Healthy Holiday Recipe Ideas

Happy Thanksgiving!! I have many things to be thankful for, especially you, my readers. A heartfelt thank you to everyone for your love and support. be sure to give yourself some love and gratitude this day and every day for all the wonderful things you do and the magnificent being that you are.

So what's for dinner this holiday season? Here are a few hints on how to make your stuffing more healthy. Elaina Love from Pure Joy Living Foods contributed her fabulous Fantasy Stuffing and turkey tasting Ravey Gravy. In the picture you'll see some colorful veggies. This is just one idea of how to prepare and serve some fresh and colorful vitamin and mineral dense foods this year.

Lemon Tarragon Vegetables

Serves 6

6 yellow pattypan, sunburst or scollop squash

1 heaping cup mixed fresh vegetables, green beans, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, diced

2 TBS fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp lemon rind

1 tsp tarragon

1/4 tsp salt

2 TBS olive oil or macadamia nut oil

1 tsp cayenne ( optional )

Trim the bottom off each squash to make it stand up. Then carefully cut around the top and lift it off. Using a teaspoon scoop out the flesh to make a cup, chop and add to the mixed vegetables. Place upright in a glass covered glass dish.

Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, salt and tarragon. Pour a little of the marinade into each squash and coat the sides. Place vegetables in a bowl and pour the marinade over then and mix well. Grate the lemon rind over the vegetables and into the open squash cups. Place in a covered glass dish and put both in the dehydrator for 3 -4 hours, stirring every hour. If you do not have a dehydrator then lightly bake the squash cups and saute the vegetables for just a few minutes until they change color. Fill the cups and serve. The idea is to just heat the vegetables not totally cook them.

Here's the article I wrote on healthy stuffing.

Everyone would like to eat and be healthy, right? Most people are learning how to do just that. Since the holidays are about gratitude and giving, this year why don't you give the gift of health to yourself and those you love by making and eating life giving foods. In this article I will show you two options for making healthy holiday stuffing. One is a living food recipe that some say rivals any cooked stuffing they have ever tasted, and it is totally alkaline and super healthy. The other recipe is a more traditional cooked stuffing, with ingredients that aid the body in gaining and maintaining radiant health. Before we start making the stuffing let's spend a minute and find out what some of the main ingredients are and how they contribute to a healthier body.

Raw Almonds... One of only 2 alkaline tree nuts. These are a powerhouse of energy with vitamin E, riboflavin, niacin and folate. They are extremely mineral rich in calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese. potassium and copper. 23% of their total fat is monounsaturated fat, that lowers LDL and raises HDL cholesterol making them good for the heart and arteries.

The bread is key: We are using an organic sprouted whole grain, inspired by the Holly scripture verse" Take also unto thee wheat and barley and beans and lentils and millet and spelt and put them in one vessel and make bread of it.." EZ 4:9. Using bread from Food for Life, that is low glycemic, high fiber, gluten free, wheat free, and yeast free can do wonders. It can help support long term good health, reduce heart disease, allergies and diabetes as well as aiding in a sustainable weight loss program. Since stuffing is 50% bread picking a good one such as this is very important in sustaining vibrant health.

The cooking oil... We are using exotic Macadamia nut oil. Chefs are just catching on that this is an exceptional oil to use, both in cooking and in cold dishes. If you purchase a high quality oil, such as the one Mountain Rose Herbs sells, the taste is superb. Macadamia nut oil has an extremely high smoke or flash point at 410 degrees F, thus creating NO trans fatty acids or free radicals. It is over 50% oleic acid or omega 9. Omega 9 slows heart disease, helps the body produce antioxidants, and is a monounsaturated fat that lowers LDL ( bad cholesterol ) and raises HDL, good cholesterol. A study at Wesley Hospital in Brisbane, Australia, found a diet enriched with monounsaturated fats lowers harmful blood cholesterol by 7% and triglycerides by 25% as it increases HDH, high density lipoproteins the good cholesterol.

Portobello Mushrooms (Crimi)...these are low in sodium and very low in saturated fat and cholesterol. They are a wonderful source of vitamin B6, iron, magnesium and zinc. They provide good fiber as well as niacin, copper, manganese and selenium. Their protein value is about 4% of your daily requirement per 1 cup.

Celery...This is a great source for the most need alkalizing mineral in the body, sodium. Along with that they provide iron, thiamin, riboflavin, magnesium and phosphorus. Celery is a good source of fiber and has vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, Vitamin B6, folate, calcium, potassium and manganese.

Onion...These are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, Vitamin B6, potassium and manganese. They give the immune system a boost, are an antiseptic and an expectorant for mucus, especially in the lungs among their other healing properties.

Garlic...Is a good source of calcium, phosphorus and selenium, and an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin B6 and manganese. It has been used for centuries to heal a range of ailments. Some of it's properties are: diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant and antibiotic. Garlic has been use to lower cholesterol and reduce blood pressure, treat asthma, and to treat a host of cancers and infections.

Flax Seeds...These are a plant source of ALA or alpha linolenic acid or omega 3 oil, similar to the type in fish like salmon. This oil is found to lower cholesterol and blood triglycerides and blood pressure. Flax is also rich in lignan, an antioxidant and is very rich in fiber.

Zucchini...This vegetable is a good source of thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and phosphorus. It is a very good source of fiber and vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, magnesium, potassium, copper and manganese.

Now that you know how wonderful the ingredients in these recipes are for you, which level of health will you choose this year?

The first two are awesome recipes from Elaina Love of Pure Joy Living Foods. She is one of the top living food chefs in the world, and creates amazing delicious and nutritious dishes. These are so good your gusts won't even know they aren't cooked unless you tell them. Everyone LOVES this stuffing and gravy dish and your body will too.

Fantasy Stuffing

By Chef Elaina Love

Serves 6-8

1 ½ cup soaked organic almonds (1 cup before soaking)

½ onion, chopped

2 large cloves garlic

1 apple, chopped

4 stalks celery, finely chopped

1 medium Portobello mushroom, chopped

3 tbs flax meal ( ground flax seeds)

1 tbs macadamia nut oil

1 tbs nama shoyu

½ tsp sea salt

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 ½ tsp poultry seasoning

½ cup raisins

¼ cup chopped walnuts

Place almonds in a processor and puree until fine. Add onions and garlic and process. Add apple and process. Place mixture in a large bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Make into patties, a loaf or just spread on the dehydrator sheet. Dehydrate several hours at 105 degrees, until the outside is crispy and the inside is moist. Serve warm for best flavor.

This gravy tastes exactly like cooked turkey gravy!! Try it, you'll like it, it's amazing!

Ravey Gravy

7 Brazil nuts

1 TBS pumpkin seed oil or hemp seed oil

1/2 cup irish moss GEL ( you can get this on Elaina's site )

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 cup peeled and chopped zucchini

1/4 tsp Himalayan crystal salt

2 TBS dark miso

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp nutritional yeast

1/8 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp celery seed

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar ot 1 tsp lemon juice

Blend on high until smooth. Serve with Fantasy Stuffing. Will store in glass jar refrigerated for 5 days.

Healthy Holiday Traditional Stuffing

By Chef Dr. Diondra

Makes 6 cups

1 cup celery, chopped fine

1 cup onion, chopped fine

1 1/2 cups crimi or portabello mushrooms, chopped fine

1 cup zucchini, chopped

6 pieces of Ezekiel 4:9 bread or (low sodium) cut into 1"x 1" pieces

2 TBS fresh sage, chopped very fine

2 TBS poultry seasoning

1 tsp fresh rosemary

1/2 tsp Himalayan crystal salt

3/4 cup vegetable broth

5 TBS macadamia nut oil

Saute the onion, celery, mushrooms and spices in the macadamia nut oil for about 4 minutes, add the zucchini and finish cooking until the onions and celery are soft. In a large bowl combine the bread cubes with this mixture and 3/4 cup vegetable broth, stir well. Place into a covered baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. You may also place the stuffing inside your poultry and bake.

Variations: add 1 TBS per 2 cups stuffing; of raisins, chopped pecans, chopped walnuts, fine chopped apples or fresh chopped cranberries. Stir in before baking.

Enjoy your holidays. I hope you will make one or both of these recipes, as they are both delicious and nutritious.

Have a wonderful, very Happy Thanksgiving. Blessings and thanks to everyone.

Fresh Organic Raw Dog Food

Many people lately have asked me how I feed my dog and how can they do the same for theirs. So I decided to make a video demonstrating exactly how to make fresh living food for your dog. In the picture is my dog Crystal, a 9 year old white standard poodle. She has NEVER eaten anything except organic home made food, and never been sick in any way. She did have some digestive problems, like passing gas and burping the first year of her life when I fed her cooked food. From 8 weeks old until she was 1 year, I cooked her organic rice with vegetables and various meats. Along with these she got green powder and various other superfoods as well as raw beef bones to chew. She has again never had a pig skin, rawhide or any store bought toy, biscuit, food or chew. If you could see her live, you probably would not believe her age and her energy level, let alone her manners and intuitive abilities. They are phenomenal! What a perfect intelligent angel. I believe most of this comes from the food I feed her. Although she eats some meat, it is only about 40% of her diet, the other 60% is fruit, vegetables and superfoods. Basically she eats an alkaline diet, which is foreign to most dogs, as well as their owners. If you can get past your brain and fears, this is the very best diet for your pet, and it's easy to do, just watch the video and see how.

Let's discuss a few of the attributes of this diet for your dog.

• Eyes brighten and clear up, no more running or gook in the corners
• Allergies improve and disappear
• Hair or coat becomes softer, shiner and healthy
• Energy and vitality increase
• Fluid in ears disappears
• Bad breath freshens and teeth are healthier and whiter
• Hydration increases. and the need for drinking water decreases
• Innate senses sharpen
• Immune system functions increase their ability to fight off disease and infections
• Visits to the veterinarian decrease or become non existent, saving you time and money
• Heart and muscle mass improve and strengthen
• Stools reduce in size and become bio degradable
• Gas expulsion becomes a thing of the past. All food is completely digestible. No more silent embarrassing smells from the dog in front of your guests

These are the attributes I have experienced over the past 8 years with Crystal.

So why RAW? Here's some reasons why...

1. Nearly all the commercial dog food contains undigestible ingredients and euthanized animals. This is even true with most food recommended by a veterinarian , as they are in the business of treating SICK animals. Read this from the Animal Protection Institute
2. This diet allows the animals to eat the way they were originally designed to eat, not the way humans have conditioned then to eat.
3. If you are on the raw diet too, you both can enjoy the same basic meals. This allows for a closer bond to form between you and your pet. They LOVE eating what you eat.
4. The raw diet reduces or eliminates: allergies, dry skin and rashes, arthritis, gas, bloating, bad breath and inflammation anywhere in the body
5. The diet increases health, immune system function, fertility and quality of life
6. This raw diet increases energy, alertness and JOY!!
7. Consuming organic fresh fruits and vegetables helps heal the planet and future generations by supporting conscious, healthy farming practices, Everyone wins!

Ok, here's the BASICS...

• Always use as much certified organic produce and meat as possible, for both you and your pets
• Feed a mix of about 60% produce to 40% meat, fish, or poultry
• Be sure to vary the type of meat, poultry and fish you feed and include organ meats like liver, gizzards and heart
• You can if you choose feed raw chicken necks ( after they eat their regular meal ) to provide a source of calcium as well as to give them some chewing exercise for their jaw muscles. If you do not fell comfortable feeding these an option is raw eggs. Put 1-3 raw organic eggs into a blender and liquify. Add to your pet's food about 3 times per week
• Provide raw meaty bones, such as beef knuckle or shank, for dental health and chewing enjoyment, at least 2 times per week
• Never feed onions, grapes, raisins or chocolate. Some people also include green beans, tomatoes, avocado and garlic. I feed avocado and garlic and offer tomatoes and green beans.
• Feed enough food volume so your pet can eat all it wants and leave a little in the bowl. For my 60 lb dog I feed about 1/2 lb meat with 2-3 cups vegetable and fruit mixture, plus 2 snack meals per day of about 1 cup each
• Consider adding supplements such as:Pure Synergy, Vitamineral Green, coconut oil, fulvic minerals, sea vegetables such as kelp, dulse, sea lettuce, wakame, or marine phytoplankton and a tocotriene complex for anti oxidants and flavor
• Be sure your pets always have fresh filtered water available. I use ionized alkaline water with a few drops of Crystal Energy to make it more absorbable

Along with their regular food you can make them some special super delicious treats. Check on my Squidoo page for pictures and instructions to make those as well as for books and other website to read more about this awesome diet.

I usually make Crystal's food in batches, I keep 3 days worth in the refrigerator and freeze the rest. When we travel I just freeze everything and take it in an ice chest. It will last about 5 days and then you need to find a store to buy some commercially made frozen raw food. Whole Foods carries several brands that are good. My favorite is Primal. This is the only raw food I have found that uses all organic ingredients and does not use synthetic vitamins and minerals, everything comes from food. This is an excellent food.

Good luck, I hope this article has given you a little in site into what you are feeding your beloved pets, and maybe an option for something better, for everyone, you , your pet and our planet. Here's the video I made to show you just how easy it is to make your pets' food. Until next time....

Quick Raw Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the most delicious and fastest cookies I have ever made. Some people like these even better than my fudge brownies, I don't understand that, but everyone is entitled to their opinion. It takes only minutes to put these little gems together ( with a little cheating from Trader Joe's ) and you have a fast snack to grab when you are on the go and between meals. I take these with me when I travel and am not sure I will have fresh raw food. They also make a wonderful airplane snack. You can use them for doggie treats if you leave the chocolate and nuts out and substitute some dried fruit like mango, peaches, apples or pineapple. These are mostly alkaline, have lots of good minerals and omega oils, so they don't hurt your PH, although I do not suggest making these your main meal every day, you'll want to though!!

Raw Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 50 cookies

3 cups almond flour, or almond meal

1 cup date pieces soaked until soft and drained

1 tsp vanilla powder

dash salt

1/2 of an organic 3.5 oz dark chocolate bar, chopped

3/4 cup raw pecans or walnuts, chopped

In a food processor put the almond meal, dates, salt and vanilla. Process until it a ball forms, about 1 minute. Remove to bowl and stir in the chocolate pieces and chopped nuts. Take about a tablespoon of the mixture and roll it into a ball and place it on a teflex dehydrator sheet. Continue the process until the sheet is full. Use the back of a spoon to lightly flatten each ball into a round cookie about 1/4 " thick. Dehydrate for 4 hours at 105 degrees, remove from teflex sheet and continue drying another 4 hours, or until desired texture is reached. You can eat the cookies without drying them, they just will not have the crisp texture similar to their cooked food counterpart. They will be delicious either way. They keep in the refrigerator 3 weeks and in the freezer 3 months.

Enjoy this quick and easy snack with a glass of fresh almond milk for an alkaline treat that really satisfies you and feeds your body too!

Easy Detoxifying for Radiant Skin

Would you LOVE to have healthy, soft and radiant skin for the holidays and all year long? Would you love to eat more and enjoy the holiday treats / sweets and have them effect you less? Here's a few tips to make that a reality in your life this holiday season.

Well, I have used several techniques to transform my large pores, rough feeling and tired looking skin into just that, radiant and glowing. One of the things I do to support detoxification and nutrient uptake and utilization ( inflammation and pain control too ) is ingest between 4000-8000 mg of pure high grade MSM every day. I take a few thousand milligrams every time I eat a meal. MSM, an organic sulfur, is one of the missing nutrients in most people's diet and a component of great feeling and looking hair and skin. Another thing I do every day is drink at least one 14 ounce glass of fresh GREEN juice. The nutrients and minerals are essential to help your body detoxify and rebuild. You can read more about the benefits of a green juice a day from the last blog post. If you do not own a juicer, then doing at least one green smoothie per day will be a great plus.

To your blender add:

1 banana

1 mango or other sweet fruit, peach, persimmon, apple

1/4 cup pineapple, about 4-6 chunks fresh or frozen, NOT canned

2 kale leaves, de-stemmed leaves only

1 young coconut, water only or 2 cups filtered water

green powder, start with 1 teaspoon and work up to 1 tablespoon

Blend until smooth. Drink immediately. You can vary this basic recipe experimenting with various fruits as they are in season, or use your favorite ones.

The best green powders I have found are: Pure Synergy ( the best ) and Vitamineral Green.

Another technique that I use everyday is skin or dry brushing. Some may have heard of this technique using natural bristle brushes like the ones pictured above. Your skin is the largest organ in the body and eliminates about 1 kilo of waste per day. The skin also absorbs nutrients to keep your body healthy and properly functioning. Therefore, it needs to be clean and the pores need to be open and not clogged or toxic. Skin brushing is a fast easy way to accomplish this, and is best done just before showering every morning. Other benefits of brushing are improved immune system health and stimulation, significantly improving circulation and the transportation of nutrients throughout the body. This will help increase healing of abrasions, infections as well as clear the mind and energize the body. Dry brushing is one of the most important way to move or clear the lymph. The lymph is a system of conduits carrying fluid that is responsible for detoxifying our body, removing dead cells, carrying fatty acids and fats as well as the important healing cells of our immune system the lymphocytes.. It has no formal pump as the heart, so in order to move the fluid along it must have muscle contractions from exercise, massage or be brushed. Body brushing also stimulates the production of hormones, promotes muscle tone and optimizes the distribution of fat deposits, giving the skin a smoother appearance. Isn't that a wonderful benefit ladies? In addition to all these perks, dry brushing also stimulates the nervous system, feels wonderful and invigorates the entire body as it clears the mind! Do you have 5 minutes to get started on a healthier, more radiant and vibrant body?

If you need to purchase some dry brushes click here.

Steps for simple dry brushing:

1. Begin at the top or bottom of your body

2. Alway brush TOWARD your heart

3. Use long strokes on the limbs

4. Use circular strokes in a clockwise ( from right to left ) direction to follow digestive flow in the intestines

5. Brush neck and collar bone, ladies go lightly on the sensitive tissue of your breasts

6. Be sure to brush your feet and hands

7. You may need to ask for help doing some of your back, that's what the long handle is for!

8. You can order a special face brush for the face and neck

9. When brushing is complete hop in the shower and wash away the dry and dead skin along with the salts and toxins from the day before

10 Enjoy the renewed energy and life you will be feeling from this quick massage

11. If you like, do a few short rounds of hot water, then cold at the end of your shower, oh so refreshing!

12. Apply some good quality food grade vegetable oils such as coconut, cacao, olive, sesame, macadamia, jojoba, kukui, rosehip seed or other favorite oil to nourish your skin

I hope you will incorporate these 3 simple techniques into your daily routine, so you can enjoy a more Alive N' Juicy life right now.

Loose Weight for the Holidays

Remember our little ALKALINE talk from the other day? Well, the truth of the matter is that acid is stored in FAT cells. When your body is fed more acid foods than alkaline ones it stores some of the acid in fat cells, creating more fat on your body. This is to protect you and your organs from death. The body stores a lot of the foreign chemicals and synthetically made ingredients in fat cells away from your vital organs, how good a deal is that? Therefore, in order to get rid of the unwanted fat, you must alkalize ( mineralize ) your diet and then the body will release the stored toxins and fat.

One of the fastest and healthiest ways I have found to alkalize and loose weight, at the same time cleansing and strengthening the body is to juice organic green vegetables. Ok, now you are thinking, that has to taste nasty and I don't have time to do all that work. Ask yourself, do I have time to be sick and not work or be in the hospital? If the answer is no, then you can make the little time it takes to juice. From start to finish it takes me about 15 minutes to make 2 large glasses of fresh green juice and clean the juicer. Here is one of my favorite recipes, it tastes like marinara sauce, only thinner!

6-8 stalks celery

1/2 medium cucumber

1/4 sweet onion

1/4 bunch parsley

3 basil leaves

1 roma tomato

1-2 kale leaves with stem

1 -2 hot peppers ( if you like spicy )

Start by getting all the ingredients washed, trimmed and proportioned on the counter. When you have everything gathered begin to juice. I usually begin with a slice or two of cucumber. It works best if you alternate between the vegetables that create foam and those like celery and kale that help clean out the juicer. A matriculating juicer like Tribest Green Life or Champion are the best as far as the quality of the juice. They press the juice at a relatively slow speed, therefore preserving the nutrients and enzymes of the vegetables. These juicers are fast and easy to use as well as to clean. They will also make ice cream, sorbet and grind nuts or grain into flour. For more information of juicers and comparisons check this website: Raw Guru.

There are tons of green juice vegetable combinations to play with, you will not get bored I assure you! Be sure to always include celery, as it is one of the major alkalizing vegetables. In a 110 gram serving, there is 105 grams of water, the kind that can be readily used by the body to hydrate the cells. You will also receive 10% of your daily value of vitamin A, 6% of vitamin C, 40% of vitamin K, and 10% of needed folate. Along with the vitamins celery provides 4% calcium, 8% potassium, 4% sodium and 6% manganese. The sodium and potassium not only help alkalize your body fluids, they also work together to flush out the toxins in the cells as they control the flow of fluid in and out of the cells. Cucumbers are also great, as they provide you with a good volume of liquid as well as nutrients. Using half a cup, 52 g of cucumber, 49.5 grams are water, again in a form that your body can immediately use to hydrate at a cellular level. There is 11% of your daily value of vitamin K, 2% vitamin C and 1% vitamin A, folate, pantothenic acid and vitamin B6. There are also large amounts of magnesium, a mineral 90% of Americans are deficient in, potassium and manganese in just the 1/2 cup! Kale and parsley are also important vegetables to alkalizing, as they provide much needed calcium and chlorophyll, along with many other nutrients and minerals. Both kale and parsley are some of the strongest anti inflammatory vegetables along with being fabulous sources for vitamin A, C and K. Parsley is also a great source of iron, providing 21% of your daily value for just 1 cup.

So do your best to include these 4 vegetables every time you juice. Remember to ALWAYS use ORGANIC. Organically grown produce is at least 50% higher in vitamins and minerals compared to its conventionally grown counterparts, and you will be doing your part to help heal our planet for the upcoming children.

So a fresh organic green juice ( 12 oz ) once or twice a day will keep the holiday pounds away, and give you the energy and immune system boost you need to sail smoothly through the holiday season. Try something different this year. Come January, you'll be grateful you did! Tis the season for green juice!!

Warm and Delicious Lentil Soup

As the days get shorter and we approach winter and colder temperatures I always enjoy some warm soups that are quick easy and nutritious. One of my favorites is lentil soup with plenty of vegetables. Lentils are one of the few legumes that are alkaline in nature. With the holidays approaching a sure way to loose a few unwanted pounds or keep them off is to eat as alkaline as possible. This is a delicious and nutritious meal that warms you up and keeps the weight off while delivering plenty of good nutrition to fuel your body.

Hearty Lentil Soup

64 oz organic vegetable broth ( 2 boxes )

1 cup dry lentils

1/2 cup dry black eye peas

2 medium carrots, chopped

1 medium turnip, cubed

3 stocks celery, chopped

3 medium red potatoes, cubed

1/4 bunch italian parsley, finely chopped

3 roma tomatoes, diced ( optional )

2 medium zucchini, diced

1/2 cup broccoli, diced

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1-2 TBS ground cumin

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, to taste

Pour the broth into a large pot and then add the lentils and or beans. Start chopping the vegetables and adding them to the pot. The legumes will soak while you chop. When you have everything in the pot, turn the heat to high. Just after the mixture comes to a boil turn the heat to low and simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may need to add more salt, cayenne or cumin once it starts cooking. It will be ready in 40-45 minutes. The soup keeps 4 days in the refrigerator and several months in the freezer, so make plenty. Makes about 8 cups.

Why is it important to eat alkaline? What is alkaline and how do I know what to eat? These are the 2 most frequently asked questions I get. First there are 2 kinds of foods when we are speaking about health, acid producing and alkaline ash producing. This simply means that after digestion what is left? I like to think of it in terms of a checking account. It is known that cells thrive in an alkaline environment ( lots of useable minerals ) and die or disorganize in an acidic one. Therefore, you need more alkaline than acid food if you want to thrive and have your body in a state of anabolic activity. In terms of the checking account, if you are always making withdrawls ( eating acid foods ) and rarely making deposits of money ( eating alkaline foods), sooner or later if you keep writing checks ( using energy to function, ie live ) you run out of money. The body is the same. If one eats mainly acid food, that is the regular diet of most people, SAD ( Standard American Diet ), there soon will be a time that your body runs dry of alkaline reserves and starts using bone, bile and other means to secure the minerals it needs to keep the blood at the constant PH of 7.35 - 7.45. This is where disease and degeneration come in. The good news is, just add to the checking account! That means adding more alkaline foods to your diet, and maintaining an alkaline diet of 80-90% alkaline food and 10-20% acid foods.

Our bodies are amazing and wondrous, thank goodness for that. If given a chance they can and will repair most things, especially if you start early. So start NOW, eat alkaline and watch how your body and life blossoms.

How do you know if a food is alkaline or acid? The real test is to burn the food, if in the ash that is left there are more minerals than anything else, it is alkaline. The key to alkaline is MINERALS. By minerals I am speaking and referring to those that come from plants, not dirt or rocks. If humans could digest rocks we would be able to chew them and be regularly eating them. We can not assimilate rocks. David Wolfe just lectured and said that one of the major causes of disease is CALCIFICATION, or hardening of the cells and tissues of the body. This is from over acid eating and incorrect supplementation with synthetic or inorganic minerals. If you are currently taking either of these, please do yourself a favor and STOP immediately. Only ingest real 100% WHOLE FOOD. Several great sources for achieving mineralization are: bee pollen, fulvic acid, marine phytoplankton ( my favorite source ), and sea vegetables. juicing green vegetables is another great source of calcium and other minerals, although not nearly as high as the ones afore mentioned.

What are the alkaline foods? In a nutshell they are: all vegetables, the non sweet fruits, almonds and hazelnuts. Everything else is acid. Fruits are the least of the acids, with the sweeter ones becoming more and more acid. So, sugar is a strong acid, meat, dairy, cheese, nuts, ect. are also all acid. It takes at least 6 parts alkaline to 1 part acid to balance, so you need to eat alot more alkaline than acid to stay healthy. What do you eat to have a strong, energetic, healthy body that radiates beauty and health? VEGETABLES. When you choose to eat a vegan diet ( fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes ) you are choosing health and vitality in your body and world as well as supporting the planet and the children, a win win! Isn't that great? I think so. Give it a try today and see for yourself how wonderful it really is. You won't know what to do with all your extra energy! ( digestion takes 75% of your total body energy, and animal produces take at least that much or more. ) Save energy, go VEGAN. If you want to go all the way and get a turbo boost of energy, go RAW VEGAN. Please what ever you choose, choose ORGANIC and help save the planet before it's too late. Michael Jackson just said there are only 4 years left before it's too late to make a difference. I hope we never find out.

Blessings

Wild Dolphin Swim in the Bahamas

A few months ago I was fortunate to be able to swim with the wild spotted and bottlenose dolphins in the pristine blue waters off North Bimini, Bahamas. These exquisite natural surroundings allow you to relax, expand and gain true balance and connection within. Bimini is known for its healing energies, its Atlantean legends and its unique dolphins. The water is magnificent and there are beautiful deserted beaches for walking, and enjoying the sunset. One afternoon we came into harbor and I walked the small town of North Bimini and meditated on the beautiful beach as conch fishermen came in and the sun turned the sky into shades of yellow, orange and red. The 5 night dolphin trip I took was aboard a 91' yacht, named the Indigo. There are never more than 14 people per trip, so you each have more than enough room on the boat. There are 5 staterooms, each with 2 bunks, a full walkin shower and climate control. There is also one "giggle" room with 4 bunks, for lots more fun! Every day you look for the dolphins, and when they are present ( which is usually every day at least one time ) Geoffrey, the captain, tows you behind a tender ( small boat ) on tow ropes. This allows you to effortlessly swim along side the dolphins and form a human pod that mirrors the dolphins behavior. Geoffrey tows you the same speed as the dolphins so they swim next to you, under you and all around you. It is an unbelievable experience, and usually lasts about an hour each time. When the dolphins feel like playing we get off the ropes to free swim and play with them. It's an awesome indescribable experience!!

They serve 3 home cooked meals in the main air conditioned salon every day. For those with special diets, they are happy to do their best to accommodate you.

If you have ever wanted to swim with the wild dolphins this trip is for you. Watch this video and get a feel of what this trip is like, then go check out the upcoming dates available for the 2010 season at Dolphin Expeditions.

If you like what you saw in this video and want to partake of this opportunity, Frank Kinslow and myself are hosting an adventure coming up May 22-28, 2010. Read about it at Alive N' Juicy.

Blessings

World VEGAN Day !!!

Welcome, it's World Vegan Day, and I am going to tell you my story about going vegan. I hope it inspires you to do the same in your life.

The year was 1975, I was 16 years old and had just been diagnosed with a lump in my breast. After surgery and months of treatment I was released and deemed healthy once again, but was I really? I had always considered myself healthy and athletic. I ate mostly fresh home grown or wild fruit and vegetables, I never really liked meat, and my mother didn't either. My father, a totally different story, he ate mostly red meat, and lots of it. I consciously decided to become vegetarian when I was about 8 years old. I did eat dairy and cheese, but never any meat until the death of my father when I was 28. For some reason his sudden passing made me shift into eating meat. Maybe I wanted to try all the things most others ate, just to experience it, part of me wanted to still be close to him, so I started to eat like he had. This phase lasted about 2 years, and I was drawn back to my preferred vegetarian diet, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and dairy. For some reason giving up dairy was very difficult for me, and I figured it wasn't hurting the cows to give up their milk! Then after a beautiful trip to Hawaii in 1998, another breast tumor. This time I knew I would NOT go back to the allopathic doctors for help. They didn't fix it the first time, why would they be able to fix it this time? I began to search and study on my own. I made a pact to eat only ORGANIC and support myself as well as the planet and the future children. Just the change to vegan and organic gave me tons of energy and the drive to go even deeper into my own healing. A few months later I enrolled in college to get my doctorate in Naturopathy. One of the first classes I took had information that immediately put me on a green juice cleanse and then a colon cleanse. I was doing it to cure my tumor, but it turned out to cure my LIFE!! How's that for a big surprise? Within 3 months my tumor was gone, I had boundless energy, a positive attitude and my life really began to change into magnificent. I bought a beautiful home, attracted some wonderful and heart centered friends and for the first time in many years had my JOY back. This is what being a vegan can do for you. If you choose to go a step farther as I did, and eat only RAW, uncooked fruits, vegetables, nut and seeds, that is even better. ( I'll explain my theory on raw food another time ) . The main principles of health vs disease on the physical are in the choice of acid vs alkaline foods you consume. The more alkaline foods you consume, the more vibrant health you will enjoy. It's that simple. Sounds to good to be true? I challenge you to give it a try. You only need to commit to 1 week to FEEL the difference for yourself,( you'll probably lose 5 -10lbs too) it will TOTALLY change your life. OK ready? Now you say, I am ready, what do I eat? The foods that are alkaline are: all vegetables, with the black radish being the most alkaline, fruits are next in line. The higher the sugar content the more ACID they are. Nuts are acid, with the exception of almonds and hazelnuts, those are alkaline. Sticking to fruits like avocados, lemons, limes, and cucumbers and almonds or hazelnuts will give you the best results. If you can juice organic GREEN juice every day and only eat vegetables with the above fruits and nuts for 1 week, I guarantee you will be amazed at what you see and how you feel. The holidays are coming, give it a try NOW and be ready for those holiday parties.

Blessings