life that we need to be flexible and there are times when eating some cooked food is not going to kill you! unlike all the threats you hear in the Raw Community, you are not going to end up in hospital after eating some cooked food if you have been raw for a year!)

Chantelles! Wholefood and Eatery Napier, New Zealand!

Hawkes Bay is known as thethe fruit bowl of New Zealand, so every where you look you will find stores selling local fruit and Veg (I dont think I have seen so many fruit and Veg stores) and the quality was fantastic! Fresh and straight from the grower it cant get better than that!

Local Fruit and Vegetable Shops. There is one about every minute!

One of our favorite places that we visited was Mahia! Such beautiful untouched Paradise. Hamish and I both got a few surfs in as well which was nice!


Isabelle playing on the beach in NZ.. just look at the scenery

So that was basically our trip to NZ.. we had such an amazing time. I will post some more in detailed posts about travelling with a baby, raw recipes we use when travelling, Co-sleeping. And I am also going to post some information about feeding Issy and the information I have found and what we are doing!

Travelling to New Zealand

2012-01-30T11:01:00.001+11:00

So we are off to New Zealand for a couple weeks and as a Raw Family I'm going to post a few tips on travelling with raw food and a baby!

As with all our travels so far, we search out the farmers markets and get the freshest yummiest food we can find! The only thing we don't have on this trip is our blender!

fresh yummy food at local farmers markets

Being Raw the biggest thing we find on our travels is the surprise of people we meet when we tell them we eat mostly raw food! Most often people are very interested in what we eat and want to learn more about it! So stay tuned as I keep you updated on all the yummy raw food we find in New Zealand and also what is happening in the raw food community there!

Yummy Raw Chocolate Balls

2012-01-20T14:03:00.003+11:00

Hmmm delicious!

As a breastfeeding mumma, sometimes I can really feel i need a hit of something during the day so I have been making these protein packed raw chocolate balls...

delicious raw chocolate balls

Recipe.....

4 cups of Walnuts
1 cup of soaked goji berries
1/4 cup of chai seeds
1-2 cups of sultanas
A handull of Dried apricots or apples
hand full of dates
1/4 cup of coconut
I often put Maca powder in it as well
2-4 tablespoons of Carob or Cacoa powder ( we like Carob powder much yummier)
3- 4 tablespoons of agave nectar

Mix all the ingrediants together in a food processor, then add agave at the end, you can also use honey instead, but you need something to bind all the ingrediants together! I place them in the freezer

And Enjoy.. to be honest they don't last long our house at all!

Green Smoothie Madness

2012-01-11T12:20:00.003+11:00

So a lot of people ask us what is a Green Smoothie? For us in the raw food world, we know it and love it! But below is a very basic recipe for a Green Smoothie.

Why not take the Green Smoothie Challenge.. click here a great way to get started with Green Smoothies. It was my (Sarah's) daily intake of Green Smoothies that made me want to go Raw!

Simple Green Smoothie Recipe...
This will make about three full glasses

What you will need is 1 x blender we use a Vita Mix

A hand full of Spinch or Kale or you can use spirulina

6 Bananas 2 x Frozen Bananas or you can add other fruit!

1 cup of water!

Wizz away ! It is delicious and nutritious!

For more green smoothie recipes, inspiration and education check out Victoria Boutenko's books "Green Smoothie Revolution" (with 200 green smoothie recipes) and her classic "Green For Life" books at her website Raw Family!

Natural Teething solutions

2012-01-06T14:50:00.001+11:00

Isabelle has started to sprout a little tooth, and luckily I had heard of the benefits of the Baltic Amber Bead Necklaces for teething. We want to use as many natural products as possible for her.

Isabelle with her Baltic Amber Bead Necklace

Amber is not a stone, it is fossilised resin, which will warm to the body’s temperature. It is said that when warmed by the skin, Baltic Amber will release trace amounts of healing oils into the bloodstream through the skin.

Baltic amber is negatively electromagnetically charged, meaning organic energy is contained within amber. Negative ionisation on the skin’s surface is said to help assist in the prevention of illness. I place the necklace on Issy when she is awake, and when she is sleeping I place a amber bead braclet on her ankle. I wouldn't risk leaving it on her while she is sleeping.

We got Isabelles necklace from this website I wanted to make sure it was Genuine Amber.

I also got Isabelle a Sophie the Giraffe teether ring which is made from 100% natural rubber derived from the sap of the Hevea tree which is much nicer for her to chew on than conventional teething plastic rings.

Wheat Grass!

2012-01-06T14:17:00.001+11:00

Wow so since we decided to get back on the Wheat Grass Wagon , we have been having shots every morning! And we are both feeling great for it!

This is our beautiful Wheat Grass! We have grown about four trays and juiced it all at once, then we placed it in frezzer trays and then into some plastic bags in the freezer! So in the morning we just pop out two ice cubs and whalla we have our wheat grass shot every morning!

If you wondering how to grow wheat grass and the benefits of including it in your diet check out our earlier post here.

To grow your wheat grass.. Simply soak the wheat grass for about 6-8 hours. then spout your grass in a sprouting bag. Once your wheat grass is spouted simply sprinkle over a tray filled with organic soil and watch it grow! Some may think this a little time intensive! But if you make a big batch then freeze it you only have to repeat the process about once every two weeks! too easy!

Sarah's Raw Pregnany and Birth

2012-01-01T11:02:00.000+11:00

Sarahs pregnancy journey...

When Hamish and I decided to start a family, we had not idea how quickly it would happen!

Maybe it was that we were both 100% Raw? Maybe it was the forces of the full moon in play! But I knew the moment we conceived, it was like a lightening bolt moment, maybe it was the universe sending us the spirit of Isabelle!

Our plan was to have a Raw pregnancy as Sarah had been Raw for a year and wanted to continue as.

However what happened shook my Raw identity to the core! About 6 weeks into my pregnancy I started to have severe food aversions and unfortunately some of these aversions were my green smoothies, my big yummy salad, anything GREEN basically! I started craving toast and avocado, cheese and eggs. WOW what was going here!

Sarah Pregnant and on a Road trip to Tasmania

I just didnt want to eat just raw food, even smell of wheat grass shots would make me want to be sick, to the point where I couldn't be in the same room when Hamish was making our regular wheat grass shots.

So I did my research and got onto 'Give to me Raw' to ask other Raw Women had they experienced this? To my surprise what I found is that many women when pregnant from being raw decide not to be or cannot be 100% Raw during their pregnancy, this gave me a lot of comfort at this time. I also appreciated that no one judged me during this time.. and one word of advice I did take on board was! "The raw police are not going to come knocking on your door just because you are not Raw at this time in your life"! With that I accepted what my body wanted at this stage.

I chose to eat sprouted bed and often it was toasted. I ate Eggs as my body was craving them, luckily for us we have chickens and I knew that I could eat organic eggs from chickens that were living probably the best life out here in the Otways! But funnily enough before being pregnant I used to look at eggs and want to be sick now I was craving cooked eggs. I also craved Cheese! But again I chose Organic Cheese as much as I could. I also cooked a lot of stir fries with Buckwheat noodles. I could only eat my vegies cooked, for whatever reason I knew that I would not be 100% Raw, but I did know that I could make the right choices.

our little joy

It was a great shock to not want to eat raw all the time and I felt that my identity as Raw foodie was being challenged to my core! However what I did learn is to never judge a person and their journey in life!

Sure looking back now, I cant even imagine eating these foods right now, but then I clearly remember the urge and the need to consume them. I was also extremely fortunate throughout my pregnancy that Hamish was supportive and committed to making sure that i received the best nutrients (even though I was faced with so many food aversions) I could! What I did eat during my pregnancy though was Raw Oats with Almond Milk for breakfast, lunch I tried to have salads, I did eat a lot of fruit while pregnant, and craved Avocados, I would eat nearly one a day!

At the six month mark into my pregnancy I was starting to crave raw food again, not all the time but slowly by the end of my pregnancy I was eating salads again, loving my green juices and green smoothies! So that by the time Isabelle was born I was back to a very high raw diet!

I am craving my green juices! Salivating over salads again and now I am back to a very high Raw VEGAN diet!

ISABELLES BIRTH

During my pregnancy I swam twice a week and the week before she was due I was feeling really tired and went for a swim, I think what my body was saying was rest, and instead I went for a swim and I picked up the most horrible flu, and there was no way she was wanting to come into the world with me the way I was.

In Australia our hospital systems are very different to what I see is like in other countries. And luckily for Hamish and I we had found a very beautiful doctor who was 100% behind me in my birth plan! That was to have a water birth. In our hospitals here it was very much looked on in a positive way! Hamish and I live about an hour from a hospital, so a home birth was out of the question in case anything was to go wrong. But to be honest I was very happy with the hospital and staff we had chosen.

Isabelle was 10 days late and I was induced and my planned water birth didnt go to plan! Looking back sure maybe I could have waited a few more days? Anyway, Isbelle was born to a 6 hour labour, It was one the most amazing moment of my life. She latched on a few minutes after being born and is now a healthy breast feed baby! I couldn't and still cant believe I have created this gorgeous little being who I have to say is the most chilled out little bubba you could ever imagine!

I demand feed and Isabelle and she slept with us for the first week, but I couldn't sleep with her next to me and by week three we decided to put Isabelle in her bassinet. She slept next to our bed for the first three months. She is a thriving happy and healthy baby, in her spirit and in her weight gain and developments and I hope to share her journey with you!!

Our happy little Isabelle

I am very happy to share my journey or talk to any Raw mums out there who are about to embrace their pregnancy - bit it Raw or not! I also hope to share our families Journey of with Raw foodi with you as we grow and travel through life!I

We plan to raise Isabelle as little raw vegan bambino.

Follow our blog as I will start to blog my experience so that other raw mums may learn and share our challenges and joys, or raising our raw family, at the moment she is a little happy breast feed baby!

Love Sarah, Hamish and Isabelle! xx

RAW Chocolate Cheese Cake

2011-12-13T14:23:00.000+11:00

We had Hamish's 40th birthday on the weekend! And for the birthday cake I made a Raw chocolate Cheese Cake, well it went in all of two minutes and a lot of people were surprised at how yummy it was! And even better its better for you than your conventional cheesecake!

So here is the recipe!

A Raw Chocolate Cheese Cake

For the crust:
11⁄2c pecans
3⁄4c raisins roughly chopped
2T coconut oil/butter ( melted)
1t vanilla extract
1t cinnamon
Pinch salt

First process all dry ingredients, being sure not to over-process nuts.
Add coco butter and vanilla extract and process again.
Press into the bottom of pan and place in fridge whilst working on filling.
Note: You can melt Coconut oilin a bowl over another bowl of hot water.

Hamish's 40th Raw Birthday cake

For the filling:
2cup cashews
1cup water
2cup cacao powder
2T vanilla extract
1⁄2cup agave nectar
1⁄2Tablespsoon lemon juice

Blend the cashews, water, vanilla, agave nectar, and lemon juice in a vita-mix until smooth.
Add cacao butter and cacao powder, and blend again.Pour chocolate mixture onto base and use a spatula to achieve a level surface.
Place in fridge for a minimum of 3 hours to set.

Strawberry Sauce
1c strawberries
3T agave
2T lemon juice
1⁄2t cinnamon
1⁄4t nutmeg

Place all ingredients in a processor and blend. Then pour over cake or serve on side.

Transitioning back to RAW... Quinoa Salad

2011-12-13T14:07:00.000+11:00

Transitioning back to RAW

So many of you know I (Sarah) am transitioning back to Raw after the birth of Isabelle! Well it has been three months since Issy was born and I have slowly but surely getting back into the RAW!

Some of the yummy raw food which I love again are Tahini - for some reason during my pregnancy I couldnt even bare the thought of consuming it! Not Im loving it again!

Red Quinoa

Lunch times are my usual non all raw meal - I have either been having Spouted bread with adocado.... delicous! But advocado on spourted bread every day can get a bit boring! So today for the first time ever I thought of cooking Quinoa, as it is full of protein and amino acids - all good for a breastfeeding mumma! To cook it is just the same as cooking rice! I made an amazing Quinoa salad see recipee below! You can also Spout Quinoa but I was impatient today! They take about 8 hours to sprout, and I think I might actually do that now so I can have a RAW lunch tomorrow!

Some of the health Benefits of Quinoa

Quinoa is a good source of protein and one of the few plant foods that contains all nine essential amino acids that make it a complete protein and an excellent choice for anyone who follows a vegetarian diet.

Like most whole grains, quinoa has many benefits that fight cardiovascular disease. It contains high levels of antioxidant materials, such as manganese, that help to prevent cell damage.

It is also an excellent source of magnesium which is very effective for relaxing blood vessels and a great benefit to migraine sufferers and those with high blood pressure.

Quinoa is very easy to prepare and cooks quickly. You receive all the benefits of a whole grain, yet quinoa cooks as quickly as white rice. This makes it a great choice for a quick yet nutritious weekday dinner.

My Yummy Quick Quinoa Salad - Perfect for lunch

1 cup quinoa

2 Tablespoons of Tahini
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tomato

1 cucumber, diced
1 carrot, grated

Spouting Quinoa

Sprouting Quinoa takes about 8-12 hours you have little baby quinoa sprouts.

For easy directions on sprouting quinoa, check out these Sprouting Instructions from the Sproutpeople®.

Enjoy!! Sarah:)

A walking and talking nursling

2011-12-06T09:43:00.001+11:00

Our gorgeous Isabelle

Before Isabelle was born I planned to breastfeed her for 12 months, now she is here, I was convinced that I was only going to breastfeed for 12 months, since having Isabelle and discovering the joys of breastfeeding, in not only the bond it creates but knowing that I can give her all the nutrients she needs and immunity through my breast milk, I have often thought now of 'how long will I breastfeed for?' Im still not sure, I know I want to for at least a year, and after meeting many mums who have breastfeed for more than a year I think I will let Isabelle decide...

This article on breastfeeding has some interesting points about colds and infections for those children who are breastfeed for more than a year...

A walking and talking nursling

I Love my Ergo Baby Carrier!

2011-12-04T17:07:00.001+11:00

Sarah & Isabelle!

Wow when Isabelle was born I did heaps of research on which Baby Carrier to buy! I am so happy I purchased the ERGObaby Carrier. It offers hands-free closeness like no other and is perfect from birth, we used the insert! Takes a bit to get it right with the heart insert but once Issy was snuggly fitted she was snoring like a tropper. ERGObaby supports your child in three easy-to-use positions - front, hip and back – promoting healthy spinal development and adapting to your child's growing needs.

Image from the International Hip Dysplasia Institute showing the importance of using a carrier that places a baby in a seated position, not hanging by their crotch. There are plenty of carriers that place baby in the correct position, including but not limited to Ergo, Boba, Beco, Olives & Applesauce and Babyhawk, as well as wraps and ring slings when used correctly.

It disperses most of the baby's weight between the hips and thighs, which helps to eliminate compression of the spine when hanging by the crotch which most other designs require. Issy is now 7kgs so we no longer use the insert! The best bit about it is the cover as you can see in the above picture I put this over Isabelles head in many situation especially when we go into town, there is way too much stimulation for a little baby so often i use this to cut out the crazy energy of a big city! I love that Isabelle is close to my chest as well! Definatley recommend one!!!

Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead movie

2011-12-01T19:53:00.001+11:00

This looks like a great movie. promoting the benefits of juicing!

Hamish recently did a 7 day juice feast and he looked fantastic at the end of it!

Obviously sponsored by Breville though! Best to use a masticating juicers which are low in speed and practically no friction, and this means that the product is not heated during juice extraction. This saves living enzymes which are necessary for our bodies.

The Breville juicers they are referring to in the movie are CENTRIFUGAL... JUICERs which revolving at a high speed the bolster rubs the pulp of the product like a grater, and because of this the product inevitably heats up. The higher the speed, the more friction, the higher the temperature. This leads to the destruction of useful nutrients, and enzymes, which are sensitive to temperature, and die under heat.

"I am not sick so why should i go to hospital to give birth to my child"

2011-12-01T09:59:00.001+11:00

Ever since the birth of Isabelle I have been so interested in watching the birth of babies! It is like something shifted inside of me when I had Isabelle.. maybe an opening into the woman I am! Isabelles birth was in hospital and I was induced as I was 10 days late! I was planning for a water birth, however as I was induced this could not happen! Part of me had thought about home birth and part of me was also scared, I remember thinking all I want is my baby in my hands! But what has transformed inside of me the last few days and especially after watching this video is below is something really interesting.. a lady in the video below says "I was not sick so why did i need to go to hospital to have my child".. It really made me think about birth again, and maybe who knows our next child I will have the strength and insight to know I can give birth at home.

Another great video which insipired me was Birth Into being

Benefits of Wheat Grass

2011-11-30T19:38:00.001+11:00

So I (Sarah) am currently breastfeeding my gorgeous little isabelle, and have been taking Raw Multi Vitamins, however every time I take them my body goes into a really weird hyper tension state of an almost anxious state, so after doing a bit of research into vitamins etc.. I decided it was time to get back into wheat grass!

So tomorrow I am going to get cracking at get this wheat grass on the go! I found this great article on the benefits of wheatgrass! Enjoy Sarah :)

Benefits of Wheatgrass
Source.. http://www.hippocratesinst.org/benefits-of-wheatgrass

So I (Sarah) am currently breastfeeding my gorgeous little isabelle, and have been taking Raw Multi Vitamins, however every time I take them my body goes into a really weird hyper tension state of an almost anxious state, so after doing a bit of research I decided it was time to get back into wheat grass! So tomorrow I am going to get cracking at get this wheat grass on the go!

I found this great article on the benefits of wheatgrass! Enjoy Sarah :)

Benefits of Wheatgrass
Source.. http://www.hippocratesinst.org/benefits-of-wheatgrass

WHEATGRASS JUICE...

Increases red blood-cell count and lowers blood pressure. It cleanses the blood, organs and gastrointestinal tract of debris. Wheatgrass also stimulates metabolism and the body’s enzyme systems by enriching the blood. It also aids in reducing blood pressure by dilating the blood pathways throughout the body.

Stimulates the thyroid gland, correcting obesity, indigestion, and a host of other complaints.

Restores alkalinity to the blood. The juice's abundance of alkaline minerals helps reduce over-acidity in the blood. It can be used to relieve many internal pains, and has been used successfully to treat peptic ulcers, ulcerative colitis, constipation, diarrhea, and other complaints of the gastrointestinal tract.

Is a powerful detoxifier, and liver and blood protector. The enzymes and amino acids found in wheatgrass can protect us from carcinogens like no other food or medicine. It strengthens our cells, detoxifies the liver and bloodstream, and chemically neutralizes environmental pollutants.

Fights tumors and neutralizes toxins. Recent studies show that wheatgrass juice has a powerful ability to fight tumors without the usual toxicity of drugs that also inhibit cell-destroying agents. The many active compounds found in grass juice cleanse the blood and neutralize and digest toxins in our cells.

Contains beneficial enzymes. Whether you have a cut finger you want to heal or you desire to lose five pounds...enzymes must do the actual work. The life and abilities of the enzymes found naturally in our bodies can be extended if we help them from the outside by adding exogenous enzymes, like the ones found in wheatgrass juice. Don't cook it. We can only get the benefits of the many enzymes found in grass by eating it uncooked. Cooking destroys 100 percent of the enzymes in food.

Has remarkable similarity to our own blood. The second important nutritional aspect of chlorophyll is its remarkable similarity to hemoglobin, the compound that carries oxygen in the blood. Dr. Yoshihide Hagiwara, president of the Hagiwara Institute of Health in Japan, is a leading advocate for the use of grass as food and medicine. He reasons that since chlorophyll is soluble in fat particles, and fat particles are absorbed directly into the blood via the lymphatic system, that chlorophyll can also be absorbed in this way. In other words, when the "blood" of plants is absorbed in humans it is transformed into human blood, which transports nutrients to every cell of the body.

When used as a rectal implant, reverses damage from inside the lower bowel. An implant is a small amount of juice held in the lower bowel for about 20 minutes. In the case of illness, wheatgrass implants stimulate a rapid cleansing of the lower bowel and draw out accumulations of debris.

Externally applied to the skin can help eliminate itching almost immediately.

Will soothe sunburned skin and act as a disinfectant. Rubbed into the scalp before a shampoo, it will help mend damaged hair and alleviate itchy, scaly, scalp conditions.

Is soothing and healing for cuts, burns, scrapes, rashes, poison ivy, athlete's foot, insect bites, boils, sores, open ulcers, tumors, and so on. Use as a poultice and replace every two to four hours.

Works as a sleep aide. Merely place a tray of living wheatgrass near the head of your bed. It will enhance the oxygen in the air and generate healthful negative ions to help you sleep more soundly.

Enhances your bath. Add some to your bath water and settle in for a nice, long soak.

Sweetens the breath and firms up and tightens gums. Just gargle with the juice.

Neutralizes toxic substances like cadmium, nicotine, strontium, mercury, and polyvinyl chloride.

Offers the benefits of a liquid oxygen transfusion since the juice contains liquid oxygen. Oxygen is vital to many body processes: it stimulates digestion (the oxidation of food), promotes clearer thinking (the brain utilizes 25% of the body's oxygen supply), and protects the blood against anaerobic bacteria. Cancer cells cannot exist in the presence of oxygen.

Turns gray hair to its natural color again and greatly increases energy levels when consumed daily.

Is a beauty treatment that slows down the aging process when the juice is consumed. Wheatgrass will cleanse your blood and help rejuvenate aging cells, slowing the aging process way down, making you feel more alive right away. It will help tighten loose and sagging skin.

Lessens the effects of radiation. One enzyme found in wheatgrass, SOD, lessens the effects of radiation and acts as an anti-inflammatory compound that may prevent cellular damage following heart attacks or exposure to irritants.

Restores fertility and promotes youthfulness.

Can double your red blood cell count just by soaking in it. Renowned nutritionist Dr. Bernard Jensen found that no other blood builders are superior to green juices and wheatgrass. In his book Health Magic Through Chlorophyll from Living Plant Life he mentions several cases where he was able to double the red blood cell count in a matter of days merely by having patients soak in a chlorophyll-water bath. Blood building results occur even more rapidly when patients drink green juices and wheatgrass regularly.

A Guide to Green Smoothies for Pregnant and Nursing Moms

2011-11-23T10:10:00.001+11:00

I found a great article today on Green Smoothies for Pregnant and Nursing Moms

Source: A Guide to Green Smoothies for Pregnant and Nursing Moms

"Green smoothies are great meals when you’re doing a challenge or a detox! Adding greens will help your body to release toxins from your system, give you an energizing and nutritional boost, and allow for healing. But for pregnant and nursing moms considering a green smoothie challenge or detox, what are the considerations?

We went to Joanna Steven, author of Well Rounded: The Ultimate Guide to a Healthy Raw Food Pregnancy, to find out what pregnant and nursing moms need to know about green smoothies to make sure their adventures with greens are safe and supportive.

Are Green Smoothies Safe During Pregnancy and While Breastfeeding?

green smoothies detoxification and pregnancyWhenever we wonder about the safety of a certain food, we need to break it down to its simplest components. What is a green smoothie?

In its purest form, a green smoothie is simply a blend of leafy greens such as spinach, and fruits, such as bananas. Nothing more, nothing less. Would spinach be harmful during pregnancy? Not at all, greens are an important part of a healthy diet at any age, because they are so high in amino acids (the building blocks of protein), minerals (important for the development of the fetus), and more. Rich in folate, they are also critical in preventing spina bifida, a developmental birth defect.

And what about fruits? There is absolutely no reason why one should restrict fruit intake, in reasonable amounts of course, as they are rich in fiber, vitamins, calories, and more. This shows that green smoothies as part of an otherwise healthy diet during pregnancy and while breastfeeding are not only safe to consume, they are also extremely beneficial.
Is a Green Smoothie Detox Safe During Pregnancy and While Breastfeeding?

But, what about detox diets where nothing but green smoothies are consumed? Opinions will vary on this topic, especially within the raw food community, as staunch low fat raw foodists will argue that anything but fruits, greens, and extremely minimal amounts of nuts and seeds are truly the only way to go.

hemp chia and flax seeds are healthy fats to add to green smoothiesI personally disagree, and I would caution against a diet exclusively made of green smoothies, as an adequate consumption of fats (especially omega 3 fatty acids and other essential fatty acids) are important both for mom and baby. Studies showed that a lack of omega 3 fatty acids can lead to anything from depression during pregnancy to low visual acuity in children born of omega 3 deficient mothers. I personally made a point of consuming at the very least 600 mg of DHA daily.
How many green smoothies are too many?

A good rule of thumb is to equate “too much” with “not enough of other essential foods”. If you are drinking so many green smoothies that you end up low on calories, healthy fats and certain nutrients such as selenium, zinc etc., then you are drinking too many green smoothies and should cut back.

I drank around 3-6 cups of green smoothies daily, for a total of around 3-4 cups of greens to 5-7 cups of fruits. I also ate my greens in salads, which are different in that they also contribute healthy fatty acids to my diet in the form of hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, healthful dressings and more.
What about toxins passed on to babies?

It is an undeniable fact that toxins spill onto breast milk. But, our breast milk is not as toxic as we think, even if we follow a “normal”, non-organic diet which would also include milk, dairy etc.

breastfeeding and detoxA study from Ohio State and John Hopkins universities found that there are more pollutanst in the air we breathe than in breast milk! Because of its amazing health promoting qualities which will influence a child’s lifelong development, toxins should not be an issue when it comes to breastfeeding. Regardless of our diet, breast is always best. Still, we as mothers want what’s best for our kids, and therefore try to avoid potentially hazardous factors such as VOC paints, cigarette smoke etc.

So, what about green smoothies? As I said earlier, green smoothies are greens and fruits, which are very beneficial to us and, as a result, our babies. They are not harmful as long as they do not constitute one’s sole source of nutrition (and the harm would then be from missing nutrients, not from the ingredients themselves).
What are some alternatives that can be put in place to increase nutrition safely?

Granted, it is true that chlorophyll is detoxifying, but it is much better to avoid environmental pollutants and consume high mineral, high vitamin green smoothies than to keep living the same relatively toxic life while avoiding healthy food.

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, and are drinking green smoothies daily, great!

If you currently follow a processed diet, I would still recommend adding green smoothies to your daily routine. All you need to do is start with one cup a day, gradually building up to 3-6 cups a day as your body adjusts to the new ingredients and high quantities of easily absorbed nutrition.

If you still want to increase your nutritional intake in the meanwhile, as you should, I would recommend adding a variety of healthy ingredients in small quantities, so that you can increase them as you would increase your intake of green smoothies.

For example, you can add hemp seeds to your smoothies, or sprouted brown rice protein. Both are raw, and while you will not have a “pure” green smoothie as a result, you will still have a very healthy, power packed, easy to digest food that will leave you energized. That way, you will not be consuming large quantities of any single food, thus not overloading your system, but will still be improving your diet.
The Bottom Line: Why are Greens Important for Mom and Baby?

The benefits of greens are mind boggling. They are antioxidant powerhouses, have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, are rich in minerals, and they are detoxifying. Moms need them to stay healthy during pregnancy and when breastfeeding, when our nutritional needs go up dramatically, and fetuses need them to develop properly. Breastfeeding babies need the nutrients to keep up with the many growth spurts they will go through during their infancy. And, green smoothies might ensure that mom keeps up with her fluid intake – it is easy, in our busy lives, to forget to drink enough, so we might as well get our fluids at the same time as our vitamins and minerals!

Green smoothies are a very healthy food for mom and baby, and they should be consumed regularly as long as they are part of an otherwise healthy and varied diets which includes essential fatty acids, more protein than for regular individuals (70 grams of bio-available protein is good), and certain nutrients which are available in larger amounts in nuts and seeds, like zinc and selenium".

Become a Fan of Travelling Raw on Facebook

2011-11-07T13:21:00.000+11:00

We just started a Travelling Raw Facebook Fan Page!

So become our friend on Facebook today!

Raw Food For Babies

2011-11-07T10:38:00.000+11:00

I just found this interesting article on Raw Food for Babies by Karen Ranzi.

Im currently researching on which foods to introduce to Isabelle and at what age!

The type of food given to baby is dependant on the age of weaning. All babies require mother’s milk for at least the first year of life to create the strong immunity and bonding necessary for baby’s physical, mental, emotional and spiritual development. It contains the important fat and protein that cannot ever be replaced by other foods or formulas. The fat and protein in mother’s milk is sufficient for baby’s growth well into the second year. I encourage mothers to nurse as long as possible. Humans are the latest to mature of all mammals therefore our young require the longest nursing periods. I recommend a minimum of two years.
Only a very small percentage of mothers fail to have sufficient milk, are unable to nurse due to serious health concerns, and/or can’t find a wet nurse. If a mother is unable to nurse for at least the first year of baby’s life, then alternatives could be a wet nurse or a milk bank. If human mother’s milk is unavailable through a local nursing mother, then contacting a milk bank or website focused on breast milk donations would be the next step. For example, www.milkshare.com was formed in 2004 by Kelley Faulkner, a mom who was unable to produce enough breast milk due to a congenital breast abnormality. Knowing the significant benefits that only breast milk can offer, she sought to provide the best possible nutrition for her children using donated breast milk. Thirty generous and loving nursing mothers donated tons of breast milk for her children. Her second son has been exclusively fed with donor milk.

A last alternative could be raw (unpasteurized) goat milk. The combination of half raw goat milk and half celery/carrot juice has been done successfully for those who were unable to nurse and unable to obtain milk from a human mother.

We must remember that human mother’s milk will always be best for the human baby.
Many infants are unable to properly digest almond milk or avocados at so young an age, and may not increase in weight because of their inability to absorb these fats and proteins. These infants risk malnourishment. Many children are allergic to nuts, specifically because they were introduced too early in life. Many years ago, I attended a class on healthy foods for the young child in which recipes were given for almond milk, and it was stated this alternative milk could replace mother’s milk completely if the mother were absolutely unable to nurse. Although some success has been reported with almond milk in Germany when babies were found to be allergic to cow milk, I strongly feel mothers have got to find a way to feed their babies with mother’s milk—if not their own, from another mother.

Toward the end of the first year, and no sooner, if baby is equipped with teeth to chew, then bite-sized pieces of fresh, ripe, organic fruits can be given one at a time.
Observe any reaction, as some babies are not ready to eat until well into their second year of life. I recommend that as soon as baby is accustomed to digesting a variety of fresh fruits given individually for chewing, that you begin to introduce green leafy vegetables in delicious green smoothies to provide additional minerals. It is best to start with the milder greens such as Romaine lettuce or spinach.
Remember that for each child the progression will be a little different depending on dentition and real desire and readiness to eat. Some children are simply curious about foods but not yet ready to eat. The mother must be observant of her baby to predict the right timing for introduction of foods. Into the second year, baby can have diluted nut and seed milks and avocado for their fat and protein contents, but solid soaked nuts and seeds should not be given until later to avoid the development of a nut allergy as nuts require a greater digestive capacity.

Some mothers ask about adding honey to baby’s first meals. According to Charles Santerre, toxicologist and food scientist, in his article “When Can My Baby Eat Honey?”: “Although honey seems like a wholesome and natural food to give your infant, don’t do it until after she’s at least 12 months old. Honey can contain spores of a bacterium called clostridium botulinum, which can germinate in a baby’s immature digestive system and cause infant botulism, a rare but potentially fatal illness. These spores are usually harmless to adults and children over 1 year old, because the microorganisms normally found in the intestine keep the bacteria from growing.” Signs of botulism are constipation along with muscle weakness, trouble sucking, slack jaw or crying and lethargy.

Fruit is delicious and filled with vitamins, perfect as baby’s first food. Fruit is sweet, not requiring honey or other sweetener to further sweeten it.

The child should not be given solid food to chew until there are many teeth. Another likely sign of readiness for solids is if the child isn’t gaining enough weight from mother’s milk alone, and requires additional food. Some babies don’t ask for or require solid foods until closer to two years of age, yet parents have been led to think their child needs them much sooner.
Some people feed coconut milk to their older babies. The fleshy part of the coconut is high in fat, and so, should not become a big part of the regular daily diet since breast milk is still providing the necessary fat and protein. Coconut water, however, is much lower in fat than coconut flesh and can be easily digested.

During the latter part of the first year, a very limited amount of diluted unprocessed fresh fruit juices may be given. Fruit juices should be used very sparingly for infants as well as older children. It is wise only to give juice to older infants who can drink from a cup. These juices could be 50% water and 50% juice, made of oranges, apples, melons or pears. You could also use the whole fruit and make a very simple watery smoothie after 9 months of age, but only if baby is eager. The fruit juice intake should be limited to not more than 3 to 4 ounces of diluted juice in a day to ensure baby is drinking enough breast milk to provide the fat, protein, and myriad other nutrients for proper development. In addition to displacing the amount of breast milk a baby drinks, dental caries have been associated with juice consumption, therefore it is best to keep it to minimal amounts.

After baby is already eating solid bite-size pieces of a variety of fresh fruit, green smoothies and green juices should be introduced to provide the abundance of minerals from green leafy vegetables. Following are some fun smoothies and puddings to create. They are a mild and delicious introduction to green leafy vegetables.:
Emerald Smoothie
1 banana
1 mango peeled, pitted and chopped
5 Lacinato kale leaves
2 cups of water
Chop banana and add to blender with chopped mango. Add kale leaves to blender with water. Blend until smooth.
Banana Green Fun
2 bananas
1 cup Romaine lettuce
1 cup of water
Blend bananas and water. Gradually add Romaine lettuce. Add more water if necessary.
Bright Sunny Day Smoothie
1 mango
4 peaches
2 stalks of celery
Blend mango and peaches. Then gradually add celery stalks. Use water for a smoothie or leave thick for a pudding.
Pina Colada Smoothie
2 bananas
2 slices pineapple
1 large handful spinach leaves
1 ½ to 2 cups of water
Blend bananas and pineapple with water. Add spinach leaves and blend until smooth.
All of this is described in much detail in my book Creating Healthy Children: Through Attachment Parenting and Raw Foods which is available at www.superhealthychildren.com, www.amazon.com and many raw food websites.
Karen Ranzi, Author, Lecturer, Raw Food Consultant
www.superhealthychildren.com
http://www.Facebook.com/CreatingHealthyChildren.com

Raw Vegan Radio

2011-11-07T10:04:00.000+11:00

I found this today on the Raw Vegan Radio website and think its fantastic! By Steve Prussack Host of Raw Vegan Radio Today, I am going to list the top 5 lies the raw food leaders don’t want you to think about or know. Our upcoming articles will go more into detail, but for now, here they are:

1. You need to follow a raw food guru. This misconception has been popular in the raw food community for years now. Many people have been following a raw food diet with significant results. Some of them have lost substantial amounts of weight.
Others have cured themselves of a variety of ailments and disease. The problem is, some of these individuals have put themselves up on a pedestal, developed a website, and positioned themselves as a new leader to be followed. I have seen it over and over again. Now the question is, what makes somebody a leader? Does simply following a raw food diet for a couple of years automatically make somebody an expert? Personally, I have been in the raw food community for over a decade. I have seen many experts change their opinion at the drop of a dime. If you are following one of these leaders, perhaps you are now confused. I don’t blame you. While there is excellent information available on following a raw food diet, the truth is you don’t need to follow any of these people. The truth lies within yourself. My goal is to provide you with all the tools you need to make your own decisions. I am not going to put myself up on a stage and expect you to purchase the latest raw or animal supplement powder of the day.

2. You need to be 100% raw. While this theory has been running rampant for a few years, the majority of raw food teachers themselves are not following a 100% raw food diet. While the paradigm is now shifting, some people are still confused. Many “raw food” books continue to promote the idea that 100% raw is more advantageous than a simply high-raw diet. It was discovered many years ago by Dr. Brian Clement and a team of experts that consuming between 80 and 100% is just as beneficial as consuming a 100% completely raw diet. Psychologically, it may be harder to continue consuming a high percentage of raw food once you incorporate cooked into the diet. The reason being, cooked foods can become addictive. If you are disciplined, and can consume a high percentage of raw food along with whole foods (and less processed foods), without a doubt you will be more healthy than most people on this planet.

3. You need to eat animal products. Less than two years ago, the raw food community began to shift. For years, the prevailing mindset was a raw vegan diet is the best way to go. Some leaders began to shift their market, and thus began a focus on longevity. Other leaders jumped on the bandwagon and followed. After all, there is a lot of money promoting animal-based products. The truth is, there is absolutely no reason you need to consume animal products. The raw food community continues to be hyper-focused on individual health; there has been little education on animals or environmental concerns. If you read important life-changing books like “Diet for a New America” by John Robbins, The China Study by Dr. T Colin Campbell, or the World Peace Diet by my good friend Dr. Will Tuttle, you will learn exactly why animal products are unnecessary for too many reasons to discuss here. I highly recommend you look at the big picture and decide for yourself what your body needs to thrive.

4. Chocolate is healthy. Let’s be honest, once raw cacao came on the scene, raw foodists rejoiced. Remember all the “raw” cacao parties springing up all over the country? The raw leaders began telling us of the many benefits in raw cacao, including high nutrients, vitamins, and other health benefits. Did they mention caffeine? Did they mention the addictive properties of chocolate? I was definitely once addicted to raw cacao. While I do not deprive myself from eating raw chocolate on occasion, I am well aware that this is not a health food. Some raw food leaders have gone so far as to say you should eat a large amount of cacao every day! Again, be your own guru. If it feels right for you and seems to be working, you can allow yourself the indulgence every now and then. But we need to be honest about what our body needs, craves, or can become addicted to.

5. Raw food is the answer to all life’s problems. There is so much more need to look at when it comes to health. The holistic model includes the mind, body, and spirit. Stress is a big contributing factor to a variety of ailments. I have known many raw foodists who were so stressed out trying to follow their diet, that stress levels caused them to be sick! Relationships are another area often overlooked. Having healthy and harmonious relationships is essential for a overall health and well-being. Our society is becoming more and more isolated. Although we connect over computers, emails, and texting, face-to-face interactions are becoming less and less a part of our daily life. We need to continue connecting to each other on a human level. In addition the environment is being destroyed at unspeakable rates. The more we find out, the less we want to know.

This week Im making Corn Tortillas

2011-10-15T17:24:00.001+11:00

I just found this page with some yummy raw recipes!
this week im going to make the Corn tortillas! Yummm

Creating Healthy Children

2011-07-24T12:34:00.000+10:00

Soon to have our first child! We have been researching and reading a lot of literature on creating healthy raw children! A few books which are a fantastic read include:

Creating Healthy Children, by Karen Ranzi

In today’s fast-paced world, our children’s health and nutrition are being compromised by the constant rush to find the quick solution, resulting in our new generation’s weight problems as well as more frequent cases of disease due to weakened immune systems.

Author, lecturer and consultant in vegan nutrition, Karen Ranzi, has recently authored her much- anticipated new book, Creating Healthy Children Through Attachment Parenting and Raw Foods. Karen Ranzi has been a leader in the field of nutrition and child development for over fifteen years. Her 496 page book is replete with the results of seven years of research on optimal nutrition and model environmental factors from prenatal care through the teen years. Articles by leading experts in their fields and accounts by parents detailing their own positive experiences abound. By means of her education, life-changing personal experiences, and sincere desire to share her message, Karen has been able to guide thousands toward developing excellent health.

Creating Healthy Children presents many values nature has given us to restore our children’s health through solid nutritional principles. In this informative transformational book, Karen Ranzi will guide you on the path to creating happier and healthier children, confident of their disease-free future. She will share the importance of understanding children’s biological and emotional needs. Rather than medicate a child’s asthma, ear infections, chronic allergies, learning, attention and hyperactivity disorders, and other illnesses, Karen’s approach simply eliminates the causes of disease through the healthful raw food lifestyle. You will learn the importance of obtaining the best possible nourishment for your family, and how to implement healthy choices successfully. Creating Healthy Children reveals terrific tips for children of all ages in how to improve their diet and lifestyle. Parents, future parents, pregnant mothers, teachers, social workers, psychologists, and anyone else who works with or has children needs to read this book.

Its been a while

2011-05-14T17:42:00.000+10:00

Hi All,
So its been a while and the adventures haven't stopped but we have been a bit busy of late and what feels like yesterday - when I look at the last post made it was Febuary! It is already May! and how time is flying! so to catch up for the last few months! I am going to post some post with information I have found, our raw adventures ( we went to Tasmania on a two week van adventure! and what has been happening in the world of Raw Food!

One of the biggest growth periods of our lives has been my belly! With this little bub now six months and we have three months to go! My eating has become high in Raw again - thanks to my 100% raw partner in life - Hamish ! But a lot of learning on the live food diet has also been happening through Gabriel Cousens and his teachings - posts to come!

Anyway we are back on board! and look forward to recieving your emails and advice and us posting the latest information we find our our adventures!
love sarah and hamish

A great pregnancy Juice

2011-02-17T11:34:00.000+11:00

So I struggled for the first trimester to get my regular daily juice into me.. and have just discovered a great Juice that I now love again! I’m not sure if they hormones have settled down but I definitely feel a little sense of vitality entering my body again! the trick apples!

Pregnancy Juice that doesn’t want to make you sick!

Carrots
Celery
Cucumber
Green leafs ( kale or spinach!)
Apples!

The sweeter the juice is - the easier it is to seem to swallow!

I’m not sure if anyone else has have these problems!

Another great resource to meet like minded mums is Give It To Me Raw! check it out! Not just great for Raw mums - but for anyone interested in Raw Food and the lifestyle! http://www.giveittomeraw.com/profile/SarahNolan