Begin to Eat Healthier

I want to eat in a healthier way, but am not sure where to begin. Can you offer a few suggestions on how to make the switch?

We come across this question very often and have found that there are three simple steps you can take to get you on your way.

Begin Where You Are

The first step is to look at and accept where you are at with your eating. What is your current food intake? If you wish, keep a food log for a few days to a week. Keep track of everything you eat, including the snacks. This is a powerful practice as you can begin to locate the less than excellent food choices and begin to replace them with more healthful ones. Don’t play the judgment game with yourself.

Remember the important thing is to take the first step. If your time or inclination does not allow you to keep a food log, that’s ok. Just take a mental note of where you are at right now. Accept that you are at where you are at and that this is the beginning of your journey towards more healthful living.

Hold an Intention of a Healthier Life

Hold an intention of creating a healthier, more vibrant you and commit to yourself to do what you can to actualize this intention. If you are able to do this, you are 90% of the way there. This is what sets you aside from the others who have given up on trying to improve themselves in this way. Create a vision of yourself of where you would like to be a year from now. What weight would you like to attain? What dress size or cholesterol level? If you feel inspired to write down these intentions, this can be another powerful inspirational tool for you to refer to along the way.

Gently And Lovingly Transition From Where You Are To Where You Would Like To Be.

There are many theories surrounding what foods are healthy and what foods are not. Special diets abound, each one proclaiming to be the end all/be all to loose weight, feel great and stay young forever. We would like to suggest that every individual is biophysically unique and what is true for some of us, is not true for others. Your own body and own sense of well being is your best judge.

Rigidly trying to adhere to an externally imposed diet is a formula for disappointment and relapse into old ways of eating. In most instances, we recommend taking baby steps, making changes slowly and gradually. (Of course, in some instances, health conditions necessitate dramatic and instantaneous changes to ones diet and lifestyle.)

If you love eating bacon double cheeseburgers 4 times a week, try leaving out the bacon once a week. If you eat them 4 days a week, try having them 3 days a week for the next month, then 2 days a week the following month. Once a week for the month after that until finally they become only an occasional indulgence. The same holds true for other eating habits we would like to change.

One shouldn’t have a deprived feeling when making these changes. There are countless ways of replacing unhealthy food choices with exciting and delicious alternatives.

In the initial stage try implementing the following:

A few things to gradually phase out:

Greasy and fried foods
High fat and high sodium foods
Refined sugar and flours
Artificial flavors, chemical preservatives and additives

A few things to gradually phase in:

A wide selection of organically grown fruits and vegetables. Experiment to find your favorite
Organic whole grains
Unroasted, unsalted nuts and seeds. (in moderation)
Fresh organic juices and smoothies

Some parting suggestions:

Take a trip to your local health food store to familiarize yourself with the wide variety of healthful food choices.
Remember that moderation is the key.
Read labels to find out what you are eating.
Have fun and savor the journey to a healthier more joyful life.

Classic Guacamole

15 minutes / 2 ¼ cups

2 medium avocados, chopped (1 ½ cups)

½ cup tomato, chopped small, or salsa of your choosing

3 Tbl red onion, diced

1 Tbl lime juice, fresh squeezed

2 Tbl cilantro, minced

1 ½ tsp jalapeño pepper, seeded & minced

1 tsp garlic, minced

½ tsp sea salt, or to taste

¼ tsp black pepper, ground to taste

¼ tsp chili powder

pinch cayenne pepper

loving preparation

1. Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
serving suggestion


~ serve with chips and salsa, use as a side dish for salads, in burrito filling and toppings for many Mexican dishes.

A Simple Winter Cleanse

Here we are in the middle of winter. Can you recommend a simple cleanse for folks wishing to detoxify.

Sure. Here is a gentle 7 day cleanse that most people should be able to follow. First, pick a 7 day period for the cleanse, timing it so that Day 4 is a day off, where you can rest, take a relaxing walk, get a massage or a colonic. Starting on Day 1, we are going to eat/drink lighter and lighter with each passing day until Day 4, the peak cleansing day where we ingest the least. After the peak day, we begin to slowly include more and heavier items until returning to our regular schedule on Day 8.

Spend as much time as possible in nature, enjoying the fresh air and taking deep slow breaths. You may also consider going to a sauna a few times to assist in removing toxins. A dry skin brush before bathing would also be helpful. Drink plenty of liquids throughout the cleanse to avoid dehydration.

Day 1.

Enjoy fresh organic fruit and juices, large salads, lightly steamed vegetables and cooked grain like quinoa. (See below for how to prepare this delicious grain) You may also enjoy a baked potato or yam with lunch or dinner. For dressing on the salad and quinoa, try flax oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice and a dash of Celtic sea salt.

Day 2.

Go Raw. Enjoy fresh organic fruit and juices and delicious smoothies (see below). Lunch can consist of large mixed salad with fresh vegetables and avocado. For dressing on the salad, try flax oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice and a dash of Celtic sea salt. Dinner may consist of a large fruit salad.

Day 3.

Fruit and Juice. Start the day with a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice diluted a bit with water. Today is fresh juicy fruits, juices and herbal teas. A wonderful drink is the New Greens tonic. See below for recipe.

Day 4.

Peak Cleansing Day. Drink fresh organic juices only, slightly diluted with filtered water. You may also drink one or two glasses of the new greens tonic. Try drinking herbal teas and/or filtered water with fresh squeezed lemon juice.

Day 5.

Fresh juicy fruits. Start the day with a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice diluted a bit with water. Today is fresh juicy fruits, juices and herbal teas. You may have one or two smoothies later in the day.

Day 6.

Fruit and juices only for the first part of day. Late afternoon meal may include a large salad with avocado and a flax oil, lemon juice dressing. Dinner may consist of a large fruit salad.

Day 7.

Fruit and juices only for the first part of day. Lunch may include a large salad with avocado and a flax oil, lemon juice dressing. For dinner you may enjoy another large salad with lightly steamed vegetables and cooked grain like quinoa. You may also enjoy a baked potato or yam with dinner.

Day 8 and beyond.

Ending the Cleanse. It’s very important how we end the cleanse. Our goal with this cleanse is to emerge at the end with positive eating patterns and a healthier diet. Please avoid fried and greasy foods and heavily refined products with chemical preservatives. A few additional days without animal products would also be helpful.
Be gentle with yourself and make the most of it!

Any favorite recipes you could share with us that would support this cleanse?

To cook quinoa

1 cup quinoa

2 cups filtered water
Rinse quinoa well and drain.
Add water and quinoa to sauce pan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to simmer and cook on low heat until all liquid is absorbed, approximately 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and enjoy.

New Greens Tonic

1 ½ cups fresh apple juice
½ lime – juiced
¼ cup filtered water
1 scoop New Greens

Combine all ingredients in a large glass and mix well.

Smoothie Du Jour

1 ½ cup fresh juice

½ -1 cup frozen fruit (try bananas or berries)
1 scoop New Greens powder

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend well.

What Exactly are Raw Foods?

Raw foods are foods that have not been cooked. They are the fresh fruits, berries, vegetables, nuts, seeds and herbs we have all come to know and love in their whole, natural state.

Once raw food is heated above a certain temperature, the food is considered to be cooked. Many define this point as the temperature where the particular food’s enzymes are destroyed.

Enzymes are the catalysts of life and that all foods come with naturally occurring enzymes. At around 100°F they are beginning to get a bit sluggish and by 118° F they are pretty much toast. Most raw foodists consider 116° to be the maximum threshold for enzyme potential.

Raw foods are loaded with enzymes and all of the vital nutrients our bodies need to flourish. Raw foods also have a high water content compared to cooked foods. The water found in fresh foods is in many ways superior to drinking water.

Raw foods abound with phytonutrients. These are the important vitamins, minerals and other nutrients found in plants that are known and still being discovered by science that are necessary for life to thrive. Eating raw means you are getting the highest concentration of phytonutrients emanating from the plant kingdom.

Many times you will hear the word live foods or living foods used to describe a raw food diet. Is there a difference?

For many, the words are used interchangeably. For those ‘in the know’, there is an important difference. Raw foods consist of foods in their natural, unheated state.

Live foods can even contain greater amounts of vital nutrients and enzyme activity created through soaking, sprouting, blending and culturing. Culturing allows us to create specialty dishes and drinks such as sauerkraut, plant cheeses, yogurts and kombucha.

Vegan Valentines – ‘I’m Vegan and He’s Not’

Image via Wikipedia

Question: I’m vegan, and he’s not. Is there hope for our relationship?

Answer: Love is a mysterious thing. Sometimes it’s a case of ‘birds of a feather flocking together’, other times it’s the ‘opposites attract’ phenomena. If love and respect are present in the relationship, there is usually space to accept each others differences. On the other hand, if you are cringing every time you eat a meal together, it’s important to discuss your feelings.

A lot of it depends on why you are going vegan. If you are vegan for health reasons, it may be relatively easy for you to accept your partners eating habits. If you are vegan for animal rights issues, or even environmental reasons, it will likely be more of a struggle.
If your partner is open to learning about why you eat the way you do, there are many resources available on line for educating him. Try the Vegetarian Resource Group (www.vrg.org) for starters. The best way however to introduce your partner to your lifestyle choice is to prepare delicious vegan food if he is open to trying it. It is an amazing way to demonstrate that going vegan can be a fulfilling and exciting way to live, without any sense of deprivation.

Here are some ideas for a special vegan valentine’s dinner.

Cilantro Stuffed Mushrooms
Organic Mixed Greens Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Macadamia Blue Corn Crusted Tofu with Creamy Pesto Sauce over Saffron Herb Basmati Pilaf
Da Kine No Bake Chocolate Cookies
After-Dinner Aphrodisiac Elixir

Cilantro Stuffed Mushrooms

recipe courtesy Jennifer Murray and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Raw

Yield: 4 mushrooms
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Dehydrate Time: 20 minutes (optional)

4 large crimini or button mushrooms
1 TBL cup nama shoyu
1 ½ cups broccoli florets
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tsp. olive oil
1 TBL nutritional yeast
2 TBL chopped walnuts
1 TBL pine nuts
1 TBL minced red onion
pinch salt or to taste
pinch freshly ground black pepper
pinch cayenne (optional)
2 TBL chopped small celery

1. Remove stems from mushroom caps and set aside.
2. Pour shoyu into a bowl and roll mushroom caps around to coat. Arrange caps on a plate and either set aside or, if dehydrating, put plate in a dehydrator at 105°F for 20 minutes.
3. Pour remaining shoyu into the bowl of a food processor with mushroom stems, broccoli, cilantro, olive oil, nutritional yeast, walnuts, pine nuts, onion, salt, pepper, and cayenne (if using). Process on high speed for 40 to 60 seconds or until a uniform pate forms (some chunks are okay). Transfer mixture to a bowl.
4. Add celery to pate and stir well.
5. Scoop pate into mushroom caps, forming a rounded top. Serve immediately or refrigerate in a glass or plastic container with a tightly closed lid. Mushrooms will keep in the refrigerator for 1 or 2 days.

**Use crimini mushrooms if you like the earthy flavor of mushrooms and can find them in a large size. If you prefer a milder mushroom, get button mushrooms. Small mushrooms work great, too, but you’ll need twice as many.

Uma’s Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette

5 minutes / 2 cups
2/3 C Filtered water
½ C Olive oil
¼ C Balsamic vinegar
2½ TBL Maple syrup
1½ TBL soy sauce
1 TBL Stone ground mustard

1. Place all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well.

Saffron Herb Basmati Pilaf

45 minutes / 3-4 servings
1 ½ C filtered water or vegetable stock
¾ C Brown Basmati Rice- rinsed and drained
½  tsp saffron threads, soaked in 2 Tbl hot water
¼ cup fresh minced herbs
sea salt and pepper to taste

Bring rice and liquid to a boil in a medium pot. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook until all liquid is absorbed, approximately 40 minutes.
Add saffron and soak water to rice with remaining ingredients and gently stir well.

Macadamia Cornmeal Crusted Tofu with Creamy Pesto Sauce

25 min prep / 20 min cooking / 3 cutlets
1 pound extra firm tofu
1 TBL water
2 tsp soy sauce
1 recipe Creamy Tahini Marinade (see below)
Crust
½ C Macadamias, roasted no salt
1 TBL Blue corn meal
1 TBL Coconut, shredded & toasted
1 tsp Cilantro, minced
½ tsp Cumin, toasted
¼ tsp Chili powder
Pinch Crushed red pepper flakes

• Sea salt, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Place soy sauce and water in a 9″ x13″ casserole dish, add tofu cutlets and allow to sit for 5 minutes before flipping. Let sit for another 5 minutes. Prepare Creamy Tahini Marinade and pour or spread over tofu cutlets. Let sit for at least 20 minutes. (Cutlets may also be marinated the day before the dish is prepared.) Place dish in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
2. While tofu is marinating and baking, place crust ingredients in food processor and process until chopped fine.
3. Remove tofu from oven, cover liberally with crust mixture, return to oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and serve while hot.

Creamy Tahini Marinade

3/4 cup filtered water
4 tsp soy sauce
3 TBL tahini or other nut butter
2 TBL lemon juice
1/2 tsp garlic, minced, or ginger, peeled and minced – optional
-pinch cayenne

1. Place all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well.

Pesto Sauce

10 minutes / 4 servings
6 ounces silken tofu
1 ½  C Basil, tightly packed
¼ C Cashews, macadamia or pine nuts
3/4 cup Olive oil
2 TBL Lemon juice, fresh squeezed
2 cloves Garlic, minced
½ tsp Sea salt, or to taste
Pinch Cayenne pepper

• Black pepper, ground to taste

1. Place all ingredients in food processor and process until smooth.

Da Kine No Bake Chocolate Cookies

recipe courtesy Vegan Fusion World Cuisine

20 min prep / 4-5 cookies
1 C Chocolate or Carob chips, Vegan
1/4 C Raisins
¼ C Pecans or macadamia nuts, toasted
1/4 C Coconut flakes, toasted (page 194)
2 TBL Almond or peanut butter
1 Tbl Maple syrup
1 tsp Vanilla extract, alcohol free
1/8 tsp Cinnamon powder
Pinch Cardamom powder

1. Place chocolate chips in double boiler on medium high heat until chips are melted,
stirring frequently. Place in a large bowl.
2. Set aside ¼ C of the toasted coconut to sprinkle on top of cookies. Add remaining
ingredients to the melted chocolate and mix well.
3. Shape cookies into hearts and place on a parchment paper lined or well oiled baking sheet. Top with remaining ¼ C coconut. Refrigerate until cool.

After-Dinner Aphrodisiac Elixir

recipe courtesy Jennifer Murray and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Raw

Yield: 4 cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
1 cup almonds
2 (3-in.) cinnamon sticks
¼ tsp whole cloves
6 green cardamom pods
1 TBL ginger, chopped small
4 cups filtered water
4 dried figs, soaked in 1 cup filtered water
2 TBL raw cacao powder
1 TBL vanilla extract
1 TBL rosewater
Pinch salt

1. Place almonds, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom pods, ginger, and 2 cups water in a blender and blend, gradually going from low speed to high speed, for 20 seconds. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Rinse the blender well and return spiced water to the blender.
2. Add figs, fig soak water, cacao powder, vanilla extract, rosewater, salt, and remaining 2 cups water. Blend on low speed for 20 to 30 seconds more or until figs are well blended.
Many foods have reputed aphrodisiac effects, including cacao, maca, pine nuts, garlic, ginger, nutmeg, almonds, licorice, raspberries, and strawberries. For good measure, you could add a full dropper of damiana tincture to this beverage. Damiana is a famed aphrodisiac from ancient times.

The Silent Chef Speaks

Anyone who has worked in the food service industry knows what a hectic, fast paced life it entails. Those who have started their own restaurant know that it can be an all consuming process that requires 24/7 attention. Recipes and menus need to be created, systems developed, staff trained, walls painted – you name it. The formation of The Blossoming Lotus Restaurant on Kaua’i, Hawaii was no exception. It was ordinary in many regards and extraordinary in others.

Mark Reinfeld is the founding chef. He had over 10 years of vegan consulting experience under his belt before arriving on the Island. He and partners Gabriel Zingaro and Jessyka Murray worked tirelessly with a group of people to open the restaurant. What is unique about this story is that Mark was a silent partner. Silent in the true sense of the word. He observed a vow of silence for the first 18 months of the restaurant’s history.

The Blossoming Lotus went on to win the 2006 Ilima Award for “Best Restaurant on Kaua’i”. Mark’s cookbook, Vegan Fusion World Cuisine, has won 9 national awards, including a Gourmand Award for ‘Best Vegetarian Cookbook in the USA.’

QUESTION: Mark, I found out recently that you weren’t speaking when you first came to Kaua’i. Can you tell us about that time?

When I came to Kaua’i in February of 2002, it was originally for a 2 week vacation. When I got here I loved it so much I decided to stay. Based on some of my past experiences, I was interested in doing an extended silent retreat. I thought I could find a private chef gig where I would live on someone’s land and live a quiet life. As it turns out, I was offered a consulting position, helping an internet café convert itself to a vegan café and bakery which we called The Blossoming Lotus. The pull to retreat was so strong I wound up observing 18 months of continual silence.

Q: Wow! I don’t know where to begin. Did you have any prior experience with extended periods of silence?

I had been on several 10 day silent retreats as well as an occasional day or weekend retreat. I was also in silence during a 6 month travel journey in the Indian Himalayas. It became more and more natural and comfortable for me to be in silence. The closest I can come to describing it is to imagine how you feel when you wake up really early in the morning and don’t feel like talking. Or if you visit a place that is so breathtakingly beautiful that it leaves you speechless. It’s similar to that except for an extended period.

Q: Can you share why you did this for so long?

Mainly because of the deep sense of peace that can open up from the space of silence. Silence of speech makes it easier to witness the patterns of the mind. I very much wanted to clear my mind and this seemed like a powerful way to go about it. It helped me to observe events without reacting, at least verbally. It was rarely a struggle. A few times I did slip up and say ‘thank you”.

Stay tuned for the next segment of our interview with Mark Reinfeld where we learn how he communicated with his business partners and staff. Discover how he met his wife Jennifer while in silence and why he decided to speak.

How to Detox for Better Health

Q: I am interested in doing a “detox” for better health. My first question is what exactly is a detox and what if any foods should I avoid or focus on to help me through such a process?

Mark: First I would like to say that ‘detoxifying’ is a relative term. It involves going from a more toxic state to a state of less toxicity, or ideally to a state of optimal health.

Toxins Come from Many Places

There are many reasons why people have accumulated toxins in their body. Environmental pollution, poor food choices and even genetic predispositions can cause our body to retain certain harmful substances. When we have these accumulated toxins, our body does not function optimally. Digestion may be sluggish; we may have allergic reactions, feel lethargic and have a host of other symptoms that can mask as many common ailments.

Healing with Food

As you know, we are strong proponents of healing with food. Food plays such a central role in our lives. When we make healthier food choices, our body responds by functioning at a higher level. As I mentioned earlier, the idea of detoxifying is relative. Most everyone benefits from detoxing- from those on the standard American diet (SAD) to those on living foods diets.

So the types of foods and the types of cleanses we would recommend are relative to the current state of health of the individual. Generally when we consume ‘lighter’ foods compared to what we regularly eat, our body will begin a natural process of detoxifying. In all instances, we recommend using organically grown ingredients whenever possible.

Chose a Cleanse that’s Right for You

There are many different types of cleanses and fasts for people to try. Different strokes for different folks. Some people benefit from juice or water fasting, others may go on a fruit only fast, some benefit from doing cleanses that involve a simple diet of grains and vegetables.

Gentle Detoxing

For those who would like a gentle way to detoxify through use of diet we suggest the following. Pick a week where you can experiment with making some changes to your eating habits. Evaluate your current diet. If you are eating lots of heavy foods, such as red meat, try going a week without it. You may want to also eliminate dairy products, which has proven to be an incredible way to clear up allergies, asthma and congestion. Many times we have food allergies that we are unaware of until we do without the food for a certain period of time.

Fasting

Other things to look at ‘fasting’ from include fried and greasy foods, refined sugars and flours, wheat products, coffee and or caffeine. Limiting salt intake is also a great thing to strive for in your cleanses. It’s important to remember that although you may be enjoying the taste of these things now, you will often notice very positive changes in your health by fasting from any of them.

Eliminating Cooked Foods

One type of ‘fast’ that we enjoy is to eliminate all cooked foods from the diet. This can be for a day or a week or longer. . During this cleanse you may enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables, salads, smoothies, teas and juices. You can also enjoy small quantities of raw nuts and seeds. This can prove to be a powerful way to activate a natural cleansing or detoxing process.

Juice Fasting

If your diet is relatively healthy, you may want to experiment with a juice fast, or fruit and juice combination. Fresh squeezed lemon juice with water is an amazing drink to include as it helps reduce mucus, provides vitamin c and potassium. Grapefruits are a great food to include in a fruit cleanse. Along with the vitamin C, the rutin in the grapefruit acts as a natural blood purifier. See below for a simple and refreshing grapefruit salad.

Tea Cleanses

There are several teas that can also be enjoyed during cleanses, depending on which part of the body you are focusing on in the cleanse. This is a vast topic and is best covered in a future article. Some suggestions for teas for detoxing may include red clover or dandelion root which are used as blood purifiers. Kukicha tea has been used to assist in detoxing for those who have consumed a large amount of animal fats.

Supplementing Your Cleanse

Supplementing your cleanse with some green superfoods like spirulina or wheatgrass juice gives your body the important micronutrients it needs. New Greens by Pure Prescriptions, mixed with some fruit juice or water is one of my favorite additions to most cleanses. Please see below for a sample recipe.

Listen to Your Body

It’s important to listen to your body. Something to be aware of is a ‘cleansing reaction’. When our bodies begin to detoxify, these toxins are released and can sometimes cause symptoms to appear such as nausea, headaches etc. Let your body be the judge. This may be a sign that you are detoxing too quickly.

Move Your Body

Light exercise is a wonderful compliment to any cleanse. In addition to the release of ‘feel good’ endorphins and all the cardiovascular benefits of exercise, light exercise opens up the pores and allows toxins to be released through our largest eliminative organ – the skin. Sitting in a sauna a few times a week for up to 10 minutes will also release these toxins.

Keep it Fun!

Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind is that this process of detoxifying through diet should be fun. Remember that we are journeying towards a state of optimal health and well being. Envision the healthier you and this can inspire you along the way.

Enjoy these recipes from our cookbook:

Simple New Greens Smoothie

• 10 ounces fresh apple juice or other fruit juice
• 4 ounces filtered water – or to taste for desired sweetness
• 2 tsp new greens by pure prescriptions
• 1 small banana
• 1 tsp hemp seeds-optional
• 1 tsp soy lecithin- optional
• 1 tsp flax oil- optional

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend well. If you leave out the banana, you can stir all ingredients in a tall glass. You may also replace the banana with some other fruit, fresh or frozen.

Simple Grapefruit Salad

• 1 medium grapefruit
• ½ medium lime, juiced
• 1 small date- pitted and chopped small
• few mint leaves, minced

Peel grapefruit and divide into segments. Chop into small pieces. Combine with other ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Enjoy.

Seek Out A Qualified Health Care Practitioner

Detoxing, fasting and cleansing is a vast topic. Please consult a qualified health care practitioner if you have any questions or concerns, if your health is challenged in any way and before engaging in longer fasts and cleanses. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.

None of the above is intended as medical advice. Since every individual’s health condition and circumstance are unique, we recommend seeking the services of a qualified health care professional before using any of this information for medical purposes.

Raw Weight Loss, Every Little Bit Helps

QUESTION: How raw do I need to be to experience the benefits of a weight loss program?

MARK: Our professional opinion is that every little bit helps. People notice improvements simply by including a few more servings of fruits and vegetables in their daily regime. Getting up to 50% raw will begin to bring even more results. Eating 75-80% raw is considered by many to be an ideal level. Purists say we need to be at 100% to get the full effects. We say go as raw as you can, as naturally as you can and always feel good about your choices.

Have a question for the natural chef?

Please email: mark [at]veganfusion[dot]com

Secret of Raw Foods Weight Loss – Healthy Snacking

QUESTION: Snacks are my downfall whenever I attempt a weight-loss program. Any pointers to keep me on track?

MARK: Keeping satisfied in between meals is the secret to succeeding in eating raw. The convenience factor plays a major part in this. Having healthful alternatives available prevents you from snacking on unhealthy fast food and impulse-purchase foods.

Here are some great raw snack ideas:

fresh fruits

cut up vegetables such as carrots, celery, and bell peppers with a small amount of nut butter

the infinite array of fruit smoothies

dehydrated fruits, such as bananas, apples, and figs.

You can also create your own raw trail mix including raw nuts, seeds, and superfoods such as raw cacao and goji berries. Enjoy the nuts and seeds in moderation.

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