Raw Food, Right Now! The best of raw food and beyond

The End of Raw Food Right Now

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi and JS) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 07:25:00 +0000

This Is The End of Raw Food Right Now…

Yes, we regret to inform you, that this is the last and final post of Raw Food Right Now.

We're not kidding. This is the end.

The end of something beautiful.

But first, a little history...

And to think that Raw Food Right Now almost never happened…all because someone else had a raw food coaching business with a name too similar to our original name.

Our blog had a name that someone else also had. I (Heidi) had just given a raw food demonstration in front of 50 people in summer of 2006. They all wanted our website address. And two weeks in we had to rename our website.

One afternoon, we had a big meeting while having iced tea in an organic coffee shop. We asked ourselves….

"What is this website going to be about?" We wrote down a lot of ideas. We kept going back into recipes. We looked at what everyone else was doing with their raw food blogs… (and keep in mind that was only about less than a dozen people) …writing down what they ate everyday…we thought we could do that…

But then we got serious. What is our ultimate problem with raw food?

Our ultimate problem was this:

"How does someone GO RAW and STAY RAW"? That was the ultimate problem for everyone. How do you do it? What do you do when you "go raw"?

And why does it seem that going raw is sooo hard? Isn't there an easier way?

And JS said it - so simply - just like that ….Raw Food Right Now...and there it was. It became Raw Food Right Now.

That simple question became our mission. Our mantra.

When we started, we just wanted to make the decision to be raw, and just do it. Now. And have it be that easy for everyone.

After that, over the years, we wrote over 650 articles.

Articles that you just read through, if you're here on the final blog post.

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The vibe of RFRN didn't happen right away.

We didn't know where we were headed when we started, but within the first month we knew we had a purpose - to capture the raw food movement as it was happening on the Web.

We became devoted to being THE news site for the raw food movement. We became journalists, covering the raw food beat. So many stories….

We searched for news stories about raw food.

We shared up-and-coming raw bloggers. New raw products. New raw websites.

We created the Ultimate List of Raw Food Blogs…and watched the number of raw food blogs grow, and grow, and grow.

We connected with so many amazing people. And a few jerks. But mostly good people.

We tried to capture the news. Not the cheesey raw food news in newspapers. Rather, we covered what was really happening in the raw food world. We knew what the news was. It was our job to talk about it.

We were there when Oprah was going to have Kris Carr on her show. That ended up being our most popular post. Ever.

We even started this site with a challenge called the Raw Recipe Challenge. Where we decided that we would learn how to be 100% raw by making every single recipe in the few raw food books we had. Before we got really tired of it.

We had products sent to us. Constantly. WAY more than you ever saw, because many people had products that didn't meet our standards.

There were some products you really liked. Some products we really liked. We tried to tell you how much the good products meant to us.

In sharing the raw food world, we succeeded. We succeeded in sharing with you what is happening in the raw food world.

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We were given the gift of being journalists….without working for a big publication with ulterior motives.

Some companies we really believed in. This wasn't some marketing propaganda. This was because we went behind the scenes. We knew that these companies were truly walking their raw walk, while others were flat our liars.

Everything we posted about, we stood behind. That is something we will ALWAYS do, wherever we go from this day forward.

Some companies aren't completely honest. There are less of them now, but then again there are still some big companies that are out there trying to be "raw" for the sake of convincing you that their product is "raw" and therefore, "healthy".

We believe in truth. It is more than just a word to both of us. It is a sacred word
.
So…yeah. We blogged. Some months more than others, but we didn't stop. We kept going.

Why did we keep going with RFRN? Because we believed we had to share our knowledge with others….and most importantly with YOU.

We wanted you to know what is happening in the raw food world. We wanted you to know what products worked for us, what recipes worked for us, what companies have good food and equipment to buy.

We wanted YOU to be as raw as YOU wanted to be.

And that certainly meant 100% if you want, or less than that.

Did you know that before JS and I got on the raw food scene….it was totally uncool to be "less than 100%"???

If there is something that we added to the raw food community, it was that we were willing to stand up and say we aren't 100%. And that is totally OK.

And then over the years we found out that almost everyone isn't PERFECT 100% RAW ALL THE TIME. What a complete and utter lie.

That is the ultimate lie of the raw food world.

We've seen with our own eyes, actual raw food experts, eating - gasp! - cooked food. And they were always telling people how perfect they always are with their food.

It can break your spirit. And in a way, it broke my spirit. It broke my raw food spirit. It broke my heart.

But eventually we had to move on.

We changed, over time. But mostly we became even more passionate to share what WAS working, what products ARE raw, what people DO have integrity, and so on, and so on.

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We learned so much.

We learned about blogging. We blogged. We read about how to blog. We kept blogging.
We became authors. Our first ebook, Raw Thanksgiving eBook, was an inspired work of creativity. We shared our actual Thanksgiving meal with over a thousand people over the years via that eBook.

We podcasted. We interviewed Carol Alt, among others. We were podcasting just as podcasting was about to become cool.

We streamed video on UStream.

We had a Facebook page.

We had Raw Success Right Now, a successful membership site. For those that were a part of that, thank you again for being a part of such an amazing experience.

Our books were so popular, we released two more recipe books - Raw Christmas and Raw Easter. We wrote these books because we hated what it felt like to be a part of the holidays with family while on this diet. We didn't want other people to suffer.

We released many, many free resources. Like the Raw Holiday Guide, which was a free email support system and PDF that Heidi created. People STILL remember that and thank us every Christmas for it.

We wrote for multiple magazines, both raw and non-raw.

We were interviewed for multiple magazines, both raw and non-raw.

We began working with other authors, and created Elixir Synergy with Brandon Gilbert.

We shared our lives with you.

We openly talked about how "raw" we were at any given moment.

JS shared his issues with coffee.

I shared my entire juice feast.

Raw Food Right Now was kind of like a marriage. In good times and in bad, we stuck it out. We kept sharing. We kept blogging.

Maybe that's why the end of Raw Food Right Now feels so emotional for us.

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How did this happen? How did we get here? How did we get to the end?

All I know is that it is the end. And there is nothing I can do about it.

Now I know how John, Paul, George, and Ringo felt like when the Beatles broke up. Sure, things happened, they each had their own part in it, but in the end, it was over. They couldn't help it.

In the past year JS and I have had a lot of very personal things happen in our life, too personal to share right now. Painful, emotional things, that made it impossible to blog about raw food.

And now its gone too far, making it impossible for us to go further with this website.

But we should not be sad at this ending.

Everything ends at some point. Even blogs.

We're just willing to tell it how it is. To share with you that this is the end of something.
This isn't the end of either of us…just a dissolving of a project that we loved so much.

So here we are.

The end......

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The end of an era. It truly is. We feel so fortunate that the raw food world had a "Golden Era", and we were totally a part of that. It was a wonderful time, these past few years.
In the past year we have seen that the raw food world has fragmented into different groups. Some people have gotten "EVEN MORE RAW", whatever that means. Others, have kept raw food a part of their diet, but also added in different foods, especially fermented foods.

Keep on the lookout for other food movements:

Body Ecology
Primal
Paleo
Gluten Free (Nope - being raw doesn't mean being gluten free!)
Traditional Foods
Low Carb
Nourishing Traditions

A blend of all of these and more...…and more…

Raw food is still here. For many of us, it is a foundation. And for many of us, it is something that we use to build our other foods and health practices upon.

Nowadays most people we know don't even call the way they eat with a label like "raw foodist", or "raw vegan" or whatever. Now people use a variety of different ways of eating, and blend it all together in a way that works for them, and that is what they eat.

That's what's happened to JS and myself. We aren't just "raw" anymore. We're so much more than that. We've been putting together the pieces into something I can't just define with one word. We may never have a word to explain how we eat.

The closest I can get is that we eat "healthy"....most of the time.

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As always, JS and I have always wanted to leave you with something to learn. Some parting wisdom.

Well, here it is...

If there is any wisdom we can end our RFRN journey together, it is to inspire YOU to strive to be 100% HAPPY.

If you are forcing yourself to eat food you hate, you are hurting your body.

If you are forcing yourself to be 100% raw, and you feel something isn't quite right, then you are hurting your body.

You have to be happy in this life. Health and happiness go hand in hand.

We want you to be happy. We want you to find out what makes you happy.

We want you to continue exploring what makes you feel healthy, and happy.

There is no end to health. It keeps going. You keep adding to it. There is always more to learn.

There is always more to tweak in your own health.

Keep going.

Keep exploring.

Keep trying new foods, new recipes, new health adventures.

Keep reading new books. Keep reading new blogs.

Keep going.

Keep it up and never stop.

And while you're on this adventure…make sure you do it with a smile.

Smile, and enjoy the ride……

Thank you, thank you, thank you, for everything.

THE END.

~ Heidi and JS
The End of Raw Food Right Now

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THIS BLOG WILL DESTRUCT IN TWO WEEKS. THIS BLOG WILL BE DELETED ON DECEMBER 1st 2011. THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO CONNECT WITH US.....

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FIND US ON THE WEB:

So, where do we go from here? We have so much more that we want to share with the world. For now, here is where you can find us:

Heidi Ohlander:

Website: http://www.heidiohlander.com
Tumblr: - where I post photos of our life, kind of my personal diary: http://heidiohlander.tumblr.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/heidiohlander
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heidiohlander
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/114850856787256556043
My favorite: Find me on Instagram! my user name is heidiohlander

JS Ohlander:

Website: http://jsohlander.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jsohlander
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jsohlander
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/jsohlander
Google+ : https://plus.google.com/u/0/104685338854649790166/
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NEW MAILING LIST!!

Also, we’ve started a mailing list where we will be announcing our upcoming projects as they unfold. We have lots of plans for where we want to take our careers. Over the years, many of you have gotten to know US as people, (as Heidi and Justin), beyond the relationship of raw food blogger to raw food blog reader. But you got to know us, and many of you always are wondering what we are up to.

Sign up to this list to find out.

We are not going to be constantly spamming you with lots of emails. This will be a pretty low-key list, mostly announcing different projects, blogs, and other stuff we are launching. Feel free to sign up below, you can unsubscribe anytime:

If you do not see the form above, you can sign up for the list here: http://forms.aweber.com/form/09/1741403809.htm

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Do you want everything we ever did from this site?
We turned this blog into a PDF to back it up and realized that we wrote a lot of useful information that we left for free to the world for years. Tons of it. It would be a shame to see it all go to waste in the ash bin of history.
If you ever found any value in what we wrote, we are offering our 1,320 pages of content we wrote on this blog in one handy, searchable PDF for $10.
We are only going to offer it for the next two weeks and then this information will be gone forever, as we are completely taking this site down on December 1st, 2011
You can purhcase RFRN: The Book here: Purchase RFRN: The Book

Thank you for supporting our work all these years!

Love,

~ Heidi & JS

Jack LaLanne Dies at Age 96

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi and JS) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 05:01:00 +0000

Jack LaLanne Dies at Age 96

Fitness pioneer and raw food enthusiast Jack LaLanne passed away earlier today at his home in Morro Bay, along the California coast. Friends and family were there by his bedside. Cause of death was complications of pneumonia.

photo by Jay Replete / Associated Press

"I have not only lost my husband and a great American icon, but the best friend and most loving partner anyone could ever hope for," - Elaine LaLanne, in a written statement

LaLanne ate healthy and exercised every day of his life. His exercise routine usually ran for two hours a day, involving weights and cardiovascular fitness.

Fun Facts About Jack LaLanne:

At age 45 he did a World Record breaking 1,000 push-ups and 1,000 chin-ups in 86 minutes
At age 70 he towed 70 boats for 1.5 miles in Long Beach Harbor
The Jack LaLanne show began in 1951 and ran for 34 years on television
Jack LaLanne opened the first modern "health club" as we know it today
Inspired by his mentor, Paul Bragg, Jack made juicing popular

Jack LaLanne Obituary Links:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110124/ap_on_sp_ot/us_obit_jack_lalanne
http://www.npr.org/2011/01/23/133167438/fitness-pioneer-jack-lalanne-dies-at-age-96
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70N0JQ20110124

Jack LaLanne on YouTube
The best way to show the astounding energy and vitality of Jack is to see clips on YouTube. Behold!!

Jack Lalanne appears on CBS Early Show last year in 2010:
Excellent overview of Jack's life!

Best Quote Ever:

"I can't afford to die... it would wreck my image." - Jack LaLanne, 2010

We would normally say Rest in Peace...but we know Jack is already working out in heaven.
We hope there begins a new internet meme where Chuck Norris jokes are replaced with Jack LaLanne jokes...becuase with Jack Lalanne.... everything that would be said about him would be TRUE!

We love you Jack! Go whip heaven into shape!

- Raw Food Right Now
http://www.rawfoodrightnow.com

Daniel Vitalis Sensational YouTube Parody Videos!

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi and JS) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 06:45:00 +0000

Daniel Vitalis has created quite a stir in the raw food community over two videos he has recently released to promote the talks he gave at last year's Longevity Now Conference.

We weren't able to make it last year but we did purchase the live stream of the conference, and saw the conference from the comfort of our home.

While we love the conference, we are actually finding these latest videos from Daniel to be very entertaining - full of inside jokes, and impersonations of David Wolfe, Matt Monarch, and even himself!

Daniel Vitalis is a Primal Neanderthal Man in the Cold Winter of Maine, USA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjFb2xAEEew

In Video Two Daniel pokes fun at elixirs, goji berries, animal products, David Wolfe, Matt Monarch, and even himself!

Daniel Vitalis pokes fun at his good friends David Wolfe, Matt Monarch, elixirs and more!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n-oE2otVJk

If you know anything about the raw food/longevity/traditional foods - health movements, you will totally get a kick out of this!!

Enjoy!!

- Heidi and JS
http://www.rawfoodrightnow.com

p.s. We don't have an affiliate link for the Longevity Now Conference...but we really really liked it and got a lot of great information and inspiration from watching the Conference. If you want to purchase the Longevity Now CD's, and you appreciated the lightness and humor of Daniel's videos, it would be nice if you purchased a copy of the DVDs via Daniel's affiliate link. He's not asking us to mention it, we just think it is nice to let you know what his direct link to purchasing the DVDs are. So if you want to buy the Longevity Now Conference DVD set... click Daniel's affiliate link here: http://bit.ly/aewiX0

This Man Has Been Raw for 104 Years [video]

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi and JS) — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 19:49:00 +0000

109-Year Old Raw Foodist Bernardo LaPallo Interview

[Video no longer available]

Recently we posted about 109-year old raw foodist Bernardo LaPallo. Bernardo's incredible story has been sweeping the raw and living food scene ever since the story broke. People are absolutely fascinated and want to know more about this man.

Our friend and author of Heal Yourself 101, Markus Rothkranz, had a chance to recently sit down and interview Bernardo about his history, what his top favorite foods are, and lots of other fascinating info.

He's Already Outlived His Son By Nearly 29 Years

Yes, this is a really great interview to watch and inspire you to keep eating as healthy as you can, but we found it mind-blowing that he's been eating this way for 104 years! Yes, you read that right.... 104 YEARS.

He even has outlived his son already...by about 29 years! Wow.

Listen closely to his top favorite foods. When we found out what his number one food was, we had to smile. What a amazing food to be included in your diet! And so simple and readily available, even locally. Find out what it is by watching the video above.

As we mentioned in our last post about Bernardo, he stresses how important it is to take an open and relaxed view to your health and food. He says how important it is to not be so dogged in your beliefs that you obsess over obtaining perfection in your diet.

Bernando hasn't been 100% perfect in his diet every day of his life, and it seems to be working well for him!

We wholeheartedly agree!

~ Heidi & JS
http://RawFoodRightNow.com

Rawsome Foods on Colbert Report - Video

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi and JS) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 01:26:00 +0000

In our previous post we mentioned that Rawsome Foods would be featured on The Colbert Report. In case you missed it, here is the video embeded below.

Mind you, Colbert takes ample time to make fun of both sides, but hopefully, through comedy, there can be more people made aware of the Food Freedom issue.

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Rawesome Foods Raid

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

2010 Election

March to Keep Fear Alive

You can see the video in a larger size over at the Colbert Report website.

FOOD FREEDOM!!!

Enjoy?!

- Heidi
Raw Food Right Now
http://www.rawfoodrightnow.com

Rawsome Farms on Colbert Report Tonight

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi and JS) — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 19:31:00 +0000

How would you feel if one day while shopping at your local food co-op, a group federal agents, FDA, FBI, and agents from the Department of Agriculture entered the building with guns, wanting to take your raw food away?

Watch the video now. You will be shocked! This is a food buying club!

That's exactly what happened earlier this summer at Rawsome, a private buying club in Venice, California.

You probably haven't heard about this on most raw food blogs because they are scared to mention it.

How would you feel if your organic raw food was taken away from you without proper warning, without a proper search warrant? How would you feel if your main food source, your access to local food was taken away from you?

This could happen to YOU! This could happen to YOUR TOWN!

How does that make you feel?!

It Happened to Me

“It is not what they take away from you that counts. It's what you do with what you have left.”

- Hubert H. Humphrey

I can tell you how it makes me feel because MY local private buying club, Traditional Foods, endured a very similar situation earlier this summer! We were going for our weekly grocery shopping when we walked up to the door and found an "Embargo" sign posted on the locked door. Our buying club has been CLOSED ever since.

There is Hope

Fortunately there are passionate people who won't back down and are continuing to fight for our food rights. There are Farmer Defense Funds, and even Rawsome has created their own fund called Real Food Rights where you can donate to help with the incredible costs of trying to keep food freedom alive.

Nationwide Publicity

Tonight the topic of the Rawsome raid will be featured on The Colbert Report. Hopefully with an element of comedy can we get the word out about what happened in Venice, California.

After all....medical marijuana grows just down the street from Rawsome...but the feds decided to raid Rawsome instead. Should be an interesting show!

New to this story on Rawsome? Here are some great links for more information.

First Raw Almonds... now this. Here is my new battle cry:

FOOD FREEDOM!!!!

~ Heidi
RawFoodRightNow
http://www.rawfoodrightnow.com

109 Year-Old Raw Foodist Celebrates His Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi and JS) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:29:00 +0000

109 Year-Old Raw Foodist Recently Celebrates His Birthday

Raw foodist and author Bernardo LaPallo just celebrated his 109th birthday on August 17. Take a look at the video from Fox News Phoenix below to see just how young and vibrant this amazing man is:

Bernardo looks younger than most people I know in their 70s and 80s! He is a living example at just how powerful diet and a positive outlook in life can be.

109 years old! Let's put that into perspective. Birth year: 1901. Bernardo is still very much alive and kicking, and was born before Lou Gehrig, Charles Lindbergh, Bob Hope, George Orwell and 13 years before World War I.

And he's not even done yet. Bernardo expresses to the interviewer in the video above just how often he thinks of death: never.

A true Immortalist!

Bernardo LaPallo is not a 100% raw foodist

If you watch the video, note that he is not a 100% raw foodist and still consumes fish along with some other basic grocery store foods, but the bulk of his diet is fresh vegetables, fruits, and fish. I would wager that most healthy centenarians are not so obsessive about their diet and don't maintain the strict dogma that many of us in the movement are prone to. Bernardo is a true Health Rebel.

Bernado shows us that a relaxed and open attitude to diet is amenable to a long and truly healthy life.

Bernardo doesn't just eat his way to youth, though. He is a confirmed advocate of using olive oil on his skin every single day as one of his youthening protocols. Those of us in the optimal health community are well aware of the benefits of rubbing coconut oil on the skin as often as possible.

Not Waiting to Die...

What's so cool about Bernardo's story, is that he isn't just sitting down everyday with tubes sticking up his nose. He is very active and very aware. His brain is firing and he has a fire in his eyes.

In fact, this centenarian is the author of a recent book about health and longevity called Age Less, Live More. In addition, he is actively pursued as a consultant by those wishing to maintain their own high levels of health from around the world.

What else does the future hold for Bernardo? In addition to releasing another book soon, he wants to open up a raw food/American food hybrid restaurant in his town of Mesa. Oh, and he has a blog too: http://www.agelesslivemorestore.com.

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We don't know about you, but we can definitely say that we hope to be as active, aware, and ambitious as Bernardo LaPallo is at 109 years young.

Happy Immortality, Bernardo!

~ JS and Heidi
http://www.RawFoodRightNow.com

How to Start on a Raw Food Diet

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi and JS) — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 00:08:00 +0000

Long time RFRN reader and fabulous designer Marta Spendowska recently posted one of the best summaries we've seen on how to start (and stick) with a raw food diet. Marta has been around the raw food scene at least as long as we have and has a lot of insightful wisdom to share.

Even though we no longer follow a strict 'raw vegan' diet these days, we encourage many of those starting their health journeys to follow such a regimen for a while to cleanse their bodies before they start adding other things back in. The raw vegan diet is excellent at completely stripping and cleansing a toxic body when done properly.

How to Start Eating Raw

So how does one start this path? We're going to summarize Marta's 10 steps here and you can go to her full article to get the overview of her steps. We're going to list each step below and give a little commentary from our own perspective:

Educate yourself. This is extremely important. Without at least some prior knowledge about what you're doing, you are doomed to fail. This means reading raw food blogs (like this one!), websites, and books.

Decide about so-called ‘ percentage ‘ of how much raw food you're going to start eating. To someone first starting out, they may not realize that not every raw fooders eats "100% raw". Many quickly abandon the diet when they can't do what they think is the only way to do it. A good rule of thumb is to start "50% raw", then as you adjust to the diet, increase more raw food until you get to the magical "100% raw".

Decide about the time frame of raw diet. This is very important. Give it a 2 week trial to see how it feels for you. Or, if you are really passionate, make a commitment to stick with it long enough until you've cleansed your body.

Buy nice, inspiring notebook and set an intention. It's critical to keep yourself motivated and inspired. The best question you can ask yourself is, "Why am I doing this"? Do you want to lose weight, clear your skin, etc.?

Decide if you can get rid of everything that contradicts with raw food diet. If you're not going 100% raw, what do you want to keep around? See if you can get rid of any item in your kitchen that doesn't match what you intend to eat. We know some people are 100% raw except for steamed veggies. Other people like to eat sprouted grain bread, or perhaps some cheese.

Decide if you should talk about your raw trip with others. Often it's best and easiest to tell as few people as possible about what you're doing. Unless you are 100% confident in what you are doing and armed with lots of knowledge, you may get easily swayed away from what you're doing from well-meaning friends and family. Keep it to yourself if you can.

Decide how to act in public places. How are you going to eat out? It's going to happen, so you may as well plan for it. If you aren't going 100%, we recommend just eating the best you can and not making it a big deal when you're out. Just wing it, but try to avoid going out as much as you can while you are doing this.

Search for local food. This is ideal, but not always feasible on a raw diet. Do the best you can. Farmers Markets are excellent sources of local raw food!

Always, always, always have something prepared in your fridge. This is the most important step and key in this list in how to stay raw. Make sure you always have something available to eat that is on your plan.

Food is not everything. Find other healthy obsessions! Yes! Chill out. It's just food. Don't make it a raw-ligion. Obsessions are never healthy.

Making a big dietary shift doesn't have to be difficult if you plan and intend what you are actually doing properly. Give yourself a little prep time, a goal, a time line, and stick to it. You can always re-evaluate after your trail or cleanse ends.

~ Raw Food, Right Now
http://www.RawFoodRightNow.com

Elixir Synergy: Elixir Recipe and Guidebook

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi and JS) — Fri, 21 May 2010 07:22:00 +0000

Maca, Lucuma, Goji Berries and more! Mmm!

Announcing Elixir Synergy: An Elixir Recipe and Guidebook!

We love elixirs - We both make at least one Elixir a day...and sometimes two. Tonic herbal drinks have become the basis of our diet in the last two years and we absolutely love making these magical drinks!

Elixirs save so much time in the kitchen. After years of making these amazing drinks, our health has improved dramatically.

We enjoy elixirs so much that we had to write an ebook about it!

That is why we are happy to announce our latest creation:

Elixir Synergy: A Tonic Herbal Drink Recipe and Guidebook

Our best elixir recipes are in Elixir Synergy!

We have been tweaking elixir recipes for years. But we wanted an elixir book with a wide range of recipes. That's why we've teamed up with tonic herbal master Brandon Gilbert to bring you a project we are very excited about!

We first introduced you to Brandon when he launched his online herb shop, Hyperion Herbs.

Brandon has been learning about herbalism and elixirs for years and even ran a series of successful herbal tonic bars.

Many of the recipes you'll find in Elixir Synergy are the ones you would find in his tonic bars!

Quantum Leap in RFRN ebooks

Nothing has given us the deep satisfaction and joy that we felt when creating Elixir Synergy.

Heidi designed this entire book, making it a labor of love, carefully crafted over the past six months. Over 200 hours went into creating this book.

So What Exactly is in this ebook?

These tonic drinks are a re-awakening of ancient herbal traditions coupled with our modern technology (blenders) and access to powerful new foods (superfoods and herbs).

We've specifically designed this ebook to be:

One part basic introductory course on how to create Elixirs, and;
One part recipe book, so you can take this new knowledge and immediately apply it to making your own unique Elixir creations.

The ebook is designed to guide you through, step-by-step, how to make a basic Elixir; from tea creation, to nut milks, and more. You will get a solid foundation on how to make elixirs.

The recipes are well rounded enough that you get some very simple ones in addition to some of our favorite intermediate and advanced recipes.

We've taken our elixir knowledge and whittled it down into the easiest to follow instructions we possibly could. On top of that, we filled the book full of a variety of Elixir recipes to not only get you started, but to take you on a long journey to advanced tonic herbal drinks.

No more secrets of mysterious herb sources!

If you've followed any of us on Facebook or YouTube, you may have been wondering where we get all of these crazy herbs and powders from. Included in Elixir Synergy is a Shopping Guide so you will learn where to get these herbs and powders for your own Elixirs.

So if you have been making your own Elixirs and are bored with your favorite recipes, or have never done Elixirs before or are just looking for something new or to deepen your experience and knowledge, this guide has you covered!

You can see the entire list of recipes here: http://www.elixirsynergy.com

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Super Sale Price:

The retail price of Elixir Synergy is 27.00 But as a way to say thank you, we are offering Elixir Synergy for only $19 - that's 8 dollars off the regular price!

This sale is for one week only - and goes through Friday, May 28th at 11:59 PM CST.

We won't be offering this price again, so if you're ready to make elixirs, come join the fun today!

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Brandon, Heidi, and I want to thank you deeply for all of you've done for us over the years and we sincerely desire that you will get a lifetime of skills out of this book as well as helping to support our work.

Cheers to your Elixir journey!

~ JS & Heidi Ohlander
http://www.RawFoodRightNow.com
http://www.elixirsynergy.com

Guide to Raw-Friendly Sugar-Free Sweeteners

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi and JS) — Sun, 16 May 2010 08:03:00 +0000

What is the Best Natural, Sugar-Free Sweetener?

For those following a sugar-free raw food diet, low-glycemic diet or other sugar/ carb-free dietary modality, the question of 'What is the best sweetener?' is an important one.

Our friends over at We Like it Raw are asking the same question. Since both of us (JS and Heidi) have been doing a low-sugar diet for a couple years now, we've been through the sweetener merry-go-round and have quite a lot of experience with many different natural sweeteners.

Many people out there, for various reasons, are following a Dr. Gabriel Cousens Phase I diet or a Body Ecology Diet type of protocol. These are both low-glycemic and/or sugar-free dietary plans for those looking to overcome certain challenges that sugar can provoke, and both of them have various amounts of raw/living food incorporated into the programs. These programs have been very popular with people suffering with candida symptoms, as well as overall issues with health that have not been helped with simply a "raw food diet" by itself.

And now that agave nectar has been getting quite the bad rap lately, many people are vigorously seeking information on alternative sweeteners.

The two that are at the forefront of the low-sugar quest right now are stevia and xylitol.

Stevia: The Natural King of the Sweeteners

We talked about stevia in our SweetLeaf review last year as probably one of the most popular dietary sweeteners in the world. And now that the FDA finally gave stevia GRAS in 2008, this 'sweet leaf' has become the sweetener of choice for many in the raw and superfood movements.

It is rare to find an expert bad-mouthing stevia. Most people and health experts cite stevia as an ideal sweetener. After all, stevia is:

completely natural
sweeter than sugar
calorie-free, and
no-glycemic

Some people like it. Other people can't get used to the flavor and try to avoid it completely.

We love stevia. And the thing we both really like about it is that it's just an herb, a plant! In fact, you can even just take the powdered version of the raw stevia plant and use it as a sweetener. This is often referred to as 'Green Leaf Stevia', whereas most stevias you will find in packets or bottles are white and refined (known as stevia 'crystals'). We don't usually recommend the white powdered stevias, as sometimes there are questionable additives. The white stevia powders are also many times sweeter than the dried, ground leaf. If you're going to use white stevia, finding a quality source is crucial.

Interested in stevia? We recommend either the powdered green leaf stevia or the liquid stevia flavored sweeteners from SweetLeaf. Both are excellent and come highly recommended. We use the flavored, liquid sweeteners nearly every day!

Unless you are a stevia die-hard, it's best to use stevia in conjunction with another sweetener, such as honey, maple syrup, clear agave, Yacon syrup, or another sugar-free sweetener to mitigate some of the intensely sweet flavor that many find unpleasant. If you are on a sugar-free diet, however, using any type of glycemic sweetner will not work for you. Also, you have to be sure to be cautious with amounts of stevia in recipes as a little bit of stevia goes a very long way and can easily ruin any recipe or drink.

One more thing - the honest truth about stevia: Stevia is an acquired taste. Some people say it is bitter. Other people complain it is "too sweet". And some people freak out when they think it tastes almost like an artificial sweetener. When we first tried stevia years ago, we hated it. We crinkled up our noses too. But we knew other people who had grown to love the flavor, so we continued to give it a second chance. And a third. And so on, until we got used to the taste, and then the flavor of stevia grew on us to where we are today - using it in nearly every sweet recipe...along with other sweeteners. If you don't like the taste, don't give up entirely. Give it some time. And for goodness sakes...don't use it 100% stevia the first time you try it! Start slow! A pinch at a time mixed in with your favorite other sweetener and you will soon love it too!

Xylitol - the Healthy Natural Sweetener That Starts With an X

Xylitol has been going around the raw movement for quite some time, but most people do not understand what xylitol really is. Xylitol is a powdered sugar-alcohol that is naturally occurring in many fruits and vegetables, but is usually derived commercially from corn or birch trees. Xylitol is often found in health food stores as a sweetener for gum and toothpastes. It's been reported to be excellent for teeth, but this fact is highly disputed.

We've found xylitol works best when combined with stevia or honey and is great for drinks and elixirs.

Note: Xylitol is poisonous to dogs, but totally non-toxic to humans. Be very careful with this sweetener around your pets.

Xylitol is also part of the whole sugar-alcohol sweetener family. Other popular sugar-alcohol sweeteners are erythritol, malitol, sorbitol, etc. It should be noted that all sugar-alcohols do have a small amount of carbohydrates and calories, while stevia is calorie-free.

What is nice about xylitol is that it has a pleasant taste that is similar to sugar. It can be found in packages in granulated form or powdered form, just like sugar. The flavor of xylitol works nicely in all sorts of recipes that call for sweetener. Compared to agave, it is slightly less sweet, so you would want to add a bit more, or make a combination of xylitol and stevia, or a variety of sweetners until you reach your desired taste.

Important: If you are going to get xylitol, make sure you get organic birch xylitol and not corn xylitol, which is often derived from GMO-corn. We know you are health conscious, and you don't want to be eating GMO corn! Besides, according to research it is the birch xylitol that has been found to aid the teeth.

Sugar-alcohol sweeteners have been naturally occurring in plants, but have been extracted only recently. While stevia has been used by many cultures for centuries, sugar-alcohols have been produced commercially within the last 30 years. Although we personally have been using the sugar-alcohol sweeteners with great success for years, along with many other people who are following various low-sugar diets, the long-term effects of these new sweeteners are still undecided. That is why it is important to look for new research and information on this subject. Keep up to date on any developments in this area and enjoy sparingly. We will do our best to keep you updated as well.

Superfood sweeteners

While not generally considered "sweeteners", there are many superfood flours out there that are low-glycemic but sweet to the taste. These come from the carbohydrates in the superfood, but for those who can handle a small amount of carbohydrates, these are excellent and may even be sweet enough to use without resorting to other sweeteners. These include: lucuma, maca, mesquite, and tocotrienols.

There are many others that we won't go into in this article, but you can research on your own, including: jerusalem artichoke syrup, yacon root syrup, coconut palm sugar, lo han guo, and many others. These are harder to find and are not as commercially available at this time.

Our Personal Experience With Sugar-Free Sweeteners

We've been using natural sugar-free sweeteners fairly regularly for a couple years. Too much of these sweeteers does seem to create a strange reaction (only high amounts!) in some people. Also, we have experimented with many different brands, and have found that there is a huge difference in quality of brands and types.

If you want to use stevia leaf, the best brand to go with is Sweet Leaf.

If you want to use xylitol, always go for birch-derived and organic xylitol.

Just like stevia, with any of these sweeteners you want to be careful with dosage. Not because it's too sweet, but because large amounts can 'set you off' if you're not used to it. It's best to combine multiple no-sugar sweeteners to get the desired effect. Or combine with small amounts of honey. Honey and a pinch of stevia go a long way if you're not on a completely sugar-free diet.

That being said, it will be interesting to see where all the research and direct experience from users of these sweeteneres will lead us in the next few years, especially with all the sugar-alcohols.

Start slow and gauge your reaction carefully. If they jibe well with you, you will have found some new best friends!

~ JS and Heidi

http://RawFoodRightNow.com

Chocolate Math

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi and JS) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 08:19:00 +0000

How many times a week do you want to eat chocolate? Once? Twice? Everyday?

Try this funny "math" problem! Just follow the steps in the image below and try it out.

Did it work?! Crazy, huh?!

And if you want to eat some chocolate, here are a few of our favorite chocolate companies we recommend:

Gnosis Chocolate
Sacred Chocolate
Righteously Raw Bars
Blackbird Naturals (technically they are raw truffles..but it's still chocolate!)

So? How many chocolate bars do you want to eat?

- Raw Food Right Now
http://www.rawfoodrightnow.com

Basic Green Juice Recipe and How to Juice Without a Juicer

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi and JS) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 06:30:00 +0000

Green Juicing: The Best of the Best

Spring is the perfect time to start juicing again. Once the warm weather sets in here where we live, we start to feel the 'call of juice'. Spring time is generally a great time to eat lighter and allow your body to cleanse and release some of the stored-up junk in your body from the more dense winter foods.

What's the best type of juice to drink?

Well, that is a matter of personal choice, but if we had to go with one type of juice, we'd definitely pick a standard green juice. You probably hear a lot about the benefits of not only greens, but specifically green juice. Is there an easy way to get these liquid greens into your diet?

Green Juice: The Simple Method

As we've been simplifying our kitchen and diet over the last year or so, we've thought a great deal about what's really essential and beneficial to our diets. There is a lot of talk about the benefits of juicing and more specifically, green juice. But nothing sucks the fun and desire out of juicing than dealing with a juicer...the cleaning, the assembling, etc.

Do you need to buy a juicing book to get the benefits of juicing? No. Do you need to buy a juicer? Not necessarily.

We're going to give you our favorite, streamlined method of the only juice we really make these days.

So, grab the following and let's get started.

Equipment for Making Green Juice

VitaMix blender.
Nut milk bag.
Glass-bowl (or other bowl with nice pour spout).
Your fresh produce! (recommended: organic celery, cucumber, green apples, ginger, lemon, and dark leafy greens)

Instructions for Making 'Simple Green Juice':

Wash, scrub, clean your produce.
Start off with anywhere from 1-6 stalks of celery (cut in thirds) and pour in enough spring water (or other filtered water) to nearly cover the celery. Blend in a Vita-Mix or whatever blender you have until it's all liquid. It may be a little "goopy" from the celery, and that's ok as long as it is an evenly blended mixture.
Add in 1/2 to a full chopped cucumber (de-skinned if non-organic).
Add in 1/2 or one whole peeled lemon.
Add in one thumb-sized piece of ginger (more or less to taste). Optional but strongly recommended.
Cut up a couple green, granny-smith apples and throw them in too.
Blend this us into a liquid.
Add in as many greens as you can handle. Great ones to add are: chard, kale, spinach, arugula, any lettuce, any sprouts you like, fresh watercress, wheatgrass, etc.
Blend it all up into a thick liquid.
Get out a nut-milk bag and pour the liquid mash into the bowl through the bag. Squeeze out all the juice you can.
Rinse out the blender, pour your green juice back in.
Add in any superfood green powders you like (chlorella, spirulina, Vitamineral Green, etc.). Blend on low to medium speed. Taste. Make sure to end your blend cycle on low to remove the foam.

Best to drink right away to maintain all the vital nutrients.

Storing tips: to retain the most amount of nutrients, fill a mason jar with your green juice all the way to the top and seal tightly. Store in your fridge and enjoy within 12 hours.

There is a lot of variations you can do to this juice recipe. The most beneficial variable is to rotate your greens each time you do this. Experiment with every green vegetable you can out there. People will tell you there is all sorts of things you can do to this juice, and they are right, but you don't really need to worry about it unless you are interested. So if you are busy like us, stick with the base and rotate your greens.

Get on with living your life and don't spend all your time juicing.

Note: if you don't have a high-speed blender, buy one. We're not going to skirt around the issue here and tell you to use a cheap blender. Without a powerful blender, you will be extremely limited in what you can do in your kitchen. We have used our Vita-Mix every single day for the past 5 years. How often can you say that about your kitchen appliances?! Get free shipping on the VitaMix 5200 by ordering through us here.

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This green juice recipe/method is all that you really need to know to get the most from the benefits of juicing. It tastes great, fills you up with valuable nutrients, and is easy to do in a standard raw foods kitchen or just a kitchen with a good blender.

You'll never need to buy a juicing book now unless you are really interested in trying the multitude of juice varieties out there. There is a lot you can do with juicing and it can be very involved. Fruit juices are fun to drink, but are too much sugar for most people and some fruits will require a separate juicer and won't work in a nut milk bag.

Related Resources:

JuiceFeasting.com - This is a site dedicated to a 92 day (or less) juice cleanse in which you drink enough juice in a day to meet your caloric needs. Our green juice recipe is the base for this entire program.
Heidi's 35-day juice feast.

~ Raw Food Right Now
http://RawFoodRightNow.com

Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wrestlingentropy/3695142138

Feel Better With These Raw Food Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi and JS) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 07:00:00 +0000

This is a guest post from Rita G. About Rita: Rita G. is a soon-to-be author and head editor of Snubbr.com, a site that recommends gift ideas.

If you've made the commitment to eating healthy but are still looking to take things to the next level, experimenting with raw food recipes is a perfect idea! Most people who begin introducing these into their diet find they have more energy, recovery better from their workouts, have more focus and concentration, and don't experience nearly the same level of gas and bloating that you may get from a standard diet.

The following are some great raw food recipes to get you started.

Stuffed Mushroom Cups

Stuffed mushrooms are often a pricey appetizer at most restaurants, but with this easy recipe you can create your own healthier version to serve at your next meal.

Ingredients

- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
- 1 cup chopped tomato
- ¼ cup diced cucumber
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 10-12 large mushrooms

Place all the ingredients except for the tomatoes into a food processor and chop until well mixed. Remove any built-up mixture from the sides of the blender and repeat the process until a very fine mixture has formed.

Next add in the tomato and pulse a couple of times lightly to chop it up and distribute into the mixture. Scoop this into the top of the mushrooms with stems removed and then place on a dehydrated sheet and dehydrate at 105 degrees for two to four hours checking at halftime.

Carrot Ginger Soup

If you're in the mood for a soup, this one will fit the bill perfectly. It's high in beta-carotene so will promote healthy eyesight.

Ingredients

- 10 carrots
- 1 green apple
- 1 avocado
- ½ lime
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp chopped ginger
- Pepper to taste (optional)

First juice the carrots and green apple and place into a blender. Next, add avocado, the juice from the lime, sea salt, chopped ginger, and a small amount of pepper to taste if desired. Blend up until a relatively thick consistency is formed and then place in a pot and heat until slightly warm. Serve.

Cauliflower Rice

If you're trying to reduce the overall carbohydrate content in your diet, this is a very nice option that will satisfy those cravings. Note that you can add additional herbs or spices if desired to suit your natural taste preferences and what you're serving it with.

Ingredients

- 1 large sized cauliflower
- 3 tablespoons of yeast flakes
- 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt to taste

Begin by grating the cauliflower with a cheese grater that contains large holes until you get small grain-like pieces. Mix this with the yeast flakes and then stir in the apple cider vinegar and olive oil along with salt. Serve.

Simple Kale Chips

If you're looking for something crunchy to munch on, these simple kale chips will fit the bill nicely. They can be eaten with your own homemade salsa or just by themselves for a quick snack on the run.

- 2 heads of kale, washed and torn up
- ¼ cup Tamari
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp yeast
- Salt to taste

First be sure you wash the entire kale and remove off the thickest part of the stem. Next you are to tear the kale into bite sized pieces and place that in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle over top the olive oil, tamari, yeast, as well as salt and then rub into the kale with hands.

Place this on a food dehydrator or baking sheet and then dehydrate them for about 8 hours at 115 degrees.

Mango Avocado Salad

This refreshing salad combines a very nice sweet taste that will be the perfect snack or light lunch option for warmer days.

Ingredients

- 2 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, and chopped
- 1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, and chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp cilantro leaves
- 1 tbsp black sesame seeds

After you have the mangoes and avocado's chopped and pitted, simply mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and serve. Note that you will want to eat this dish fairly soon after it's made as it won't stay fresh for extended periods of time.

So be sure you add these recipes to your raw food meal plan in the coming weeks. They are easy to prepare and you'll definitely enjoy the change of pace.

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This is a guest post from Rita G. About Rita: Rita G. is a soon-to-be author and head editor of Snubbr.com, a site that recommends gift ideas.

Brought to you by:
http://RawFoodRightNow.com

Roasted Maca 'Coffee' Elixir Drink Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi and JS) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 08:20:00 +0000

Roasted Maca as an Excellent Coffee Substitute

A lot of raw foodists and health conscious individuals are always looking for an alternative to coffee. There are many options out there and if you've battled long with coffee/caffeine addiction (such as I have), quality replacements can be a lifesaver.

Before we get to the roasted maca, I want to talk a little bit about coffee itself.

Now that I've long overcome my coffee addiction, I can enjoy it in small amounts (or infrequently in larger amounts) and won't feel any negative side effects such as cravings, headaches, irritability, etc.

At least I never overdosed on espresso so much that I ended up in the hospital like this poor girl in the UK.

These days I brew my own light espressos at home using fresh spring water, organic coffee, and a stovetop espresso maker. I'll often use shots of espresso inside of my elixirs making delicious "coffee elixirs".

But when I don't want something too stimulating, but mimics some of the effects of coffee with that 'robust' flavor, I'll turn to roasted maca.

Many of us reading this are familiar with raw maca and it's long list of benefits. But roasted maca is an entirely different food. Roasting the maca root will bring out more of its flavors and stimulating effects. For those who aren't used to stimulants, roasted maca may be too much to handle. Caution, as always, is advised.

Roasted maca can also be brewed just like coffee in a coffee-maker or french press, making it even easier as a near-instant replacement.

I often use roasted maca "coffee" as part of or as a liquid base to my elixirs. I love the flavor and turning it into a 'mocha' or 'latte' is extremely easy. I feel like a Taoist Barista when I'm brewing up a big batch of a roasted maca latte with daoist tonic herbs. Yum!

Here is a quick recipe for a roasted maca beverage that will be a good introduction to those wanting to embark down the Dark Roasted Maca Road.

Iced 'Roasted' Maca Latte Coffee Elixir Recipe

Makes approx. 28 oz.

16 oz cold, already brewed roasted maca "coffee". Make this by getting yourself some roasted maca and brewing it in hot water either through a coffee maker or in a hot-water infusion with a gold tea strainer.

1/3 C raw organic cream or a really creamy nut milk like almond milk
2 tbsp cacao powder
1 tsp maca
1/2 tsp shilajit
1/2 tsp fo-ti powder
1 tsp lucuma
1/2 tsp dark mesquite
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp clear agave
1 cup ice

Throw it all in a high-powered blender like a VitaMix and blend it on low, slowly turning up the speed till you reach high. Blend on high for about 30 seconds until all the ice is crushed.

Serve with a loved one and enjoy the incredible abundance we have access to in this era.

If you do try roasted maca, please let us know what you think!

Enjoy!

~ Justin

http://RawFoodRightNow.com

p.s. What is your favorite coffee replacement? Let us know in the comments below!

Wish Summit - Free Online Interviews with Notable Health and Wellness Experts!

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi and JS) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 07:30:00 +0000

Spring is a time for Renewal and Reflection!

Spring is nearly here! And spring is always a perfect opportunity to take some time for yourself and gear up for the rest of the year.

Kick off the warm part of the year with the free Women's International Summit For Health....aka "The Wish Summit"!

The Wish Summit is a collaborative effort of fellow raw enthusiasts Tera Warner from the Raw Divas and Shannon Shakaya Breeze of the very popular RawMom.com. These two fabulous ladies got together to create an online summit full of over 40 featured, well-rounded guests who have a wide variety of expertise in many different areas of life.

What we love about the Wish Summit is that it's not just about the food. This is a Summit for women!

The topics covered in the Summit in the next two weeks include Health, Beauty, Wellness, Money, Wealth, Relationships and more!

The Wish Summit is an ideal excuse to spend some personal time curling up on your couch and get inspired while sipping you favorite herbal tea...or perhaps secretly listening at work! *Wink wink!*

And the cost to listen to 40 speakers in the comfort of your home.....is completely FREE.

And all you have to do is sign up and register for this exclusive event. Yeah, that word gets thrown a lot around the 'net these days. Yes, this is truly free and you don't have to pay a cent to listen to these interviews. I believe that after the summit you have the option to purchase the interviews, but are not required to in any way. Bonus!

This is an amazing service that the team at Wish Summit is providing to all of us.

Heidi here...I just want to say that normally we don't just randomly blog about any interview or summit out there. There is a lot of noise online these days, and we're going to give you only what we believe is worth your time. WISH Summit is worth your time!

We know both Tera and Shannon personally, and I have been chatting with Shannon for the past few weeks regarding this event. She is so happy about how amazing the Wish Summit turned out!

The Wish Summit starts TODAY, so you must sign up now to get ready to listen, learn and be inspired.

Over 40 Free Interviews with Well-Known Experts in their Fields

We are really excited to listen to so many of the guests, but here is our list of the interviews we are excited to hear:

Tuesday March 9th: Janet Attwood from the Passion Test
Wednesday March 10th: Donna Gates (If you think you have candida or if you have a child with Autism you HAVE to listen to this!)
Thursday March 11: Marianne Williamson on love and spirituality
Friday March 12: Rainbeau Mars
Monday March 15th: Janice Cox - make your own beauty products at home!
Tuesday March 16h: David Wolfe and Susan Weed

Of course you can listen to all of them, but those are the ones we are REALLY excited about!

Enjoy the Summit - We'll see you there!

Happy International Women's Day,

~ Heidi

Bone Up on Your Knife Skills Before Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi and JS) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 08:24:00 +0000

(via Lifehacker)

Now that the planting season is coming here for most of us in the U.S., fresh vegetables are going to be plentiful in the coming months.

It's an excellent time to bone up on your knife skills to get the most from your local produce.

Very popular culinary blog The Kitchn posted a nice little tutorial for those needing to learn knife handling skills when cutting fresh vegetables or a little reminder to those of us who need to brush up on them.

Particularly useful to note are the tips for keeping your cutting board from sliding and how to properly hold your knife while cutting.

Always remember to be extremely careful when using a kitchen knife and make sure it's always very sharp so it doesn't slip. I'm sure a lot of us have learned this the hard way.

We've been upgrading our knives over the years and have found that an excellent quality knife is worth it's weight in durian. Our favorite right now is our Shun chef's knife. Early last year we got an unbelievable deal at getting a "used" one at 50% off. It had the smallest, most infinitesimal 'scratch' on the handle. The blade ended up being perfect. So don't be afraid to go out there and look for a good knife. If you've got a high-end blender in your kitchen but have a $10 knife, it's like having an incomplete kitchen.

But as far as knife skills go, I've never been very good at "the claw"...but I keep trying.

~ JS
http://www.RawFoodRightNow.com

Valentine's Day Raw Chocolate Indulgence!

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi and JS) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 07:29:00 +0000

Valentine's and Chocolate...a timeless combo

Foodies love their holidays, don't they? Well, it is an excuse to make food after all! And what better excuse to make heart-centered, indulgent and delicious raw chocolate treats than V-day?

Most people think of roses, chocolates, and strawberries for this special "Love Day". Hey, why fight the tradition? We say buy some roses (organic if possible), make some raw chocolate, and dip it in some organic strawberries!

If you need a quick recipe to dip strawberries in (or anything!), check out our free recipe for Chocolate-Covered Dried Wild Durian recipe. The chocolate sauce can be used on anything, not just durian!

You can also pick up any cacao treat you love for later this week from our two favorite online raw superstores: RawGuru.com and TheRawFoodWorld.com. Plenty to choose from! And who says that you can't just order chocolate on Valentine's Day, right? Order something today and enjoy chocolates later this week!

Learn To Make Chocolate Recipes In Your Own Home

Our friend Alex Malinsky just created a small recipe ebook for raw chocolate enthusiasts called 12 Must Have Raw Chocolate Recipes that's perfect for V-day! He shot us over a copy so we could give you a review!

Alex (a trained chef to boot!) designed these recipes by hand just for this book. And since we are both big advocates of raw chocolate in all its forms, we're recommending this book for all cacao enthusiasts to broaden their chocolate repertoire. Alex hits you up with a wide-variety of timeless chocolate treats done raw.

Here is a list of recipes in this book:

1. Almond Butter Figs
2. Black & White Cookies
3. Chocolate Banana Cream Pie
4. Chocolate Chip Cookies
5. Chocolate Ice Cream
6. Hot Chocolate
7. Oh-reos
8. Chocolate Chip Pancakes
9. Warm Chocolate Lava Cake
10. Chocolate Muffins
11. Chocolate Pudding
12. Cocoa Crispies Cereal
--Bonus Recipes--
Kreamy Krispy Kale Chips (Alex's secret recipe!)
Caesar Salad Chips

Quite a variety of different flavors and textures for all chocolate enthusiasts for only 12 recipes!

Also check out this video of Alex and his friend John as show you how to make the Black & White Raw Cookie recipe from his ebook:

Raw Cacao Pecan Whoopie Pie Recipe

Our friend Susan Powers over at the popular raw recipe blog Rawmazing has been creating some incredible cacao treats as well. Check out this easy gourmet recipe for what she calls Raw Cacao Pecan Whoopie Pies!

Susan has a lot of other high-quality (and free!) cacao recipes on her site.

Superfood Raw Chocolate Bars

No Valentine's Day raw chocolate post would be complete without a tempting chocolate bar for you and your loved one to share. Right now we're really digging the Righteously Raw chocolate bars. These bars are made to perfection and have a really solid snap and deeply rich cacao flavor. Each bar has a gooey center that comes in four basic superfood flavors: Maca, Goji, Acai, and Caramel.

We love them all and highly recommend them to anyone who loves chocolate: raw or cooked!

Um, Yes, Raw Chocolate is Good For You!

Whether or not you have someone to love this V-day, one thing is for sure: those who love our bodies love ourselves. "Indulge" yourself in some form of a healthy raw chocolate treat this year and smile knowing that you are eating a major Superfood that is good for your body.

As a special bonus, watch Daniel Vitalis interview master raw chocolatier Jeff Boticelli at the Chocolatree in Sedona, Arizona. Find out how a former blacksmith uses his metal-smithing skills to make truly Alchemical Chocolate!

~ Happy Valentine's Day! ~

~ JS and Heidi
Raw Food Right Now

http://www.RawFoodRightNow.com

Raw Foodist Carol Alt Featured on Go Fug Yourself

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi and JS) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 02:06:00 +0000

photo via GoFugYourself.com

We Love Carol Alt...after all both of her books are amazing (we consider Eating in the Raw one of the Top 5 All time Raw Food Books)

But apparently the ladies over at the popular blog Go Fug Yourself do not agree with Carol's sense of style.

Behold the photo above.

Carol...I just gotta say... You look Marvelous. Love the hat. And va-va-va voom look at those legs that go on for eternity! You make raw food look good. It must be all that raw kefir!

What do you think, RFRN readers? Fashionable, or Fug?

~ Heidi

http://www.rawfoodrightnow.com

Welcome to Raw Food Right Now 2.0

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi and JS) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 06:32:00 +0000

A New Dawn for RFRN.... (Sunrise photo via Flickr)

Change, Growth...a new Vision Emerges

As we post more openly about our newer dietary changes and journey, the amount of feedback and curiosity we receive from our readers continuous to astound us. Instead of receiving pounds of hate email from you, most of you have taken an open and fascinated view about where we are heading on this journey. We are getting emails every single day from people asking for help (more on that in a future post later this week).

And as many have you been asking us for more information, our promise to you is that we are going to deliver it to you. You see, earlier this year we started having second thoughts about running this particular blog that we've had up since August 2006. We found our journey and choices changing and growing so quickly, that we wondered if it would make any logical sense to continue to talk about and share this information on a blog called "Raw Food Right Now."

However, the more we thought about it, the more we realized (and discovered) that our readers are quite a hip and open-minded bunch. Most of you are not here necessarily for "100% raw food only"...you are here because you are interested in creating a higher level of health for yourself and your family. You aren't necessarily married to any dogma or dietary path, but you know (or have heard of) the power of a raw food diet. That's why we are all here.

But things are changing. Many of us are finding success and satisfaction (or fatisfaction!) in eating quality animal foods and heat-treated foods.

And it is because of you, dear readers, that we are going to keep going with this journey on this site while we build our new "health home" on the web (to be launched soon!).

To help make this new RFRN 2.0 direction have some sense, we have decided to completely redefine what this site (and the word) raw means to us. We have revamped and rewritten from scratch our original About Us we wrote back in December 2006.

Below, you will find the entire text regarding this change in direction.

We both sincerely hope we have been of some benefit in your journey through this crazy "optimal health" world so far. It's easy to feel overwhelmed and want to give up with all the conflicting information out there. And with your friends and family consistently giving you a hard time about your "insane diet", it doesn't make it any easier.

Let's take this new step together. Please read our new vision and tell us what you think.

In health and happiness,

~ JS and Heidi Ohlander

About Raw Food Right Now

Welcome to Raw Food, Right Now! You've stumbled upon a site that is dedicated to exploring the further regions of Optimal Health through diet and lifestyle.

This site started out with a bang in August 2006 as a place to publicly explore our passion for the raw food lifestyle. Today as I write this it is January 2010 and a lot of things have changed.

There is no doubt about it, the raw food movement is changing and growing into something bigger and (we believe) better. It is literally growing beyond its dogmatic boundaries as more and more raw vegans are pushing into new territory. A lot of us in this movement are no longer tied to a particular dietary dogma (i.e., an only 100% raw food vegan diet). Those of us who have opened our minds and hearts have moved into including and exploring other foods and substances into our diet like raw and cooked animal foods, Chinese herbalism and other herbal systems, healthy "cooked" foods, fermented foods...the list goes on.

Raw Food Right Now was one of the first online raw food voices to substantiate that a 100% raw food diet is not necessary to get the benefits one is looking for through such a lifestyle change. In fact, we have discovered that it is the obsession with the 100% raw dogma that is responsible for many eating disorders, negative attitudes, and less than optimal health for many in our movement.

To bring our readers up to speed with where we are at and where things are heading, we are redefining what this site is about and what the word "raw" means to us in this new, forward-thinking movement.

What does "raw" mean on Raw Food Right Now?

Raw – unprocessed, untreated foods in their natural, whole state. This is the standard version of the word "raw", which is still a very large part of our work. Plant foods taken in their raw state and either eaten as is or "processed" into a meal by blending, chopping, dehydrating, etc.
Raw – primal, feral, untamed, wild. This represents all of the various food kingdoms, including the plant, fungal, bacterial and animal kingdoms in their raw or gently heat-treated ("cooked") states. This part of the word "raw" also represents wild foods and wildcrafted foods -- foods found untouched by humankind and finely crafted by Nature Herself. These wild foods can bring us more back to our "feral" and wild roots.
Raw – whole, nutrient-dense, optimal, balanced, minimally processed. Properly heat-treated foods (otherwise known as “cooking”) and fermented foods. This version of "raw" means taking our unprocessed foods in their whole state and treating them with some form of processing to increase their nutrient value or to lower the presence of any inhibiting nutrients (oxalic and phytic acids, etc.) or making our foods more digestible (by steaming, poaching, etc.) When we say "cook" something we mean that we process food using heat in a very conscious way. Examples of this including boiling water for herbal tea, heating water for gluten-free grains, gently searing raw grass-fed meats, etc.
Raw - The last definition of the word "raw" on this site, is that we believe that all foods should start out raw and whole when possible. This means acquiring the "raw materials" to create your own foods, whatever you decide to do with them. This also refers to trying to avoid acquiring foods that have already been heat-processed if possible.

By redefining what the word "raw" means to us, we are by no means taking away from those whole still promote a 100% raw vegan or a raw animal foods diet. Those are both valid diets for specific purposes and bodily constitutions. We just wish to use the word "raw" in a new, non-dogmatic way. In our own way.

And with all of that said, the focus for this site still remains making these dietary and lifestyle changes as easily as possible. We no longer rush into dietary changes in this new movement. "Slow and steady wins the race" is an applicable mantra here. We understand and firmly believe that the body is a magnificent machine that needs to be treated gently and with honor and respect.

But we want these dietary and lifestyle changes to not seem "impossible." We want these changes to remain simple and easy. Something you can add easily into your currently lifestyle...right now. Not something that "other, more healthy people do". Or something I "may want to do in the future". This is about making consistent, smaller changes in a constant and upward direction.

Raw Food Right Now – News and information about health and nutrition that you can easily incorporate into your daily lifestyle...today, right now.

Since we have started this site, we've been known for taking a very balanced and open perspective towards a raw food diet. We are very well known for our honesty, integrity, and openness. Even though the specifics of this site are growing and changing, we will always maintain that particular vision and outlook.

Eventually we will probably outgrow the word "raw" altogether. But we will always eat "raw food"...in all its many definitions!

Welcome to Raw Food Right Now and enjoy the ride!

~ JS & Heidi Ohlander

http://www.RawFoodRightNow.com

Get a Free Bag of Tonic Herb Powders! Where Do We Get Our Herbs?

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi and JS) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 04:57:00 +0000

Heidi and Justin, Where Do You Get Those Crazy Herbs?!

For a while now, people have been asking us where we get our tonic herb powders since we've been using them a lot in our elixirs and tonic smoothies. The answer is...all over!

The Chinese tonic herbs (and a lot of other herbs) have been a major turning point in our health and experience with food. These herbs have boosted our immune systems and neither of us get 'sick' anymore. In addition, these herbs are known to be adaptogenic, which allows the herbs to adapt to any situation that is presented to us. If the situation is stressful, we remain more calm. If it's nighttime and we are having trouble sleeping, these herbs have helped us achieve a good night's sleep with deeper sleep, feeling more rested.

C'mon....wouldn't you like to sleep better and not feel stress?

The benefits that both of us have experienced with tonic herbs have been too numerous to discuss here.

Our friend Brandon Gilbert has been working with tonic herbs heavily now for over four years. In 2006, Brandon started and ran a series of tonic elixir bars across Louisville while a lot of us were still trying to earn our 'raw food badge'. He's been around and has been deep into the herbal and tonic elixir lifestyle longer than most of us.

Now he's taken his experience and connections from running his tonic bars into starting a new company that will supply these herbs in a bulk powder to add into your teas, smoothies, and tonic herbal drinks.

His new venture is called Hyperion Herbs. And to get the word out about his company, Brandon is offering an unheard of offer: *free herbs*. There is no catch. You simply go to the site, click on which free bag of herb powders you want to order, pay shipping, and the herbs are yours.

For the launch, Brandon is giving you the choice between a free 45 gram bag of Ho Shou Wu or Cordyceps. A lot of people in our community are familiar with Cordyceps mushroom, but not everyone has tried Ho Shou Wu. On the Hyperion website there is great information on what each herb is best known to do in the body on their site.

So, Why Are They Giving Away Herbs for Free?

In our modern consumerist society, the word 'free' often raises a red flag in our minds. "What's the catch?", we ask ourselves. We completely lost our trust in the system and are we have to be very wary consumers.

Well, there is no catch (well, there is a moderate shipping cost of $7.99!). We're going to let Brandon explain it to you in a video he has prepared:

Our Relationship With Brandon

You can see how Brandon is a man who has no bullshit sales pitch to offer you in his video above. :)

We've known Brandon for about a year now. We've worked with him on two programs he's helped to facilitate, such as Daniel Vitalis's program Invincible Health Mastery. Not only is Brandon extremely knowledgeable and has had a lot of experience with these herbs, but he's a straight-laced and down-to-earth guy who wants to spread the word about herbs. He truly enjoys it and loves just talking about them to anyone and everyone!

Chinese herbs and herbalism in general is Brandon's passion. He's the real deal. 100% genuine...and finding someone like him is like finding a treasure!

Brandon sent us free samples of his cistanches and ho shou wu powders. We found both powders extremely powerful and concentrated. You only need a tiny amount to feel the effects of these herbs in your system. We're talking like 1/4 tsp if you're new to these herbs and 1/2 - 1 tsp if you've had them before. Wow! So start of slow if you are hitting these up for the first time.

These bags of powders are 45 grams each and will go a long way since they are so concentrated extracts and not just powdered whole herbs (8:1 concentrate!). So the value even buying them at full price is a lot more than you get with most similar herb products. Although there are extracts that are available in capsules, we prefer the powders because we like to put them in our drinks and smoothies instead of just swallowing capsules.

Hyperion is not the only game in town, but they are the new kid on the block. We don't want to give you the impression that this is the only herb company in the world, but we are very excited to bring you this launch because of the quality of the herbs and the integrity of the owners.

We've developed a good relationship with Brandon and will be bringing you some projects we have been working on together this year as well, which we are excited about!

Just 200 Bags are Being Given Away

There is a limit on what Hyperion is willing to give away for this promotion, so if you are interested at all, we highly recommend you go to Hyperion Herbs now and pick up your free bag. Shipping is $7.99 a bag, and the regular costs of a 45g bag of these powders is $23. So it's quite a deal!

He's only going to be offering this until the initial 200 bags are gone or until Sunday, Jan. 24th, whichever comes first, so check it out right now if you're interested.

Note: This promotion has since expired, but you can still get herbs at lower than retail prices all day, every day, seven days a week at Hyperion Herbs.com!

Where Else Do We Get Our Herbs?

In a couple upcoming posts, we're going to give you a few more resources for our favorite place to get herbs, as well as some more helpful information if you are just getting started.

The best strategy that we have found is to try out as many companies and you can, and find out which herbs you like best from which companies. Always keep trying new companies that you feel good about and you will always be upping your quality and sources.

We know there are a lot of you that follow this blog and have trusted us for a long time. Our words and recommendations are not taken lightly by those in the know. We love when someone is able to offer a truly amazing option like a bag of free herbs just to get their name out there. It's easy to offer a free ebook, ecourse, or other online promotion because they don't cost the owners anything (see our free ice cream ecourse here), but Brandon is estimating that to get the word out about his new herb business will cost him approximately $5000.

But please don't get it if you are only interested just because it is 'free'. If you are interested in finding out more about Chinese tonic herbs, please do hit this promotion up!!!

And if you do get a free bag, please do email us or leave a comment and tell us what you think!

~ JS and Heidi Ohlander
http://www.RawFoodRightNow.com

Bonus Tip: Ho Shou Wu has a great flavor that is excellent with anything made with cacao. It tastes great in a cherry-chocolate smoothie, or in an elixir with raw cacao powder in it. If you like cacao you'll love the combined flavor of cacao with Ho Shou Wu! Yum!

Does Fat Really Make You Fat?

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi and JS) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 07:03:00 +0000

Are You Feeling 'Fatified' On Your Diet?

"When I tell women that I eat lots of cream they just think Im either brave, stupid, or lucky. Well...lucky to know whats up at least. When I was eating lots of fruit and sugars my face was still puffy, and now its much better and I dont have to do anything. And the freedom from hunger...so damn liberating. Of course...I didnt really talk about that stuff when I was raw vegan.

I didnt want to mess up THE CAUSE. THE CAUSE!!! For the CAUSE! I felt good, but damn...hungry all the time. Never feeling really satisfied. That 10oz of fatty liquid kept me in the zone for 9 friggin hours. Explain that!"
- Anthony Anderson - RawModel.com

Hi. It's JS Ohlander here. You know, our good friend Anthony Anderson of RawModel.com has recently shared a beautiful and deeply personal post on his site about how he feels now that he gets most of his calories from high-fat foods, including animal fats. Anthony has written an extremely honest and personally humbling article about himself and his journey. Specifically, Anthony is addressing how he feels embarrassed now how he acted like "a judgmental prick back in the day" when he was proselytizing veganism to his friends and family.

We've learned the hard way that making any kind of assumptions of others who don't eat the way you do is the fastest way to lose friends and anger family. People don't want to be told that what they are doing is wrong. Become an example yourself and show them that your way is gloriously working for you. Wait for others to come up to you and ask you about what you are doing that makes you look and feel so good!

As of this writing, Anthony's new post has *161* comments! This is a real hot topic with raw people right now and if you want to find out what's going out there in the post-vegan world, please do check out his post right now! Leave your two cents in a comment. A note: No one is "right" or "wrong" here, so get out of that mindset. We are sharing our experiences, so please go there with love in your heart and leave any anger and judgment behind.

Anthony has experienced what Heidi and I have while experimenting with a high-fat diet, including quality animal foods like eggs, butter, and cream. We've been making a lot of egg cream smoothies and have encountered the same satiation and energy levels as Anthony has. In addition, I've been having much more mental clarity, less stress, and my skin has actually been improving for the first time in a long time!

We're More than Satisfied... We're 'Fatified'!

Are Fats Evil?

So, whether you are vegan or not, the question remains...is fat bad?

Over the years, Heidi and I have come to the conclusion that a high-fat diet is what best works for both of us.

When we (as in this group of nutritionally-interested people) get our information on fats (and nutrition in general), we should be looking for people who have been in the field a long time and have extensively studied the specific component of health we are seeking to learn about.

You can't expect to be told by a 'health guru' that 'fat is bad' and just believe it. You need to experience it for yourself and meet those (in person) who are on a similar path and compare results.

So, if fat isn't bad, what is good about fat? Why would you want to eat more high-quality fats?

Mary Enig is the author of Eat Fat, Lose Fat as well as Know Your Fats. She is one of the people responsible for bringing the issue of the danger of trans-fats to light to the public, as well as educating others about healthy fats, including saturated fats.

Over her many, many years studying nutritional fats, she's come to the conclusion that what we know about saturated fats and cholesterol are completely wrong. Saturated fat being bad for you is a complete myth.

But we shouldn't take all of these people's words as the end all be all. We need to try this for ourselves and see if it works. We also need to seek out those who are experiencing and experimenting with similar modalities.

To get an incredibly large and well-written and well-documented overview of Mary's take on fats, please go and read her article The Skinny on Fats. This isn't just a typical health article without any solid basis, but is a well-researched and notated article with links to all the studies and sources to back up her claims. Remember, Mary doesn't really have any products to sell (besides her books). This is information she has come to after years of experimentation and thorough research on what fats really are and which ones are good and bad.

Mary's work is an excellent resource for those who have been mis-educated from years of nutrition class in high school and beyond.

Read it and let us know what you think. Try out a higher fat diet if you are inspired to. Test your results and change accordingly.

Losing Weight With Eating High Quality Fats

Ok Justin... let me chime in here. Hi!! It's me...Heidi! Above is a photo of me taken just a few days ago. There are some things that are different about me lately:

My skin is glowing
My hair is healthy and balanced, not constantly oily
My lips are fuller
I have never looked happier
....and I am most happy about...
I have dropped nearly two clothing sizes!!!

What is my secret? I am eating healthy fats every day!

Sure, after "going raw" over 5 years ago I lost a few pounds here and there. And I had an awesome detox from Juice Feasting, which I still very highly recommend. But after years of constant detoxing and green smoothies and juices and other cleanses...my weight was stuck. My metabolism was in a coma.

For over a year JS and I have been experimenting with our diet every single day, trying out what works and what doesn't work. After we got back from Raw Union...I added more saturated and other healthy fats in my diet. It wasn't totally instant gratification...but within two days I could feel things moving. Two weeks and I noticed changes. And within 30 days I felt reborn.

I am currently working on the final experiments for a new program that I am using that is helping me loose the rest of my weight. Women's bodies are different than men's bodies, yet there are some things that all humans need. And one of those things are healthy fats.

I am loosing weight as I speak this very moment...and I eat fat every day. Wow.
It's time for all of us to rethink what dietary fats are really all about.

Lots of love to you guys! Let us know what you think!

~ JS and Heidi Ohlander
http://www.RawFoodRightNow.com

Diviana Alchemy Free Recipe ebook - Superfoods, Herbs, Raw Milk, and more!

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi and JS) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 06:01:00 +0000

If you want to know what we eat these days, Jules Corbett's new (free!) recipe book called Diviana Recipes will give you a clue!

We got a chance to meet Jules and spend some time with her at Raw Union last June. She's fun, beautiful, smart, and loves to smile! And she's a great photographer with an eye for capturing her beautiful artistic creations with food!

Jules Corbett

Jules is best known for her amazing "Mandala Pies". These are raw pies adorned in the most divine symbols and shapes you could imagine. You could easily just stare at them for hours!

See for yourself!

Jules' Mandala Pies!

You can order a specialty made Mandala Pie from Jules, but you can try making your own mandala pie using a free recipe in her ebook. It's up to you and your creativity to make your own mandala!

What is the ebook like?

This ebook and Jules' work really caught our eye and our heart mostly because after years of eating raw foods and being a part of this community, we've come to a similar path on our diet.

In the book you will find a lot of recipes using raw milk, cream, eggs, and butter. She is also a fan of raw kefir and colostrum. These are a lot of the foods both of us here at RFRN are eating on a regular basis and have been for a while. We'll do some upcoming posts on quality, grass-fed raw dairy soon. Raw milk is not legal everywhere, but if you can get it, it's a precious gift of life!

This book is like a snapshot of what Heidi and I have been eating like in the past year or so. Our diet consists mainly now of highly medicinal and herbal-based foods, made with lots of superfoods and herbs, with high amounts of probiotic foods and a conscious amount of raw dairy that works for us.

Right now we subsist on mostly elixirs and herbal tonic drinks, cultured/fermented foods, raw and gently 'cooked' animal products, as well as smoothies, salads, chocolates, lightly 'cooked' foods...and whatever else we want! We've removed the 'dogma' from our 'die-t'.

What's in the ebook?

Diviana Recipes is a short 59 pages and includes a powerful 30 recipes along with wise words from Jules, who has time-tested this Optimal Health journey over many years.

Don't let the size fool you! Those who have spent the most time in a field and have had the most success often have the least to say. She's boiled everything down into a succinct, quality and free ebook that's truly a gem!

When you first download the book, we recommend just giving everything a read through. Should only take you about 15-30 minutes at the most. After that, go back and pick out the recipes that most interest you.

Our recipe picks we think you should try:

Cacao Bean Vanilla Shake
Tomato Basil Soup
The Superhero Smoothie
Real Milkshake (I drink drinks like these often for my teeth! ~Heidi)
Electrolyte Lemonade (I make this type of drink every week in the summertime! - Heidi)

But we digress...everything looks so damn good in this book, we recommend it all!

If you do decide to dive into raw milk and dairy products (and eggs), and it's your first time, please do start slow! These foods can be very cleansing and medicinal for those who are coming from an all or mostly vegan and raw vegan diet.

These words from Jules's book echo a lot of what Heidi and I have experienced from incorporating raw milk and other high-quality dairy foods into our daily diet:

"My own path has led me to Raw Dairy products and the benefits have been astounding! I truly feel my body awakened with endless energy, the way it should be when eating the way I do. I’ve noticed a complete anihilation of a dry skin problem I was having on my face, and I attribute this to consuming Raw Dairy
milk." - Jules Corbett in Divinia Recipes

In addition to the (truly) quality recipes, Jules lists her favorite herbs and superfoods, tea ingredients, resources for where she gets her stuff, and quality informational links that are vital to her life and journey.

And it's not all about food, either. She does touch upon how this path has helped her grow as a person and spiritually. Her favorite resources and tips for the body, mind, and soul are sprinkled throughout the 59 packed pages.

How Do I Get the ebook for free?

To get Jules free herbal and superfood recipe ebook, Diviana Recipes, go to her site, Diviana Alchemy, and click on the "Recipe ebook" link at the bottom, then click on "Free Link to PDF". This will take you to a page where you can download the PDF.

The book is free to download but she is suggesting a donation of $9.97. For a book of this quality, a donation of less than 10 dollars is a beautiful way to say thank you to an artist of such high quality!

We donated tonight as well. Thank you Jules!

We feel strongly connected to Jules' work, as we feel this is where the raw and living foods movement is heading in the next few years. As we've mentioned before, we've been changing our diet quite a bit with a lot more teas, herbs, cooked foods, and animal foods. There is a new site that we are building that will be launched fairly soon to reflect this evolution in our nutritional path. There is so much that we can't wait to share with you!

For now, download the ebook, read it, and flip through the recipes, try some of them out and let us know what you think!

There are no strings attached. Completely free. No lists to sign up to. We're not making any money recommending this. We just had to tell you because we believe in Jules and her ebook! :) Just download, read it, try it out and enjoy!!

Special thanks to our friend Kate Magic for pointing this goodness out to us!

~ JS Ohlander
Raw Food Right Now
http://www.RawFoodRightNow.com

2009 Raw Food and Beyond Holiday List - Part One

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi and JS) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 07:45:00 +0000

Happy Holidays from Heidi and Justin!

Alright folks, it's getting very close to that time of year again. And if you haven't done your Christmas shopping (or don't celebrate this economic holiday and just want to get some cool raw stuff), we've got our top picks for the year for raw and beyond raw gifts!

Gift someone you love. Gift a fellow raw enthusiast, or gift yourself!

"Invincible Health" DVD:

If you have never seen Daniel Vitalis live in action, now is your opportunity! Check out this incredible DVD of two powerful Vitalis lectures brought to you by Super Food SpeakEasy. We're going to give you a full review of this DVD lecture series soon, but we wanted to give this leading-edge DVD a shoutout before the year closed.

Here's the lo-down right from Super Food SpeakEasy:

"In the first lecture “Invincible Health” Daniel explores the concept of Super Immunity and how we can strategically design our lives to achieve the health and vitality that we are meant to experience. With a special focus on rebuilding our immune system after a lifetime of domesticated practices that deplete our ability to maintain vibrancy.
The 2nd lecture titled 'ElixirCraft & the Poison Path' is a fun, entertaining, educational and somewhat controversial investigation into the world of Plant Medicine and Indigenous Shamanism. Daniel talks about the repercussions of a diet devoid of medicine and how we can bring the medicine back into our lives and rebuild ourselves from the inside out with a special focus on the subject of rebuilding the brain."

And if that doesn't explain it enough, check out this awesome clip Daniel just uploaded from the DVD where he talks about the truth about Santa Claus that you've never heard before...until now. You have to watch this short clip right now - *it will blow your mind*

How can you say no to that?! Grab yourself a copy here.

Stocking Stuffers

Gopal's Power Wraps: All Flavors

We fell in love with these little mineral-rich snacks the first time we had them. These are an awesomely flavored, on-the-go raw snack wrapped in Nori. Bonus! They come in many flavors, including Mexican, Japanese, Italian, and Curry. And the fact that you can get two of these pre-packaged for you together for less than $2 is astounding.

We could eat one of these packs a day, every day, easily. Top notch product.

(If you're wondering... BBQ, Mexican, and Curry are our favorites)

Cheesey Kale Chips:

We haven't met anyone who doesn't like Cheesy Kale Chips yet. This simple and tasty combination has been titillating the tongues of raw foodists for years now. Sure, they're easy to make at home (great free recipe here at We Like It Raw), but for those of us who just want to order it and forget it, these are ideal.

These particular kale chips might be the closest thing to an "addiction" that you can find in the raw Universe. About 80% of the time we've cracked a bag open, we easily finished them in one sitting. Don't get kale tummy now -- go slow!

Microplane Grater – Grate Lemon Zest, Cacao Butter, and so much more!

We got one of these last year for Christmas and have been using it every single day. I know, I know, you don't want another kitchen gadget, right? But this hand-held, fine-meshed grater replacement is a lifesaver in the kitchen.

We use it to quickly shred cacao butter, raw cheese, grate citrus zest and shave fresh, whole nutmeg over drinks! Sooo yummy!

We totally love our Microplane!

Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

As Heidi mentioned in our last post, surprise, we're not vegan anymore! Not that it's been much of a surprise. We've talked about raw cheese many times before on this site, but we've taken it much further in the last year and are now ready to talk about this new and wonderful journey with all of our readers.

For a guidebook for the "recovering vegan", nothing is probably better than Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions. Expect a full review in an upcoming post, but for now, we highly recommend you grab a copy of this very large educational book and cookbook. Sally Fallon is the President of the Weston A. Price foundation and huge proponent of raw animal fats, lacto-fermented foods, and traditional diets. She's also very passionate about coconut oil too!

No matter if you are vegan, vegetarian, or carnivore...this book gives a factual, informational perspective on foods from traditional "primitive" cultures from around the world. There are a lot of raw and lacto-fermented recipes in here as well, so it's not just all animal foods. If you think you know everything about nutrition, you need to read this book.

* ** * * *

There you have it!

These are truly some of our favorite things from this year, and we're happy to share with you the things that are truly useful, inspiring, and delicious in our lives. Hopefully this list inspires you to get something for yourself this year... you deserve it!

We thought of so many things we liked this year, that there is a Part Two to this list that we'll be posting very soon. Stay tuned!

Tell Us: What do you want for the Holidays this year? Tell us!

- Heidi and JS

Do Not Vote for RFRN for Best of Raw 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi and JS) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 07:03:00 +0000

It's that time of year...

People want to vote for other people in "awards" all over the world in all sorts of ways. There's lots of "best of " lists that happen all over the place, and in the raw food community, everyone is all excited about "The Best of Raw 2009".

Winning awards has never been our goal - sharing our personal experience, educating others, and interacting with you is our goal. So when someone told us we were nominated this year for Best of Raw 2009, I decided I should go to the site and see what all the buzz is about.

I looked through the introduction and the guidelines, and I saw the following disclaimer (bold text is my emphasis):

SPECIAL NOTE! This event is in honor of those whose primary focus and diet is raw vegan, and who are teaching and modeling raw veganism and raw beeganism. The producers of this event do not advocate the eating of animals, dairy products or eggs. The producers and sponsors of this event recognize there are MANY PATHS on the way to health and are not in judgment of any path. Some vegans prefer if people who consume bee products do not call themselves vegan, thus the word 'beegan' has been formed. Some included publicly nominated individuals may occasionally ingest raw milk products, bugs, cooked vegan food or bee products. If someone is known to partake of flesh foods, we are honorably declining to include them in these nominations. If someone is an advocate of eating animal products, we are also honorably declining inclusion. We do not stand in judgment of anyone's choices nor can we POSSIBLY know the inside scoop on everyone's diet. We have consulted various highly respected raw vegan teachers to come to the conclusion about inclusion stated here. So thanks in advance -- let's all love one another unconditionally while continuing to take steps forward into ways we feel are most aligned with health, freedom, peace, prosperity, joy, longevity and flexibility in our minds, bodies and spirits.

This disclaimer made me feel very uncomfortable because it feels very judgmental.

There are people on the list... some big names in the biz...that are currently talking about or currently eating animal products or even cooked food. Paul Nison just admitted to drinking occasional raw goat milk. Anthony Anderson started talking this year about eating raw dairy kefir and other "animal products" and stands strongly behind them. The lovely Shannon Leone has talked about animal products as well. I could name many other names that are on this list of nominations. Are you going to take them off the list...or is these people ok in your book? Is Anthony sexy only when he is raw and vegan, or is he not sexy for you anymore because he eats a dairy kefir and other animal products like eggs and butter?

Is there a double standard here?

When we interviewed Carol Alt in 2006, we did not judge her for eating animal products. Although we were raw vegan at that time, we were curious and interested in her style of eating. Best of Raw has nominated her book, The Raw 50, but Carol is not included on the list most likely because she consumes raw meat and raw dairy products. And yet she is one of the most beautiful and vibrant women in the raw food world.

JS and I have been experimenting and thriving with raw animal products and healthy cooked foods. We have been experimenting with small amounts of raw dairy kefir and raw cheese, seared meats, fish, and a lot more. And we have been eating not a 100% raw diet for years (which we've mentioned over and over again on this blog), and we've really upped it this year and....

I HAVE NEVER FELT BETTER.

Here's My Deep Secret: After my dental issues last year, I had a major health scare afterwards. It was so profound and life-changing that I changed my diet and lifestyle forever. Now, one year later, I feel so good! I feel amazing. My teeth are stronger than ever, and I've lost over 15 pounds since June. I know that "animal foods" are a part of this healing. I know. I know. I've got a lot of explaining to do...and that's what 2010 is all about.

I feel so amazing that I have been working on writing a lot of new blog posts so I can start explaining what we've been doing and what has been working for us. But according to this best of list... I can tell that by next year we're not going to be part of the "raw food clique" anymore.

There is something I need from you: I want you to NOT vote for Raw Food Right Now. Do NOT vote for us. According to these "guidelines", we do not qualify to be on this list. We aren't "vegan" enough for these awards.

This Best of Raw 2009 has inspired me to create a list of my own "Best of 2009" list... Heidi style. We'll announce the winners of our list by December 31st, 2009. Stay tuned for that.

To whomever nominated us for Best of Raw 2009, I personally want to say a very big thank you. The fact that you nominated us totally fills me with gratitude that I can't fully express right now. I know that after I post this that I probably won't be allowed to be on any of these kinds of lists anymore, so I am going to treasure this moment. Again, thank you. You win a big star from me.

And if you want to make someone else happy, vote for people like Lenette Nakuchi and Bethanne Wannamaker. Although there may be other friends of mine that would like to win, I know both of them have talked about how much they would love to win.

Have a wonderful Friday!

XOXO

~ Heidi

Raw Food Right Now

p.s. Best of Raw 2009 nominated me under "Best Favorite Raw Vegan Educator". Justin didn't even get a nomination...and he's 50% of Raw Food Right Now!! Leave a comment and give Justin some credit!

p.p.s. If you have any questions about raw "animal products" like Colostrum, Deer Antler, raw kefir, etc... email me and I'll do my best to help answer your questions.

Ultra Vanilla Tiger Nut Milk Recipe [Raw Food Recipes]

noreply@blogger.com (Heidi and JS) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:25:00 +0000

8 oz bag of raw, organic Tiger Nuts!

Introducing Raw Tiger Nuts!

Not too long ago, our friend Alex Malinsky of RawGuru.com sent us a sample of a new type of nut called Tiger Nuts. Tiger nuts are really the tuber of the plant cyperus esculentus. They have a pretty good nutrient profile and are an excellent addition to any healthy conscious person's diet.

"Nutritious product with a high energy content (starch, fats, sugars and proteins), rich in minerals such as phosphorous, potassium and vitamins E and C. Also high in oleic acid." - RawGuru.com

They are a delicious nut that are very similar to an almond in flavor. However, they are best used as a nut milk. If you eat them straight they are extremely fibrous and don't taste too good.

So, with that said, we're going to give you an awesome nut milk recipe using Tiger Nuts. When you get this raw food newcomer into your kitchen, you will now know the best way to use it!

Ultra Vanilla Tiger Nut Milk Recipe

Before starting, make sure you soak your Tiger Nuts overnight in the purest water you can find.

Raw Tiger nuts being soaked in local spring water

Ingredients:

4 oz of tiger nuts, soaked overnight in clean water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
One whole vanilla bean
10 drops vanilla creme stevia
1 1/2 tbsp liquid coconut oil
1 1/2 tsp non-GMO soy lecithin or sunflower lecithin
pinch of celtic or Himalayan sea salt
1 tbsp clear agave or sweetener of your choice to taste

Directions:

Melt coconut oil using two small bowls that fit on top of each other. Put very hot or boiling water in the bottom bowl and your coconut oil on the top bowl. Allow the coconut oil to melt until it's fully liquid.

Put the pre-soaked Tiger Nuts in the blender and fill the blender with pure water halfway. Blend on high for 1 minute. Strain through a nut milk bag.

Put in vanilla extract, vanilla bean, vanilla stevia, salt, lecithin, and agave. Blend on high for 30-45 seconds until vanilla bean is completely broken down. Turn on low and slowly drizzle in coconut oil.

Strain one more time through nut milk bag to make it extra silky.

Taste to make sure it's just right and adjust to your liking.

Fully enjoy probably the best nut milk you've ever tasted!

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This nut milk is also a favorite addition to an Elixir, which as you know we are huge proponents of. Elixirs and nut milk go together in beautiful harmony.

Tiger Nuts are a nice option to have when you get tired of using the same old nuts and seeds in your nut milks and recipes. They are perfect when you want to re-create a flavor similar to almond milk, yet Tiger Nuts have a truly unique creamy texture.

Get yourself a hold of some Tiger Nuts and let us know what you think!

~ Heidi & JS Ohlander
Raw Food, Right Now!
http://www.RawFoodRightNow.com