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Raw Vegan Dreamy Coco Date “Latte”

Coco Date Latte

This is the most dreamy, delicious, healthy beverage – warm or cold. It will make you swoon! It reminds me of a really sweet cafe latte or a Starbucks frappuccino, depending on how you make it. So it’s very helpful for those trying to get away from designer coffee beverages. It’s calorically dense, not too big, super satisfying and tastes Ahhhh-mazing!

Ingredients:
8 oz. of your favorite fresh dates (pitted) I love halawy, khadrawy, barhi or medjool dates
16 oz. of fresh coconut water from a young thai coconut
a pinch of vanilla (powder, extract or fresh vanilla bean)
*optional 5-10 drops of raw vegan organic coffee extract from medicineflower.com
The coffee extract is not necessary for this recipe and is really for those who want a coffee flavor. This drink is so great without it too!

*Increase the ingredients accordingly based on your personal needs*

Directions:
Blend all ingredients until smooth, pour into your favorite mug and enjoy! If you use a blender like the Vitamix, you can actually blend this drink until warm or hot on a chilly day for a more cozy “coco” or “coffee” experience.

Can also be poured over ice for a cold drink or blended in a Vitamix with ice, or frozen coconut water ice cubes, for a frappuccino-like, refreshing blended drink.

Dreamy, Delicious Raw Coco Date “Latte” Recipe Video

Delicious Fat Free Kale Chips

These yummy chips are actually good for you, easy to make, delightfully crunchy and Fat Free!

Ingredients:
1 large bunch of Kale washed, stems removed & cut into approximately 2×4 inch pieces (I used Lacinato Kale in this batch)
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cups largely chopped celery
1/2 large red bell pepper, seeds removed
1/2 cup of sugar plum or your choice tomatoes
a handful of dilantro (you can use other herbs of your choice such as chives, basil, parsley etc.)

Directions:
Blend lemon juice, celery, bell pepper and tomatoes in a blender until smooth. Add cilantro and blend or pulse gently until herbs are cut up but not pureed. Place kale in a large bowl and pour mixture over kale and massage it in so mixture covers all parts of the kale leaves. Place kale on dehydrator trays evenly spaced apart for proper drying and dehydrate at 105 degrees F for 8-12 hours. Be sure to check kale from time to time for crispness.

Store in an air tight container, if you don’t eat them all as you’re removing them from the dehydrator. ;0)

Need a dehydrator? Get the best one HERE with FREE Shipping!

If you don’t have a dehydrator and want to bake them in the oven for a non-raw chip, you can bake them at 225° F for 7-10 minutes. Just be careful not to burn them.

Incredible Date Dip Recipe – Like Mock Peanut Butter – No Nuts

This is one of my favorite fall/winter recipes when dates and persimmons are at their peak of perfection. It often reminds me of peanut butter even though there are no nuts and it’s basically fat free. With the added flavor of vanilla and the fluffy texture, this recipe also reminds me of frosting. It’s so good, you feel like you’re eating something incredibly decadent. 

Ingredients:
1 large Fuji apple cored and sliced. Set aside and used for dipping.
27 Halawy dates or a little over 7 oz. or 200 grams of your favorite juicy dates (pitted)
1 small ripe, semi soft fuyu persimmon, approximately 3 oz., or 80 grams (peeled & make sure there are no seeds) If you’re not familiar with persimmons, be sure to check out my persimmon video. Using an unripe hachiya persimmon will ruin your recipe. 
2-3 Tbls fresh coconut water (I love young thai coconuts for their sweet, coconut flavor)
a dash of vanilla powder or approx. 3 drops of vanilla extract

Directions:
With a stick blender, blend dates, persimmon, coconut water and vanilla extract into a creamy consistency. Transfer to a small bowl or ramekin. Dip your apple slices and enjoy as a meal, snack or dessert! You can use a blender if you have a smaller container and you use a tamper, or just use a larger blender like a Vitamix and double the recipe. It will certainly keep for several days in the refrigerator. 

You can use your favorite apple for dipping. I love Fuji apples because they’re sweet, crisp and delicious.

Tomato Basil Soup

This is a great summer recipe to prepare when it’s hot outside and you have loads of vine ripe tomatoes bursting with flavor!

Ingredients:
4 cups of tomatoes (2 1/2 cups for blending and 1 1/2 cups chopped for garnish)
1/2 cup of fresh squeezed orange juice
1 heaping cup of celery
1 medium ripe, red bell pepper, seeds and stem removed (I like to leave my bell peppers on the counter for a few weeks until they get soft and wrinkly. This makes them much sweeter and more flavorful.)
2 or 3 small persian cucumbers made into noodles. I cut my noodles into small one inch pieces for easier eating.
A handfull of fresh basil (2 large leaves or 4-5 small leaves finely chopped)

Directions:
Blend 2 1/2 cups of tomatoes with orange juice, celery and bell pepper until creamy. If making this on a cold day you can blend until slightly warm in a high powered blender like a Vitmaix. (Not hot or steaming if you want your soup to remain raw – Keep it below 118 degrees F) The Vitamix is great for gently warming soups like this. Just don’t let it run too long or it will start to boil, unless of course, that’s what you want.

Pour into a bowl and garnish with 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes, cucumber noodles and fresh chopped basil. 
It likely won’t need it but feel free to season to taste with salt and pepper.

Bon Appetit!

Fruity Porridge

This is a recipe often prepared at Dr. Graham’s retreats. It’s hearty, satisfying, delicious and super easy.
Fruity porridge
Ingredients:

3 very ripe bananas
2 large medjool dates (pitted)
1 medium apple (I love sweet, crisp Fuji apples)
a few dashes of cinnamon
* optional a handful of raisins 

You want to make sure your bananas are ripe with black spots, like these:
Ripe Bananas
Directions:

Peel the bananas and place them in a blender like a Vitamix or food processor along with the pitted dates. Cut and core the apple into large chunks and add them on top of the bananas and dates. Blend on low using a tamper to push all ingredients into the blades, or pulse in the food processor, until you get a nice chunky consistency.

Transfer porridge into a bowl, top with raisins if using them and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Makes a wonderful meal anytime of day.

Enjoy!


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What To Eat On An All Raw Diet

If you’re like me and a raw food diet completely makes sense to you, and you’re ready to jump in to this lifestyle head first, you might be wondering, “What do I eat now?”

Here is what works for me along with some helpful tips to guide you through the process:

1. Fruit for breakfast, fruit for lunch and some fruit for dinner. That may seem like a lot of sugar to some, if this has you worried, check out my FAQ page to alleviate any concerns.

Fruit is the ideal food for humans. It’s full of nutrients, fiber and water. It looks and tastes great without having to alter it by cooking or adding anything to it in terms of salt or other seasonings, plus, it’s easy to digest.

The idea is to eat simply for best digestion, more energy and vitality, overall health and wellness, and especially for convenience. Mono meals are a great way to achieve this. A mono meal is when you eat one type of food for a meal until you’re full or completely satiated. It can be a meal of just melon, just grapes, just mangoes, just figs, etc. Mono meals are always best because your body doesn’t have to work so hard trying to digest a variety of different things. It can easily digest one type of food, especially fruit which is higher in calories than vegetable matter which will keep you satiated longer. It’s quicker and faster to digest than anything else, leaving you with plenty of energy and vitality to accomplish everything in your day while feeling great! There will be no mid day crashes, just a steady stream of energy.

Pick a fruit you love, it can even be a big liter of fresh squeezed orange juice, which has been a morning favorite of mine for quite some time. Fruits that are in season locally, are usually best, especially when allowed to ripen on the tree or vine. However, many tropical fruits like bananas and mangoes that are affordable and convenient, are a great choice as well. Reach for the fruits that make your mouth water just thinking about them, fruits that smell good and that you feel good about eating. Let your body be your guide. Often, you’ll be drawn to what your body is actually needing in terms of nutrients, especially once you’ve been eating this way for a while.

If you don’t know what you like, start buying and trying new fruits to see what you do like. Visit your local farmers market for the freshest, tree and vine ripened fruits. Many of the vendors will often offer samples, if this is allowed in your area. Or go to your local health food store and ask the produce workers if you can try some fruits that are ripe and in season. Most likely they’ll be happy to cut open some fruit and offer you samples.

If you want to eat a variety of fruits, greens or other foods at each meal, it will be best for your digestion if you properly combine your foods. You can learn more about this in my video here: 

Some people prefer to juice their fruits and greens, especially when their digestion is sluggish or they’re wanting to do some deep cleansing and healing. Juicing is a great option to explore and there are lots of books, articles and videos out there if you choose to take this route. There are many ways to experience a raw food diet. Personally, I have found a higher fruit diet, that is relatively lower in fat to be the best for my health and body.

Guide to Proper Food Combining

And you can also purchase this awesome guide called The 80/10/10 Reference Guide for convenient reference of what fruits and foods combine well together and which ones don’t:   

For your evening meal, having some fruit before a big, green salad or savory vegetable dish is often a great way to satisfy your hunger, before getting the necessary minerals from your vegetable meal. The consumption of greens are important for obtaining the mineral content we require for optimal health and wellness. If you don't care for greens or vegetables and prefer to just eat fruit, supplementing with a product like www.dailygreenboost.com can be a great way to get those necessary nutrients without having to eat your vegetables. I take two heaping tablespoons of this product a day and still eat my vegetables because I really enjoy eating them but want to make sure I'm getting all the right nutrients since much of our soil is often depleted in many ways from unhealthy farming practices. This is just good insurance in my opinion.

One of the many reasons I love eating an all raw diet has to do with energy that is contained within the food. Everything in the universe is made up of energy, and each thing, including you and me, as well as every thought we think, vibrates at aCherry tomatoes different frequency which can be physically measured in hertz. Raw fruits and vegetables are very high vibrational foods and when you eat them, you raise your own vibrational frequency, which means you're going to feel better, lighter, more alive and have more energy. Dense, fatty, cooked processed foods, alcohol, drugs, including most pharmaceutical medications, and I'll add to this list - negative thinking, speaking poorly of others, foul language, etc.  - are all low on the vibrational scale and won't make you feel so great. Raw fruits and vegetables that are locally grown and harvested with love and care are going to be even higher on the vibrational scale than foods that were farmed on a grand scale and trucked half way across the nation, taking days or sometimes weeks to reach the produce section of your grocery store. If you have the ability to grow your own produce, even if all you have is a small space for a few containers on your balcony like I do in the photo to the left, that's a great way to save money and grow delicious high vibrational, healthy food that will nourish your body in multiple ways. If you've never grown your own food before, you have no idea how amazing food can truly taste! There's nothing like home grown produce. Pictured are Sungold cherry tomatoes.

For more ideas on what to eat, and to see what I typically eat during different seasons, check out some of my "What I'm Eating" videos below.

What I’m Eating Now All Raw *Summer 2015*

What I’m Eating Now All Raw *Winter 2015*

What I Ate Today On An All Raw Diet

What I Ate Today On An All Raw Diet

Cucumber Noodles in Mango Nectarine Sauce

This dish is so refreshing and light, and makes a great meal on a hot summer day. 

Ingredients:

Cucumber (2 large cucumbers peeled & julienned into noodles or 4 to 5 persian cucumbers unpeeled & julienned into noodles)
Mango (1 large mango like a haden, kent or keitt variety or 2 to 3 champagne mangoes peeled and pit removed)
Nectarine (1 medium to large nectarine pitted)
*Optional Fresh basil or dill for garnish

Directions:
Place the cucumber noodles in a bowl and set aside. 
Blend the mango and nectarine together in a blender until creamy and pour over cucumber noodles, top with fresh basil or dill if you wish, and enjoy!

See links below of the tools I love, to easily julienne or spiralize your cucumbers into noodles. *Persian cucumbers work best with the Titan Peeler. Regular cucumbers can be used by all three tools shown below.

Super Simple Mango Salsa, Dip or Dressing

This recipe is really easy, simple and delicious. You can add additional ingredients to make it more complex and flavorful but if you’re looking for simple, this is great for dipping romaine lettuce, cucumbers, jicama, celery or even bell peppers.  It’s also great as a salad dressing or even added to a big bowl of cucumber noodles for a refreshing summer meal.
The possibilities are endless!

Ingedients:

Mangoes (approx. 21 oz.) 4 small champagne variety or between 1 & 2 larger variety like Haden, Kent or Keitt mangoes)
Celery (approx. 4 oz. or 2 stalks)
Cilantro (approx. 1/2 an ounce or a healthy handful)

*Optional additional ingredients
Basil (approx. 2 or 3 leaves) Can be used in addition to or as a replacement for the cilantro
1 Cup of chopped Tomatoes
Red or Orange Bell Pepper – stems and seeds removed (approx. 2 oz. or half a large pepper or one small pepper)

Directions:
Peel and pit the mangoes. Chop the celery into large chunks and be sure all your produce is washed and cleaned especially cilantro. Place ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix on the lowest setting or pulse until you achieve a chunky consistency or you can chop all ingredients to desired size and mix together in a medium sized serving bowl.

Raw Vegan Zucchini Pasta With Marinara Sauce

A Raw Vegan Classic, loved by cooked food and raw food eaters alike. This simple, delicious dish is sure to be a crowd pleaser. 

It helps to have a simple kitchen tool like the Veggetti or a Titan vegetable julienne or regular peeler. For much larger noodle portions, the Paderno vegetable spiralizer is an excellent choice. See links to products suggested below this recipe article.

Ingredients:

For Pasta:
3 to 4 medium to large zucchini (around 1.5 – 2 lbs.)

For Sauce:
3.5 cups of fresh, ripe tomatoes (approx. 24 oz. or 1.5 lbs.)
4 oz. celery (approx. 2 stalks)
2 oz. red bell pepper (approx. half of a large pepper)
4 sun dried tomatoes soaked (depends on your sun dried tomatoes – 4 tomato halves. You many need more if they’re in smaller pieces)
3-4 medjool dates

For Garnish:
Fresh basil or your favorite Italian seasonings

*Optional additional ingredients*
You can also add fresh mushrooms like button, baby portobello or shiitake 
Raw olives
Hemp seeds

– Directions –
Spiral or julienne the zucchini into noodles

Blend sauce ingredients until smooth. Pour over zucchini noodles. Top with fresh basil or your favorite Italian herbs & seasonings. Add any additional toppings you wish, such as mushrooms, raw olives or hemp seeds, to add even more flavor.

It helps to have a high powered blender like a Vitamix because it can gently warm your sauce, while still keeping it raw, or it can bring it to a full boil if you blend it long enough. 
To receive FREE shipping on your very own Vitamix blender, click here: VITAMIX

It’s Not All About The Food

Even though it plays a major role, food isn’t the only factor in achieving vibrant health and wellbeing.

Yes, changing your dietary habits will make a dramatic change in your health, however food is not the “be all end all” when it comes to looking and feeling your best.

With the right balance of each, the following lifestyle factors all play a vital role in achieving a vibrant state of health.

Food – This is one of the most important factors so it’s the best one to start with. fruit and vegetables 4 inOne of the biggest time consuming tasks your body is busy doing at least three times a day, is digesting food. More of your body’s resources are devoted to breaking down the food you eat and if you’re not eating food designed for your body, such as fruits and vegetables that are easily digestible, you’re putting a major burden on your digestive system at every meal. When your body is busy trying to break down foreign substances that can’t really be classified as human food such as soda, fast food, junk food and animal products, you feel tired, unmotivated, moody and ill.

Sleep – Getting a good night’s sleep and allowing your body to wake naturally without an alarm clock allows your body time to achieve major healing, deep tissue repair and cellular regeneration. It recharges your body’s energy sources and helps to keep your immune system working at an optimal level.

Nature – Spending time in nature getting sun on your body, breathing fresh air and appreciating our natural surroundings may not sound like it’s very important but trust me, when you start incorporating nature into your daily life, you will see and feel the benefits.

Hydration – Whether from pure filtered water or from the copious amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables you consume, it’s important to keep your body properly hydrated.

Movement – We all know we need to exercise, but we don’t always make time for it. BelliconThe best form of movement is one you enjoy and are willing to do. There are so many forms from walking, running, hiking, cycling, swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding, surfing, dancing, yoga, rebounding, weight training, tennis, racquetball, gardening, the list is endless. Find a movement you love and make it a regular activity.

Relationships – Cultivating quality, balanced and harmonious relationships is integral to a happy, healthy life experience. 

Recreation – It’s important to take time out for yourself and do things that make you happy. Most women, especially mothers, tend to give and give, often to a fault, never thinking about their own needs or what would make them happy. Then they get burnt out and lose sight of what makes them truly happy, which then affects everyone else around them. And yes, there are plenty of men who do this too! Whether it’s a hobby, a sport or an artistic talent, a weekly massage or a girl’s, or guys, night out, take time out for yourself and do something you love. If you don’t, you’ll never fully be of service to those you love if you’re always burning the candle at both ends, ignoring your personal needs and desires.

Spirituality – This factor is going to be different for everyone. SpiritualityYou may already be fully connected in this department but if you’re not, it will help keep you grounded, feeling safe and grateful with a sense of purpose. It doesn’t have to be religion or even faith in a higher power, it can just be a connection with nature, but some form of spiritual practice that connects you with the innate wisdom you were created from, is often a missing link for many who are seeking balance in their hectic and chaotic lives.

I could write a book on each one of these topics individually about why they’re so important, but for now, these are the basics and I encourage you to explore each one of them on your own. As the saying goes, “You are only as strong as your weakest link,” and if you discover your weaker links and work to improve them, you’re going to achieve a great state of health much more quickly.

Curious about what to eat on an all raw diet? Click HERE
Do you have more questions? Check out the FAQ Page HERE

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