Raw Foodism and my Thoughts

I don’t know if I even I’ve said much about this during my posts but I am a firm believer in the benefits of raw foods. The raw food “craze” started up a few years ago when stars like Madonna started to get into raw foods. Although some people consider it a fad diet, I consider it to be something a lot more permanent (like vegetarians or vegans). Although I’m not 100% raw or even a full vegetarian or vegan, that doesn’t mean I can’t incorporate these philosophies into my diet!

I try to eat as much raw food as I can. Here’s why: when our foods are heated past (there seems to be some debate over the exact temperature, but approximately) 120 F, the enzymes begin to break down and are destroyed. This is the same theory that applies to cold-press juicers (they make sure their motors are slow enough to avoid heating the juices so the enzymes do not break down).

So why is it bad if enzymes break down? Well, digestive enzymes provide our bodies with access to all of the nourishment in our foods. Pretty much, the fewer digestive enzymes that we have left in our foods, the fewer nutrients we are actually providing our bodies. So, if a piece of broccoli started out with 100 mg of some nutrient, cooking that broccoli could potentially provide our bodies with only 20 mg of that nutrient. Not cool considering the amount of calories in that broccoli remained unchanged!

When I eat raw foods, I feel more energized, focused and happy. I don’t crave junk foods as much and I certainly don’t end up eating as much either. If I didn’t believe in any of the theory behind raw foodism, the change in my energy levels alone are enough to convince me that they are true. So, I try my best to get myself a lot of raw foods whenever possible. It’s just not always possible so I’m not 100% raw. I also think its more important to provide my body with the right balance of nutrients (cooked or raw) than the raw balance of nutrients that is all raw.

Raw foodists eat much more than you would think. It’s not just a bunch of raw carrots and celery or only salads. Raw foodists are also usually vegan organics (as much as possible) which means no animal products. They drink almond milk (which is my latest obsession) and make fake “cheeze” and fake dairy products out of nuts (often cashews) and fruits.

Although it takes a lot more work, raw foodists make a lot of dehydrated foods. Dehydrators allow you to control the maximum temperature of the foods you are dehydrated and can ensure that your food is never heated past 120 F (or whatever you set it to). Using dehydrators, raw foodists make delicious flax based flatbreads, crackers, wraps and chips that are to die for! I’m absolutely obsessed. If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can buy those types of things at high quality health foods store.

Really, the food options are much wider than you would think when eating raw. They just tend to require a bit more planning because some of the ingredients often need to be dehydrated or soaked (like nuts and seeds). However, if there is one thing that raw food is not, its bland! I think raw food is so delicious it’s crazy. I cook with so many different herbs and spices when making raw foods. It has really introduced me to some new fun flavors. Also, since everything is fresh and not cooked, its bursting with flavor. YUM!

Oh, and of course, raw foodists drink a lot of juices. However, like I said earlier, in order for the juice to keep all its enzymes and remain truly raw, it has to be made using a cold-press masticating juicer.

So, if you’ve ever wondered about raw food, you might want to look up some reading materials or give it a try!

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Juicing for Anemia

Anemia is a condition that is very common in menstruating women. Generally, when people become anemic they begin to feel rather fatigued, weak, foggy-minded or dizzy. Although most people think that anemia is an iron deficiency, that is not exactly the case. Anemia is mostly commonly caused by an insufficient amount of iron, but anemia itself is really a shortage of red blood cells or hemoglobin. In fact, anemia can also be caused by insufficient amounts of vitamin B12 or folic acid. Each type of anemia requires different treatment. So, if you think you might have a severe case of anemia, please get properly diagnosed by a doctor to find out which nutrient you are lacking, and learn to treat it properly.

Since iron-deficient anemia is most common, and I have treated it personally, I will focus on how to juice for iron-deficient anemia.

Important Information About Iron

There are two different types of iron:

1. Heme iron comes from animal products (red meat, poultry and fish) and is absorbed in our bodies more easily than non-heme iron. (Some say 2 – 3 times more)
2. Non-heme iron is also found in animal products, but it is the only type of iron that we can get from plants. Eating Vitamin C with foods that have non-heme iron helps your body absorb the non-heme iron more efficiently. Additionally, eating heme iron in the same meal will help your body absorb the non-heme iron. Therefore, a meal with some heme iron, non-heme iron and vitamin C is an excellent way to provide your body with a healthy dosage of iron.

Food Recommendations for Iron-Deficient Anemia

So, what are good sources of non-heme iron you ask? That’s a good question!

• When you’re looking to get iron, anything that is a rich, dark green color is usually a great source. Dark green vegetables also have chlorophyll, folic acid and Vitamin C, which are all great for you and can help with iron-deficiency.
• Great sources for non-heme iron are: parsley, broccoli, kale, swiss chard, dandelion greens, bok choy, cauliflower, strawberries, asparagus, blackberries, cabbage, beets with their greens, prunes and carrots
• Good sources for vitamin C are: parsley, kale, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, watercress, strawberries, spinach, cabbage, lemons, limes, asparagus, and turnips.

As stated above, it’s a good idea to eat well-balanced meals that have a small portion of animal product that is high in heme iron (perhaps a bit of steak or chicken, lightly prepared and baked or bbq’d), a large portion of fresh, dark greens (non-heme iron) – try a dark-green medley for your salad base, and some vitamin C (for increased iron absorption) – throw in lemon juice, strawberries and cauliflower.

Of course, a great way to get yourself a high intake of non-heme iron and vitamin C (especially at the same time) is juicing. Juicing is especially helpful for anemic people who are eating a vegetarian, vegan or raw diet (this is because they have no source of heme iron).

I would recommend using an Omega 8006 Juicer or any other wheatgrass juicer.

Please see my next post for some of my juice recipes that would be great for treating anemia naturally.

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Dealing with Depression through Juicing

Depression is extremely common in North America and affects more people than you would think. Although depression can be experienced to varying degrees, it is generally characterized by feelings of sadness, hopelessness, self-hatred, self-pity and general unhappiness. Often, it leads to a loss of sex drive, loss of appetite (or the opposite), difficulty sleeping (or constantly feeling tired), a lack of concentration and an anxious or jittery feeling. If you’ve ever felt any of those symptoms, changes are, you have at least experienced mild depression before.

Depression is an extremely complex issue and I am certainly not going to attempt to dissect it in one simple blog post, or ever for that matter. I leave those complex matters to the experts! What I can do, however, it provide general suggestions for ways that I have successfully gotten over acute depression and suggest some nutrients that you might want to load up on in an attempt to avoid or ward off depression.

Most Effective Ways to Get Over Depression Without Psycho-Therapy or Drugs

I’m not trying to say that psycho-therapy or drugs are bad ways of dealing with depression, or ineffective or anything like that. However, I, personally, have never been so depressed that I needed that sort of help, so I cannot make any form of suggestions or recommendations in that respect. BUT, if you are depressed and you have ever even considered going to see a therapist, I say go for it! What can you really lose (aside from some money)? And if you don’t have funds, ask your doctor about writing you a script for some therapy. There are more options out there for free therapy than you would think. HOWEVER, before starting medications, I would suggest making some of the following changes and seeing how they help you. You might be able to avoid a dependency on drugs just by getting a little exercise

So, in the past, what I have noticed is that I tend to get a bit depressed and sluggish whenever I stop exercising regularly. And, as soon as I start to exercise on a regular basis, I find any feelings of depression or unhappy are swept away! You’d be surprised how much a healthy lifestyle can change your perspective one life. Seriously!

So, if you are depressed, try to make some time for a little exercise every day- 30 minutes is all you need! In fact, regular exercise is becoming the number 1 recommendation from American doctors to get over depression. Even if its just a brisk walk. Instead of watching 1 simple 30 minute TV show, go for a walk outside, or get on a treadmill and walk while you watch it! It really helps clear the mind and work off stress. That’s because movement of your body increases your serotonin levels and releases endorphins in your body (which make you feel happy or euphoric).

Try your best to get some sleep! I know this is hard if the depression is affecting your sleep, but try to avoid things that get in the way of sleep (like partying every night perhaps).

Try to get a little sunshine every day. Research is suggesting that a healthy dosage of Vitamin D every day can do wonders for our happiness and health. 10 – 15 minutes is all you need. Eat lunch outside or get your exercise outside in the day light. You body will thank you, and your mind will too!

Eat a healthier diet. If you are eating fatty, highly processed foods, your body has to send so much blood to your stomach to digest, it causes a sluggish drop in energy. These foods also do not deliver a sufficient amount of energy to our bodies to burn off all day and are transferred into fat more quickly. Ever noticed you feel tired after eating? This also makes it hard for you to concentrate and get motivated to do other things throughout the day.

Avoiding things like highly refined carbs, highly processed foods, fast foods, or food additives (like MSG) and eating healthy, nutritious meals will change the way you feel throughout the day drastically. If you can, try to eat more raw foods. A diet that is high in fresh fruits and vegetables increases your energy levels and can be very helpful with lifting your spirits. In fact, several people have said that going on a 1-3 day juice fast has been extremely helpful in overcoming feelings of depression.

Juices That Help Depression

Drinking juices that have a lot of celery, fennel or dark greens have been known to help depression and induce feelings of euphoria. All the great vitamins and nutrients in these juices will get you healthier, and provide you with long and sustainable amounts of energy. The high levels of chlorophyll and natural ability to induce endorphins in the blood stream from these juices make them very helpful with depression. In fact, celery juice was historically used to help people get over heartbreak because it helps creating a soothing feeling.

See my post about suggest juice recipes for depression or try to mix up your own recipes with celery, fennel and dark greens to see if they help. It’s worth a shot isn’t it?

If you would like to start juicing and you need a juicer, I would suggest getting a masticating juicer to ensure it will be able to juice those dark greens efficiently!

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How to Make Homemade Baby Food Using the Samson 6-in-1 Juicer

Making baby food at home is an amazing thing that you can do for your baby. Although taking care of a baby requires so much time and effort that most mothers couldn’t possibly imagine where they will find the time to make their baby’s food (it’s hard enough to find the effort to feed them in the first place!), I have a solution! If you make baby food this way, all you really need is about 30 minutes a week. That’s reasonable, right?

The reason you only need 30 minutes a week is because you can make a batch of the food and then pour it into ice cube trays and freeze it. Once the cubes have frozen, you have a bunch of 1 ounce portions of baby food. Pop them out of the trays and freeze them in freezer bags with a label for the different flavors. Then you can make more and build up a nice stash of homemade baby food. When it’s time for feeding, you just take it out of the bags and thaw however much you need. Poof- super healthy baby food in a flash!

Making baby food yourself is a great idea because you will know exactly what is going into your child’s food. No need to worry about there being any unwanted fillers or preservatives! Also, it’s so easy to do! Any husband would be able to figure it out in a flash and you can get him to do it for you ever week

Here’s how it works (you can watch the video above to see it for yourself!)

1. Choose your ingredients according to what is suitable for your baby’s age.
2. Wash and steam any fruits or vegetables just until they are easily poked with a fork. You don’t want to overcook them or you will be steaming out the nutrients. This is also why it’s a good idea to actually steam the produce (using a pot and an insert for steaming) rather than boiling them.
3. Set up your juicer for homogenizing (either mincing cone or open blank).
4. Send everything through the juicer. If it is too thick, send it through again until you have your desired consistency.
5. Pour into ice cube trays and you’re all set!

The juicer I used in the video is a Samson 6-in-1 Juicer. It’s extremely versatile and has never let me down. However, any other Masticating Juicer will be able to homogenize also. Get yours from Purely Juicers today!

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How to Make Italian Meatballs Using the Samson 6-in-1 Juicer

Since you can use the Samson 9001 to mince meats and herb, its a great tool for making meatballs. Of course, you can also make these meatballs using pre-ground meats, but buying the meats and grinding them yourself is always a good idea if you have the time. Grocery stores are known for adding crappy cuts of meat to their ground beef and pork because there is no way of knowing what has gone into it once its all ground up. I personally don’t want to be paying extra for my meat to be ground up, and then have things like pig snout thrown in- yuck! So, I try to grind my own meats whenever possible.

This recipe is my Italian family’s meatball recipe. It makes delicious, succulent meatballs that you can use in pasta sauce (for spaghetti and meatballs), simply rolled up and quickly fried (for a simple meatball – we use them as appetizers!), or you can also use this mixture for stuffing vegetables (it makes a great stuffed pepper!). Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Watch the video tutorial and then use the directions below for your reference later.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb beef
• 1 lb pork
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 2 cups plain bread crumbs
• 1 cup parmesan or romano cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup warm water with a clove of garlic smashed into it (skin removed)
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Set up your Samson 6-in-1 Juicer for mincing using the mincing cone, drum cap and the mincing nozzle.
2. Cut the meats into chunks that will fit down the tube – you can trim the fat to determine how lean you’d like them to be.
3. Push the chunks of meat through your juicer and add some parsley to let it mix in.
4. As you collector fills, transfer the minced meat into a large bowl.
5. Once all the meat and parsley is minced and all in the same bowl, crack in your eggs.
6. Using your hands (in a squeezing motion), mix the eggs in.
7. In about 3 parts, add breadcrumbs and cheese, then mix again using your hands.
8. Once the mixture feels dry, pour in some of the warm water with garlic (but do no pour the chunk of garlic into the mixture) and mix again using your hands. You might not need all the water but this ratio is usually pretty good. You are looking for a soft consistency that will roll in your hands easy and stick together well.
9. Add salt and pepper to taste, mix one last time.
10. Roll the mixture into the desired size meatballs you’d like.
11. If you are maxing pasta, put them into the sauce and let the sauce simmer for an hour or two, stirring occasionally to ensure the meatballs don’t burn. This way, the meatballs cook as your sauce cooks. To stir, simply shake the pot by its handles. Using a spoon will break up the meatballs.
12. Enjoy!

Go to Purely Juicers to buy your own Samson 6-in-1 Juicer today, and find great prices on tons of other juicers.

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How to Make Homemade Peanut Butter Using the Samson 6-in-1 Juicer

Homemade peanut butter is one of my favorite things to have around. It’s so delicious and healthy, I just want to put it on everything! Since the Samson 9001 Juicer can homogenize, you can use it to make creamy (or crunchy) homemade peanut butter.

There are a number of health benefits to eating homemade peanut butter instead of store bought peanut butter. First off, homemade peanut butter doesn’t have any of the harmful preservatives that commercial peanut butter has, which makes it much better for you. Also, when you make it at home, you can decide how much oil and sweetener (if any) that you mix in. Commercial brands often make their peanut butter very sweet. The sugars counter-act all the advantages of the good proteins and fats from simple peanuts (this makes it much more fattening). And finally, since you are purchasing the peanuts, you can know where the peanuts are coming from. Purchase organic if you like organic (which I love!), make sure they’re harvested sustainably, whatever you want. In my eyes, its just great to know exactly what’s going into my food.

Watch the video tutorial above and use the notes below for your reference.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups peanuts (roasted or raw – if raw, see Roasting Directions below)
• 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
• Sweetener if desired (sugar, honey, etc)

Yields: Approx. 1 cup peanut butter

Roasting Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Spread out your peanut on a cookie sheet or in a tin.
3. Drizzle peanut oil over the peanuts and mix them around (you want to get them nicely coated).
4. Let then bake for about 8 minutes, shaking them around every 2 minutes to ensure they do not burn.
5. Once the nuts are sufficiently roasted (you should be able to smell roasting peanut and they will be a golden brown color), remove them from the oven. Now you have roasted peanuts!

Making the Homemade Peanut Butter

1. Assemble your Samson 6-in-1 Juicer using the mincing cone and drum cap, without a nozzle.
2. If you purchased roasted peanuts, put them into a bowl or measuring cup and drizzle the peanut oil over them, then stir to coat the nuts.
3. Take your coated, roasted peanuts and send them through the juicer.
4. Mix the nuts, adding your sweetener now if desired.
5. If your mixture is still too dry, add a bit more oil and send it through the juicer one more time. You might not even need to add oil – simply putting the nut mixture through the juicer a second time may be sufficient.
6. Repeat until desired consistency is achieved.

For Crunchy Peanut Butter, save some whole roasted peanuts. Once you have your smooth peanut butter made, chop up the peanuts and mix them in with your smooth peanut butter.

**Note: Since this peanut butter has no preservatives, be sure to store it in your refrigerator in an air-tight container. It will have a shelf life of approx. 1 month **

You can find great deals on the Samson 6-in-1 Juicer and other Wheatgrass Juicers from Purely Juicers. Buy yours today and receive free shipping!

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How to Make Fresh Salsa Using the Samson 6-in-1 Juicer

The Samson 6-in-1 Juicer really is an extremely versatile kitchen appliance (it’s like having 6 machines in 1, duh!). One of its functions is mincing (meat, herbs, fruits and veggies, spices, etc). I usually make this fresh salsa recipe by chopping away at all the ingredients, but now that I have my Samson Juicer, I realized how much easier making this dish will be! Additionally, this makes a nice thick almost homogenized salsa, rather than a chunky one (no more chunks of onion or garlic to throw people off!)

Homemade salsa is so much healthier for you than store bought salsa. First and foremost, you are getting all fresh veggies, with no preservatives. Store bought salsa is low quality vegetables that have been sitting and sogging up in that jar with preservatives for God only knows how long! Secondly, there is no sugar in this recipe. I’m not sure why, but lots of jarred salsas have sugar added to them – unnecessary! Finally, you can control your salt content in case you are trying to lower your sodium intake or have a cholesterol or heart condition. Aside from the health benefits, this recipe tastes about a million times better (yep, I’m making that claim- a million times better) than prepacked salsa. Seriously, once you try this, you won’t ever be able to eat store bought salsa again.

Note: The recipe below will make a rather large batch of salsa. I always make large batches because my family loves it and I can never seem to keep it for more than 2 or 3 days (if that!). However, if you live alone or only want a small amount of salsa, feel free to cut the recipe in half.

Ingredients:

• 8 plum tomatoes
• 3/4 – 1 whole small white onion
• 3 jalapenos **Note: This makes a very spicy salsa. If you are sensitive to heat, start off only mincing 1 jalapeno. You can always add more but you can’t take it out!**
• 1 large clove of garlic
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• Salt to taste

Juicer Setup:

Set up your Samson 6-in-1 Juicer using only the drum cap and mincing cone (you don’t need a nozzle).

Directions:

1. Rinse the above ingredients and cut them into the right size for your juicer.
2. Put them all through the juicer and watch it mince. No need to send the ingredients through separately; you will be mixing them anyway!
3. Put minced mixture in a bowl, add some salt to taste and stir.
4. You can enjoy this fresh salsa with tortilla chips, as a topping on some grilled chicken or  steak, on your eggs in the morning (one of my favorites), and of course, with any Mexican dish (tortillas, tacos, sopes, tamales, etc). Really, your options are endless!

Visit Purely Juicers today to buy your own Samson 9001 Juicer or any other masticating juicer.

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How to Make Wheatgrass Juice Using the Samson 9001 Juicer

The Samson 9001 Juicer is really just a great juicer. It’s extremely versatile (which is why it’s also called the Samson 6-in-1 Juicer) but having all of those other functions does not make it any less efficient at juicing. In fact, the Samson 9001 does an incredible job juicing wheatgrass. Wheatgrass is a plant that is particularly difficult to extract juice from and not all juicers can do it. In order to juice wheatgrass, you definitely need a wheatgrass juicer. Otherwise you will be left with wasted wheatgrass and a clogged juicer- not fun!

In terms of efficiency of wheatgrass juicers, the Samson 9001 did a great job. It ejected nice, dry pulp, and it didn’t take forever to do it either. It’s motor runs at 80 RPMs so I also know the enzymes and nutrients in the wheatgrass were well protected! Healthy wheatgrass made for me in a flash- what a great machine. I think I might be in love hehe.

Take a look at the video demonstration to see what I mean!

Health Benefits of Wheatgrass

Wheatgrass is a fantastic plant that is just bursting with enzymes, nutrients, vitamins and amino acids. If you drink it daily, it can do wonders for your overall health. Additonally, its great for blood health because of the chlorophyll content, and helps cleanse your body of unwanted toxins. The cleansing comes from all the vitamins and minerals (it’s very high in vitamins a, b, c, d, and e). Furthermore, all these things help strengthen your immune system. And finally, the high content of amino acids helps your body build proteins so you can be fitter, longer. Clearly, this is one plant with a lot of healthy power in it!

If you plan to drink wheatgrass daily, be sure to introduce it to your body gradually. Too much wheatgrass too fast can mean frequent trips to the toilet, which is never fun!

Go to Purely Juicers to get your own Wheatgrass Juicer today. Of course, I would suggest a Samson 9001.

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How to Make Snow Cones Using a Samson 6-in-1 Juicer

The Samson GB 9001 Juicer is also called the Samson 6-in-1 Juicer. That’s because it can do much more than juice- it’s like having 6 machines in 1 (fruit juicer, veggie and wheatgrass juicer, pasta extruder, homogenizer, meat, herb and ice mincer, grinder). Since it can mince ice so easily, it’s a great tool for making snow cones! Kids love them, and you can add whatever flavoring you’d like – syrups or sugar and food coloring or maybe something healthier like juice (made from your juicer of course). Watch the video above to see how it’s done!

Here’s some quick steps:

1. To set up your Samson 6-in-1 Juicer for mincing ice you need to use the mincing cone and the drum cap only (no need for a nozzle).
2. Next, you simply feed a cube or two of ice through the juicer at a time and you will have evenly minced ice.
3. Scoop the ice into a glass or bowl.
4. Drizzle over some flavoring (you have lots of choices)
5. Enjoy!

Snow cones really help cool you off during the summer heat, but can be a fun thing to make year round. Be sure to try some with some freshly made juice for an extra healthy snack!

You can get yourself a Samson 6-in-1 Juicer with free shipping from Purely Juicers. Find the Samson and tons of other excellent wheatgrass juicers at www.purelyjuicers.com

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How to Make Homemade Ice Cream Using the Samson 6-in-1 Juicer

Did you know you can use your Samson 9001 Juicer to homogenize fruits into a scrumptious homemade ice cream? Making this at home is much better than eating any store bought ice creams or sorbets because you can control everything that gets put into it and be sure there are no preservatives. All you need is come fruit, milk, yoghurt and of course, the Samson GB 9001. If you’d like a sweeter ice cream, you can also add sugar, honey or maple syrup. Watch the video above to see how I did it in action. Then you can take these directions below and make your own!

Ingredients Requires:

• some fruit (in the video, I used 2 handfuls of strawberries, 1 large peach, 1 banana)
• yoghurt
• milk
• sugar / honey / syrup / sweetener (optional)

Juicer Setup:

You want to assembly your Samson 6-in-1 using the mincing cone and the drum cap only (no nozzle).

Steps:

1. Wash and slice up your fruit to make sure it will fit down your juicer’s tube, then put the fruit in the freezer and let it freeze (min. 2 hours). Keep in mind, the smaller you cut your fruit, the faster it will freeze.
2. Once frozen, remove the fruit from the freezer and put it through the juicer. Juicing fruits of similar colors together can create visually appealing swirls in your ice cream.
3. Add some milk, yoghurt and your desired form or sweetener (optional) and stir. There is no real recipe. The more milk and yoghurt you add, the creamier it will be. The less you add, the more like sorbet or yogen fruz it will be.
4. If you like soft-serve (like me) eat it right away!
5. If you prefer harder ice cream, be sure to add a good amount of the dairy products and put the ice cream back in the freezer until it has reached your desired firmness. (You might only need to wait 30 min).

You can get the Samson 6-in-1 Juicer and other fantastic Wheatgrass Juicers with free shipping from Purely Juicers. Buy yours today!

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