How to Get FREE Raw Organic NORI!

One of the highlights of the '08 Raw Spirit Festival was meeting Jeff Rose, CEO of Natural Zing. As I spent time helping my friends at the Natural Zing booth during those days, I found that my professional admiration and personal respect for him blossomed into what has become a lasting & respected friendship. Jeff Rose is one of those understated men, a real gentle giant, who is a dynamic, innovative, soulful business & family man who genuinely walks the walk, much more than just talking the talk. His beautiful wife, Helen, have run this integrity filled company as a team since 2002 and you can learn more about each of their journeys and lives at these links: Jeff & Helen.

Jeff isn't one of those raw food personalities that's drawn to the limelight, but I did watched him spend hour upon hour, talking with the public and giving away more products than any other vendor in attendance. People were deeply struck by his generosity and I heard many stories from loyal and satisfied customers from across the globe. I began to realize that Natural Zing had to be one of the raw food world's best kept secrets....at least in my neck of the woods.

So what is Natural Zing? First and foremost, they're a company that's dedicated to feeding your mind, body and spirit. Two decades of research and consulting with numerous nutritionists and vegetarian specialists have gone into gathering the very best products to develop one's natural energy and health....your natural zing! Long time staff members have been high raw for many years and they're committed to helping those who are just beginning to transition, or others who are more advanced in this healthful lifestyle path.

Within Natural Zing's online market, they specialize in selling organic, raw, vegetarian and vegan foods as well as related chef tools and personal care products. Their equipment includes juicers, kitchen equipment and a variety of other products that meet the needs of various lifestyle and dietary choices. The website also has an Education link that takes you to health, lifestyle, vegetarian, living and raw food knowledge. Their health related book section takes you to abundant health and alternative knowledge resources that are updated regularly. I encourage you to get to know Jeff & Helen Rose and to support their awesome online business.

Jeff & Helen have graciously offered to extend a March special to the members of RFR (MORE MARCH MADNESS - YAY!) With any size purchase in the month of March, you will receive a FREE full size package of raw organic nori! (Now you know why I have the nori feature on the main page!) AND....if you spend $40 or more you will get your pick of a gift of chia seeds or a raw Golden Bean Chocolate Bar.

When you order at Natural Zing, you will need to go through the link we have available at Raw Food Rehab to acquire the Coupon Code to receive your gift(s). Click here to find out the code that is good throughout the month of March!

So Today we are doing a BIG SHOUT OUT to JEFF & HELEN ROSE of Natural Zing! We appreciate you showing RFR the LOVE!

March Madness Raw Snack Giveaway!

In today's video I show & tell about all the raw food snacks I made this past weekend during my dehydrating rampage! Since I had been on the 28 Day Total Reset Cleanse throughout the month of February, I hadn't really had any special treats and I was eager to fire up the old Excalibur. Even though it had been over a month since I'd turned it on, she still purred like a kitten!

I am a believer that we should keep healthy, delicious raw food snacks around, especially when you are transitioning to a higher raw diet from that of a heavily cooked food diet. If you have tasty raw treats available in your cupboard, you'll be much less likely to go on a junk food binge when and if nagging craving surface.

I also realize that many of you don't have a dehydrator, so I was delighted when my good friend and RFR member, Margo Jakobi, contacted me about wanting to offer a giveaway for RFR members!

Late last year Margo started a conscious business, Happy Heart Company, which creates wholesome and delicious raw food snacks at affordable prices. When Margo sent me a care package, I was blown away by the flavors and attention to detail that you could tell went into the snacks. I wish I could have shown you the treats, but they didn't last long around my house : )

So here is the scoop on what Margo is doing in her March Madness offering:

To be enter into a drawing for one pound of Happy Heart treats, simply let me know in the comments below that you want your name included in this coming Friday's drawing.

In addition, if you place an order with Happy Heart, Margo will include a sampling of snacks for you to try as a gift with purchase. Who doesn't love freebies?

If you would like the opportunity to try Happy Heart snacks before you buy, Margo has agreed to ship you a sample assortment for a $5 fee for shipping & handling. In this sample assortment you'll receive Happy Heart's top 3 selling snacks: honey coconut almonds, chili spice almonds and carob honey almonds along with one more selection of your choice. All you need to do is friend request Margo here through RFR, send her a message and she'll advise you how to get the shipping payment sent to her through Paypal. It's that simple!

Thank you Margo & Happy Heart for this March Snack Madness offer. This will be good throughout the month of March and available only to Raw Food Rehab members (JOIN HERE if you're not already part of our amazing online community).

BTW.....here are the recipe links to what I was making in my raw food kitchen this past weekend:

Julie's Pimento Cheese Spread & Caramelized Onion Flatbread

Hot & Spicy Kale Chips

Crusty Cauliflower

Ruby's Raw Granola

Jalapeno Corn Chips

Make A W.I.S.H.

In Celebration of International Women's Day, we are honored to present:

W.I.S.H.

Women's International Summit for Health

40 of the World's Leading Experts in Health and Wellness Have Come Together to Share Their Wisdom with Women and You Can Listen to Them
All in the Comfort of Your Own Home

Never before have women had such a remarkable, wide-reaching opportunity to
improve their health and their lives.

From the desk of Tera Warner
February 27, 2010.

Dear Sisters, Mothers, Daughters...

Think back.

Think waaaaay back to a time before wrinkles, cellulite and menstrual cycles took up your attention. Think back to before broken hearts and to do lists came along.

Remember the birthday candles, dandelion seedlings and wishing fountains?
Remember how you used to dream and believe that anything was possible?

We know it isn't easy juggling laundry piles, dirty dishes, food prep, homework, scraped knees, tender hearts and wellness. The to do list is long, and often the things we put last are for our own benefit.

For 10 days we're inviting women around the world to
prioritize themselves like never before.

Introducing...

W.I.S.H.: Women's International Summit for Health

On March 8, 2010, for 10 consecutive days, hundreds of thousands of women from around will come together to find the answers they've been looking for.

What Is W.I.S.H. all about and why should I attend?

W.I.S.H. stands for Women's International Summit for Health and it is a modern-day online women's circle of wisdom. Throughout recorded history and long before that time, women have come together to support and empower one another in times of need. We've shared childcare duties, laundry and even lovers in some cultures. Women find solace and strength in sisterhood, and WISH makes it happen on a larger scale than we've ever known before.

With more than 40 star-studded interviews, and 10 different life areas being addressed, WISH promises to be the best event of its kind for women.

Check out the list of amazing speakers and the agenda HERE.

Foodie Friday - Late Winter Dinner & Dessert

Butternut Squash Spaghetti w/ Pistachio Sage Pesto

For the Pesto:

1 cup fresh sage

2/3 cup raw pistachios (pecans are good too)

1/3+ cup olive oil

1 clove crushed garlic

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp. rawmesean cheese (or nutritional yeast)

For the spaghetti:

1 small butternut squash, peeled

olive oil to taste

sea salt & freshly cracked pepper

Put all ingredients for the pesto into a food processor and pulse until well combined. (A blender will work fine if that is what you have). Store pesto in an air tight container until ready to use.

Spiralize or julienne peel a butternut squash to create spaghetti noodles. Toss the noodles in a bit of olive oil, salt & pepper to bring out the richness in flavor and to soften the squash. Coat the the noodles with the sage pesto and serve. Garnish with fresh sage and a dusting of rawmesean cheese.

I Am Devoted - Living Coconut Cream Pie

Courtesy of Cafe Gratitude

Important Local Food News

As many of you know, I am on the board of Tulsa's Cherry Street Farmer's Market and on the steering committee of Buy Fresh Buy Local Green County. Local food, organic & sustainable farming and our thriving area farmer's markets are very important to me personally, and I know these topics are of interest to most of you who read my blog, as well.

The Cherry Street Farmer's Market, Tulsa most well established, largest and diverse market, has been making plans to make a small move to roomier quarters, as we have completely run out of space for new vendors (and even our established vendors!) at the Lincon Plaza site - in our new location there will be more room for local veggies, fruit, herbs, plants, breads, meat & eggs, dairy goods, body care, and local arts and crafts for our 2010 market season. The plan is to close a two block section of 15th (Cherry) Street between Rockford and Quaker, so we will be just one block East of our old location, making the market just as easy to find and in the same great neighborhood as always. this proposed street closing would only happen on Saturday mornings during market hours. We have broad based support from the market vendors, local merchants, local City Councilor Maria Barnes, the Tulsa Police Department Special Events Committee, and the Swan Lake Neighborhood Association. There are arrangements that have been made to supply ample parking for all market customers!

On Thursday, February 25th, 6PM, in the City Council Meeting Room located in the One Technology Center, 100 S. Cincinnati, in downtown Tulsa, the Tulsa City Council will vote to approve or deny the application for the street closing. This is where you come in - if you would like to see the market continue to grow (and we have some very exciting new vendors who would like to join our ranks but will be unable to in our old location) please attend this meeting to voice your support for the Cherry Street Farmers' Market in our new location. Let the Council know how much high quality local food means to you. If you can't make the meeting, please phone or email your Council Member (check out this link if you are not sure who your Councilor is and for their contact information) and encourage them to support our street closing initiative.

This is one time and place where you personally can make a difference in our city, support fabulous local food (and more!) and the people who have invested their lives in bringing it to you. I hope to see you there!

Beat Those Wintertime Blues!

Although the days are starting to get longer (yay!), the dreariness and cold temperatures of winter can be really hard on many people. It's not just you if you've notice an increased appetite for sugar and starches, and as you button up your jeans, you can find it more difficult to get the job done in the winter. As the alarm goes off, you hit the snooze button a half dozen times, dreading getting out of that warm bed and into the cold.

Once you get to work, people with SAD find it difficult to concentrate, even becoming more easily irritable with co-workers. Although you know it's not healthy, you find yourself being drawn to stimulants like coffee or sodas, thinking they might help you overcome fatigue. You feel a low grade depression as you look at the weather channel hoping for warmer, brighter days.

Characterized as a low-grade depression, people with SAD may sleep too much, have little energy, and crave sweets and starchy foods. This low-grade depression can start to set in during the Fall and Winter months, but usually clears in the Spring.

The reason behind this “Disorder” is decreased environmental stimulation to the brain. To keep us upright, the muscles of the spine have to fight gravity thus creating a constant stimulus to the brain maintaining its survival. Along with gravity; sound, vision, and touch, are all important stimulus to the brain, and oh yeh, let’s not forget light. I’m sure you can relate to waking in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, and you do everything possible to keep from turning on the lights knowing that the lights will wake you up. All forms of light increase the function of the brain. When the light in the environment diminishes, so does the output of the brain. So this so called condition is merely momentary decreased brain activity as a consequence of changes in our environment.

So, how can you shake off the Winter Blues?

Many people dread the winter months knowing that it will bring heavy coats, runny noses, cold car seats, and low back pain associated with shoveling snow. This is also that time of the year when you are really trying to not lose focus on your New Year's resolutions, but that lethargic & depressed part of you just wants to settle in and chow down on an old comfort food....all the while watching the expansion of your waistline expand and those feelings of depression grow.

The good news is that we are on the down hill side of winter here in the Northern Hemisphere, so there is no time like the present to make an concerted effort to combat the moody blues with some basic, tried and true natural remedies.

Exercise

Physical exercise is a sure cure for the winter blues. We all KNOW that body movement is so important for physical fitness and can be a very positive way to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. It's also essential for building and maintaining healthy bone density, muscle strength, and joint mobility; promoting physiological well-being; reducing surgical risks, and strengthening the immune system. Along with a primarily plant based diet, frequent and regular aerobic exercise has been shown to help prevent or treat serious and life-threatening chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, insomnia, and depression. Physical activity also delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. In fact, regular physical activity strengthens your heart and lungs, and helps the circulation of blood through your blood vessels. When your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you'll have more energy to do the things you enjoy. Exercise also stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and less depressed. So dust off those snow shoes, wax those skis, and go enjoy the winter landscape. Join our RFR group - Rehabbers Walking the Walk.

Nutritional Remedies

Experience the benefits of OPC’s, or Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins. OPC’s are organic plant compounds found mostly in fruits, vegetables, and certain tree barks. They are powerful antioxidants, "free-radical scavengers", and function as helpers to influence the body’s immune response to inflammation, allergy and infection. There are more than 20,000 different types of bioflavanoids, of which OPC's are considered the most potent antioxidants. These OPC’s are derived from one or more of a combination of grape seed extract, red wine extract and/or pine bark extract. Proanthocyanidins regulate enzymes that help control crucial neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) such as dopamine and norepinephrine. These chemicals are involved in 'excitatory' responses in the brain. That low grade winter depression may also be caused by low levels of these neurotransmitters. Fortunately, OPC’s regulate enzymes that help control these two crucial neurotransmitters, thereby giving us better focus and elevated moods. Before you reach for your old bottle of anti-depressants, reach for another helping of fresh fruits & veggies, as well as considering a supplement of one of the extracts listed above.


Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Western diets have changed drastically over the past 150 years, during which the ratio of fats from fish and wild plants to those from animal and vegetable oil sources, especially in processed foods, has gone from 1:1 to 1:10. This switch has coincided with a sharp rise in the rates of depression in recent decades, suggesting that omega-3 supplementation could be one approach to treating depression and other mood disorders. Studies suggest that populations that eat more foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids have unexpectedly low rates of SAD. Look to add more walnuts, flax oil & seeds, hemp products, olive & olive oils, leafy greens & pumpkin seeds to your diet.

St John’s Wort

(Hypericum performatum) is the most commonly used herb for treating depression and seasonal affective disorder (SAD), the clinical term for the "winter blues," or depression brought on from short day length. A summary of 23 clinical trials including 1,757 outpatients found that St John’s wort was as effective as standard anti-depressive medications for treatment of mild to moderate depression, and with fewer side-effects. Depression invokes an image of someone crying, sleeping, moping around the house, and avoiding social engagements. This is characteristic for many people, but it’s not the pattern for others. Low levels of the relaxation hormone serotonin are thought to play a role in this behavior. Low serotonin is a common thread in low grade depression and there are several natural ways to increase serotonin levels, including physical exercise (as stated above) and the use of St Johns wort.

Vitamin D

Current research indicates that vitamin D deficiency may be linked to a wide range of health problems including osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer and yes, depression. The best way to get vitamin D might seem obvious: Get some sun! But it may also be a good idea to consider vitamin D supplements (this is an excellent one). In the winter, the low angle of the sun can make it difficult for some populations to get enough vitamin D, for example the elderly, and those who live at northern latitudes.


This post was written with the help of Dr. Robert Zembroski is a board-certified chiropractic neurologist and the director of the Darien Center for Integrative Medicine. He has maintained a successful private practice for 15 years in Darien, CT. For more information visit www.darienim.com.

Foodie Friday - Bringing Celeriac Back, Yeah!

Today we are celebrating the inner beauty of the ugly duckling of the vegetable world - Celery Root.

Celery Root Pasta Nest w/ Apple Hazelnut Vinaigrette

Inspired by a recipe from the Feb '10 Issue of Bon Appetit

For the Vinaigrette

1 tbsp dijon mustard

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 small garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup hazelnut oil (I used walnut oil today)

2 tbsp olive oil

For the Pasta Nest

1 medium celery root, peeled and spiralized

1 medium fennel bulb, halved & thinly shaved

1 unpeeled Gala apple, cut into matchstick strips

1 tbsp hazelnuts, crushed

1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped

Whisk together the ingredients for the vinaigrette, set aside. Spiralize the celery root, tossing to coat with the vinaigrette. Allow to sit for 15+ minutes to soften. Add in the fennel, apple, hazelnuts and parsley, using your hands to combine. Twirl the pasta mixture on a large fork, creating a big nest and then plate. Garnish with a sprig of fresh parsley, a bit of apple and a dusting of crushed hazelnuts.

Creamy Avocado Soup

from Raw Food Cleanse

1 large avocado

1 1/2 tbsp unpasteurized miso, brown or white

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small lime, juiced

1 tsp fresh rosemary or other herb of choice

1 - 2 cups pure water

diced red bell pepper, pumpkin seeds and freshly cracked pepper for garnish

Apple Citrus Rosemary Infusion

inspired by an article in the March (gardening issue) of Martha Stewart Living

fresh Rosemary sprig

sliced apple

lemon juice & peel

In a French Press, add in the above ingredients. Pour in hot water and let steep for 5 - 30 minutes. Press down the strainer and enjoy.

For an opportunity to win a Spirooli, join Raw Food Rehab.