Don't Know Where to Start (re: nutrition)?

How do you know where to begin on your journey to eating better? What's the best thing to introduce first, and the best choices to eliminate right away? Are you confused by all the information you've heard and have no idea where to go from here?

Start right HERE. In the present moment with your common sense and your bodies innate knowing of what's best for YOU. I believe that we all need to figure things out for ourselves, by experimenting with foods and exploring new ways of living. You may want to sort and sift through a variety of health-oriented books (email me if you'd like some recommendations) and 'expert' opinions, but I'd steer clear from latching on and becoming rigid in your ways. We need to remain flexible and allow ourselves and our eating habits the option to change, evolve and grow (which inevitably happens especially when you 'go raw'). I just read an awesome article on the RFRN! blog about guru hopping and finding a style that works for you. If you continue to follow what someone else says and disregard the underlying ability of your own body, then it's likely you won't stick with the raw food journey for the long haul.

Start with a REASON. Why are you choosing to make different choices in regard to the way you eat? For me, the shift began over 8 years ago after feeling so out of control for someone else's health, that I felt I had absolutely no choice but to do something for my own. It's been a slow, gradual process, although some things did happen overnight and much quicker than I anticipated. I didn't follow any one 'expert' opinion of what I should do, I just heard one of them say, DO WHAT MAKES SENSE TO YOU. I heard this again in the 2008 Rawkathon and typed that note into my phone so that I would read it often. I say this to as many people as humanly possible when they ask me 'Where do I even begin?'

TRIAL and SUCCESS. No one ever told me about how toxic calcium supplements were, I just somehow knew that I shouldn't take them. It didn't make sense to me. What did make sense to me was making a medicinal loose leaf tea several times per week of nettles, alfalfa, horsetail, oatstraw, noni and red clover blossoms (even though I had never done this before & just heard about it). Come to find out through David Wolfe (his philosophy makes absolute sense to me), these herbs are exceptionally high in silica which changes to calcium in the body, and therefore helps to build bone - just for starters. I gravitated toward making medicinal teas and the superfood green powders, innately knowing that plants must be exceptionally high in the calcium, iron, magnesium, and other critical minerals (they are thriving & surviving in our world w/ out any supplements!). No pills are necessary to meet my daily needs. I get it all from Superfoods and Superherbs.

Do the changes you're making resonate so deeply with you that no one else's opinion matters? That's how I know I've made the right choice for me. When I feel so strong and confident in something I'm doing or eating, and it's irrelevant what he/she is doing, then I know I'm on the 'right' path. Personally, I don't believe there is a wrong path - just trials (which are not considered failures) that really are your greatest lessons. I could list off dozens of foods that are superior to others and foods that you should definitely be eating to experience a level of health that is unknown by too many, but it's not necessarily the same for everyone and this is YOUR ride.

My answer to the question of this blog post is to just start somewhere. Think Super Nutrition: Superfoods, Superherbs, Raw and Living Foods, Fresh Vegetable Juice (meaning not bottled), Homemade Smoothies, Enzymes-rich (uncooked) and Nutrient-dense (unrefined and unprocessed) FOOD. Add this all in... and the rest will fall into place. Keep asking yourself, Does this make sense to me?

I Am (Proudly) Obsessed With Superfoods

How can you not be, right? I think about them all day. It's like a love affair and I just can't get enough. You'd think the honeymoon phase for me would be over since I've been slurping up every Superfood I can get my hands on for the past 8 (yes, EIGHT) years, but no, the infatuation just seems to build. And I love it, everything about this feeling, knowing the morsels of goodness it brings to my beaming healthy body.

I recently asked on Twitter and Facebook what I should write my next blog post on, and a brilliant response came from a friend. I had posted a link to the You Tube video called Visions of Paradise, one of the coolest videos yet by David Wolfe, and someone suggested that I blog on MY Visions of Paradise. So as I sit down to write this now, I recognize that I could match all that he says in the video (soooo worth watching) and then you really know how I would have it if I could wave that magic wand over the planet and make it happen. Without the power of the wand, I'll just let us in the know of Law of Attraction make it happen and patiently wait as it all comes to fruition. But, I can add to this vision, and that's my unwavering adoration for any and all Superfoods and the wish for all others on the planet to experience the PHENOMENAL benefits of these gorgeously superior foods. WHY? Well, should I dive into some personal things so you can really understand where my passion comes from? Just a few bits and pieces here.

Let's begin 8-10 years ago...

I was NOT living the lifestyle that I am living now. I come from a nutritionally lacking childhood rooted in the Standard American Diet (born & raised in Chicago on pork chops, ribs, Italian beef, sloppy Joe's, etc). So, eight years ago, when I began to really get into health and wellness, I would order my veggie burger with bacon and cheese (and think it was a fabulous choice because it was a veggie burger). This is what I would eat after drinking alcohol the night before without much discipline. I could put away way too much for a petite person like me to handle, yet I did it anyway (I was majorly coping through the most difficult, life-changing event I'll ever experience - my story will be released just before Christmas 2009). Anyway, I was smoking cigarettes, totally addicted, chain-smoking and not caring (or not enough to QUIT for good), and in a place that is so far from where I'm at now that those who have recently met me would never believe where I have come from.

It was no coincidence that the girl I happen to be living with right when I moved to Seattle in 2001 had just become a raw foodist and introduced me to this whole new approach of eating. I had never even heard the word organic before, and had no idea what natural food was. She had begun a detox program and with one pinky toe 'in', I joined her and we started taking David Wolfe's The Sun is Shining product (a powerful green Superfood blend that would change my life forever), AKA: Vitamineral Green or ReVitaPhi). Apparently, without my knowing, this green food worked feverishly to alkalize my depleted, malnourished, addicted body... and the rest is history!

You Choose: Is it Breakfast or Dessert?

I used to ask the question, 'What's for dessert?' every single night as a child. Fortunately, now, I make my own desserts and they don't come out of a carton or box. Some of them (like this one below) also happen to double as a decadent breakfast - and are still such a healthier option than the cinnamon rolls we all grew up with. Some might look at what I'm eating for dessert (don't limit this recipe to dessert only though!) and wonder just how long it took to prepare, thinking that anything that can't be scooped right out of the package is too much work. I have to admit, I used to feel this way and was somewhat intimidated with the idea of whipping up a raw sweet treat until that was put to rest with Naked Chocolate. This book changed my perception of what a real indulgence is and actually proved that even I (Miss Disaster in the Kitchen When the Oven is On) could make mouth-watering recipes.

This is really for those of you who do not have the Naked Chocolate book yet (what are you waiting for?), as I'm copying the recipes directly since they always turn out perfect. If I had to pick my absolute favorite.. it would be.. the Chocolate Entangled Cinnamon Roll (that's my name for it):

Dark Chocolate Sauce (for the Cinnamon Rolls)
4 heaping tbsp raw chocolate powder
3 tbsp raw agave necter
1/2 tsp coconut oil

Mix all ingredients together to form a paste (I love watching it go from all powdery to the consistency of frosting). Add more agave if you need it runnier; add more coconut oil if you need it creamier. Store remainder of what you don't use on the rolls in fridge and spread it on to everything!

Cinnamon Rolls
1 Serving of Dark Chocolate Sauce (couple spoonfuls)
Ground Cinnamon
1 cup of pecans, not soaked
1 cup of medjool dates, stoned

Blend the pecans and dates together in a food processor to make a dough. Dust some cinnamon onto a clean work surface (bamboo cutting board is good), and place the dough on it (dough is a bit oily). Sprinkle some more cinnamon on top of the dough and flatten it out, adding more cinnamon if it ever get sticky.

Once the dough is about 1/4 inch thick, cut or round out the edges so they are neat (make a square). Spread the chocolate sauce evenly on top. Pick up one side of dough and start to roll to the other side, so you end up with a spiraled log. Chill the log in the fridge (it will be relatively soft and is best when cool) and then cut into slices of heaven.

To see a picture of the Cinnamon Rolls, just click on any of the links in this post and scroll down. Naked Chocolate provides several mineral-rich shakes, yummy morsels of goodness, and versions of chocolate desserts you've probably never heard of (like the chocolate pizza!). Isn't it time we stop feeling guilty for indulging in the best food ever?

If you chose to make this in place of the traditional gooey, saturated, and heavy cinnamon rolls (with heavy cream, butter, eggs, and white flour) that bring back those memories we can all relate to, the results would show on the outside. You know that at some point you'll treat yourself to something 'sinful', so you may as well devour what will make you look good too!

Cultivate Raw Beauty with Healing Superfoods

Are you wanting to take the guesswork out of eating raw and Superfoods and have everything you need handed right to you to make this the easiest change you've ever created for yourself?

If you'd like the instruction on how to make the best Superfood Smoothies EVER, all the information you could ever want to know about Superfoods, an in-person demonstration, a FREE goodie bag to get you started at home, and TONS of nutritious food to boot.. you're in luck! All this with the intention of clearing skin conditions and revealing gorgeous, silky skin that radiates a natural, youthful glow.

In this upcoming class in Seattle, I will serve, and demonstrate how to make~

* Homemade Brazil Nut Mylk (easy, quick, and versatile)
* Green Smoothies (simple, sweet, and delicious!)
* Cacao smoothies (a tasty powerhouse of nutrition)
* Strawberry Apple Island Fire

Even more raw goodness will be served, but not demonstrated~

* Medicinal Stunning Skin Herbal Tea (alfalfa, burdock root, comfrey leaf, horsetail, nettle leaf, noni, oatstraw, and red clover blossoms) - you will be shown how to do this at home
* Island Fire Noni Elixir (a live enzyme tonic elixir with Tahitian Noni, Ginger, Lemon, Turmeric, Cayenne, Raw Vinegar, Agave, Colloidal, Plant, and Ocean Minerals) - served as a chilled cocktail, the NoniTini
* Individual samples of several Superfood powder blends, including Vitamineral Green, Earth, and Fruits of the Earth.

What You'll Go Home With (included in class cost)~

* FREE trial size of your Superfood of Choice
* FREE sachet of loose leaf herbs for you to create your own Medicinal Stunning Skin Herbal Tea at home
* FREE Healing Body Scrub sample of Bethanne's own handcrafted, raw skincare line, Organic Healing
* FREE guide to Sulfur-Rich Super Foods for Stunning Skin
* Handouts with recipes of everything you enjoyed during class


What experience/qualifications do I bring to the class?
* Certified Nutrition Educator - specializing in raw and living foods (since Spring 2007)
* Creator and Manufacturer of the Organic Healing Skincare line (since Winter 2006)
* Superfood Extraordinaire and Advocate (since 2001), and Writer (Healing Raw Beauty Blog and soon to be for eZine Articles) (since 2008)
* Superfood Educator and Demo Rep for HealthForce Nutritionals (since early 2008)
* Elements for Life Superhero (company that offers a broad spectrum of high vibration, transformational products and services that naturally supports the unfolding of our highest potentials of well-being and personal empowerment) - this is the one David Wolfe stands behind and is involved in

This class is for those who are serious about achieving everything you've always wanted for yourself - superior internal health and flawless external beauty! The benefits of every single one of the Superfoods you experience will be discussed in great detail.

Class Day and Time: Sunday March 15 from 1-3pm, at Bethanne's House in North Seattle .. small class setting in the comfort of a cozy home.

Class Cost: $25. You can pay directly online at: http://tinyurl.com/b8vwd3 or via phone at: 206-362-0520 or email me at: HealingOrganically@gmail.com

Seduction Body Silk Special

To continue the feelings of love for the recent Hearts Day holiday, I am offering a special 25% discount for the Seduction Body Silk (4 oz or 9 oz) in my product line. This offer is good until February 28, 2009. You can order it here; just enter the code 'seduction09' when checking out and the discount will be applied.

This one is a favorite for many reasons, and for me, it's the alluring aroma and sensuous feeling that makes me crave more. The ingredients are: organic raw unrefined cacao butter, unrefined organic coconut oil, infused organic olive oil (w/ alfalfa, burdock root, comfrey leaf, horsetail, nettle leaf, noni, oatstraw, and red clover blossoms), organic sweet almond oil, organic jojoba oil, vitamin E, angstrom sulfur (beauty mineral), essential oils of jasmine, neroli and ylang ylang, and marine phytoplankton (algae extract). Below, I refer to one of David Wolfe's books several times because he just always gets it right! Here's what all these pure, raw ingredients can do for you~

Raw Cacao butter - To quote from Eating for Beauty (David Wolfe's work of art), 'cacao butter can be used over every part of your skin. In fact, nothing is better for one's lips and the delicate areas around the eyes where pores are small'. Who doesn't want to put chocolate right onto their skin? Cacao butter is super nutritious, moisturizing, and delicious. Balanced with the right pure essential oils, the smell of bliss will carry with you all day.

Coconut Oil ~ Coconut oil is used for dry, rough, sensitive, and wrinkled skin because it's so mild and gentle. 'It prevents stretch marks and lightens existing ones. Its antiseptic elements keep the skin young and healthy and relatively free from infections' (Eating for Beauty). You reap the bonus benefits of coconut oil being anti-viral, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal. I suggest checking out 'The Coconut Oil Miracle' by Bruce Fife for all that you ever wanted to know about this healing oil.

Olive Oil - Loaded with the skin replenishing omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, it's also high in antioxidant vitamin A and E, and abundant in minerals. 'Olive oil is a soothing fat for damaged and dry skin, hair, and nails' (Eating for Beauty). It is helpful for repairing dry patches and the dreaded stretch marks.

Sweet Almond Oil - This lightweight oil penetrates the skin and absorbs well; it's quite nutritious with a high fatty acid content, and excellent for all skin types, especially dry, inflamed, or itchy skin.

Jojoba Oil - Chemically similar to our own sebum (compatible with human skin), jojoba penetrates easily, leaving no oily residue. Jojoba oil is the perfect choice for inflamed skin, eczema, psoriasis, rough or dry skin, and acne.

Angstrom Sulfur - 'Sulfur is the foundational mineral of all beauty. It produces a flame-like tint in the skin. It creates a subtle lustre and sulfur-residue foods make the complexion radiant. Sulfur is able to make our hair, nails, and skin shine with radiance. Sulfur truly is the most beautifying of all food nutrients, and the best cosmetic in the world' (Eating for Beauty).

Marine Phytoplankton - This supercharged, raw, live, enzyme-active, ocean based micro-algae is abundant in naturally produced vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, life force (direct from the Sun), chlorophyll, and essential fatty acids (3, 6, 7, 9). By putting this into my Body Silks, you absorb these benefits when applied to your skin. I had the fortunate opportunity to be on the Elements for Life conference call with the man who is responsible for doing the research and getting this algae into the consumer market. Many consider it the greatest food on this planet .. the original source of all omega fatty acids (more than fish; this is what fish eat to get their omegas!), DHA, infused Sun energy, chlorophyll, B12, and is surprisingly, a complete protein. It has it all!

In a future post, I'll go into great detail about the 8 herbal blend (their properties, benefits, actions) that make up my olive oil infusion. If you want to lather your body with a luscious silky body butter that will have you yearning for more just from the aroma, this one is for you. It's alluring, sassy, sexy, uplifting, and stress-relieving - who doesn't want all that?!

Rainbow Magic Juice w/ Superfoods to boot

The best way to start the day is with this phenomenal superfood juice. I had to share it!

Rainbow Magic

Juice:
3 apples
1 lemon
lots of kale
2 stalks of celery
1 moderate size beet
small chunk of ginger
stalk & head of broccoli

Rainbow Magic keeps your blood sugar stable, is stimulating to the liver, cleansing on a cellular level, works as a diuretic (eliminating bloat, excess water), enhances digestion, absorption, and utilization of nutrients (allowing the nutrients you're consuming to get into those cells, detoxify, and rebuild the body from scratch - and begin to eliminate nutrient deficiencies by doing so), and according to Mike Adams, the Health Ranger with the super popular www.NaturalNews.com, happens to contain the most anti-cancer juice: broccoli (juice broccoli? YES, and you will LOVE it! You actually won't even taste it :) Just an ounce a day (or whenever you make the Rainbow Magic or any other juice).

Then, add: 1 spoonful (1 tbsp) of Vitamineral Green, Pure Synergy Superfood Formula, and Spirulina Azteca.
Add 1-2 tsp of Truly Vitamin C (by HealthForce) or Pure Radiance Vitamin C (by The Synergy Co.), and 1 tsp of E3 Live/Total Body Blend.

Juicing is easy and seriously fun; the hardest part about juicing is the prep ... washing and rinsing, over and over. However, I try not to over wash and my reason is for the B12. Am I making this up? I don't know, but according to David Wolfe, who we all know knows his stuff, he has admittedly eaten bugs and insects (not for dinner or anything) and confidently claims that they are a source of the depleted nutrient B12. So, I leave my farmer's market greens and veggies clean, but not squeaky clean. I never understood the idea of buying produce wash and cleaners. Maybe if it's conventional, then absolutely, but I only buy organic and never compromise on this. To answer those next questions you maybe asking, I prefer to buy local, organic, and seasonal produce (not an either/or situation). There's nothing challenging about it (shop at a farmer's market & you can easily have cheap access to local, organic and seasonal); it's a commitment to consuming the highest quality, highest energy, most nutrient-dense food available. And, I have no reason to compromise my values when they bring me to such euphoria.

I'm going to do the tedious, yet exciting task of listing every single ingredient you'll be consuming if you make this juice, so you can really see the abundant amount of nutrients that will be flooding your cells with goodness - it's really over the top!

Vitamineral Green: nettle leaf, barley grass, wheat grass, horsetail, moringa leaf, alfalfa leaf juice, dandelion leaf juice, barley grass juice, oat grass juice, nopal cactus, chickweed, ginger root, yacon root, beet root juice, broccoli juice, kale juice, spinach juice, parsley juice, amla berry, spirulina, chlorella, Icelandic kelp, dulse, laver, bladderwrack, alaria, nori, Irish moss, enzymes: protease, amylase, lipase, cellulase, bromelain, papain, alpha-galactosidase, 43 billion different strains of probiotic cultures (equalling 43 billion probiotic cultures per tablespoon), shilajit, magnetic, homeopathic, energetic, and vibrational energies. WOW!

Pure Synergy: Synergized algae: pure spirulina crystals, pure Klamath crystals, pure chlorella, dunaliella, wakame, dumontiaceae, Synergized phytonutrients & enzymes: fresh freeze-dried enzymatically active sprouts of millet, quinoa, broccoli, apple fruit, fresh freeze-dried blueberry, raspberry, green papaya fruit, natural plant enzymes, Synergized Chinese Mushrooms & Herbal Extracts: reishi, shiitake, maitake, agaricus, cordyceps, herbal extracts of astragalus root, eleuthero root, lycium (wolfberry) fruit, tang-kuei root, schizandra fruit, atractylodes macrocephala root, fo-ti root, paeonia lactiflora root, rehmannia root, codonopsis root, licorice root, jujube fruit, poria, ginger rhizome, tangerine peel, polygala root, ligusticum wallichii root, Synergized Green Juices: wheat grass barley grass, oat grass, alfalfa grass, parsley grass, spinach leaf, kale leaf, collard leaf, Synergized Western Herbs: nettle leaf, red clover flower, burdock root, yellow dock root, skullcap flower and leaf, dandelion leaf, ginkgo leaf, rose hips, rosemary leaf, clove bud, sage leaf, natural vitamin E (sunflower). WOW!

E3 Live Total Body Blend: MSM, spirulina (more spirulina! - can you believe people say not eating animals will leave you protein deficient?!), camu camu, vitamin E tocopherol/tocotrienols, organic cayenne, organic blue green algae, organic AFAMend and BrainOn, PEA (blue green sea extracts), crystalloid electrolyte sea minerals (organic copper, iodine, manganese, zinc, potassium, cobalt, sodium, selenium, chromium, silica, and boron). WOW!

Now, imagine what you will feel like after consuming ALL this, in just 1 tasty glass of fresh juice! Be prepared to feel better than ever .. you may reach paradise. Try it and let me know what YOU think!

Cacao withdrawals and conscious language

I took a break from cacao and goji berries the last 5 days and all I could think about that entire time was how much I missed them! It was an involuntary break- I ran out and was waiting to purchase them locally from Raw Vegan Source, the largest raw and vegan superstore in the U.S., which fortunately for me is just a short drive away. My boyfriend Mike and I took a class there last night on Conscious Language and spent hundreds of dollars on foods that I wish every single person on the planet ate. He wanted to participate in the class (as did I), but all I could think about on the way and once there was grabbing every product off the shelf as if I had been living on an island without access to fresh foods and superfoods for years and this was my reuniting with them.

Some of the fascinating phrases and thoughts we heard last night (really think about these!):

Genes have nothing to do with you.
It's the Biology of Belief, not genes.
Do you choose to be conscious?
The illusion is about ready to be transformed.
Battle the darkness.
100% of what is going on in our current world is agreed to.
What are we going to wake up to & what are we going to do with it?
Our greater self is right here, right now!
Be in your consciousness of grace.
My greatest weakness is becoming my greatest strength.
Inspire each other to accept your authority and genius.
If you know the truth of something, you have the power over it.
Pain happens, hurt is optional.
What is it going to take for me to be consistently successful every time?

What to say to yourself on a DAILY BASIS?
I AM living my life!
I reclaim my own life!

Say what your new choice is until you FEEL IT IN YOUR BODY!

VOTE VICTORY for others! See perfection in others and this will support them in seeing it themselves.

Getting back to chocolate...

I am convinced that cacao is an appetite suppressant and slimming for the body, and chocolate expert David Wolfe could explain much better why this is, but I know it to be true. It's not that I gained weight in these last 5 days, but I definitely felt a difference in my body and craved much more food than I usually do, and cooked food, which is rare (pasta, pizza). When I 'give in' I realize just how much it just doesn't work for me anymore! The pleasure and taste is nothing like it used to be. I do admit to eating raw chocolate every day and it's just part of the routine, nothing I put much thought into until it's gone, and I'm suffering (could I be addicted?!) and feeling more bloated and puffy as a result of the choices I've made in this short time.

This is the super delicious smoothie I've made this morning that keeps me feeling great until later in the day. For dinner we'll have fresh greens (maybe even w/out washing them to get some needed B12) that we picked from Raw Vegan Source (they have an amazing permaculture garden) and who knows what else. Please try this at home!

4 cups water (half of which could be coconut water)
2 T raw cacao powder
2 T raw cacao nibs
1 T pine nuts
1 cup raw cashews
6 dates, pitted
2 tsp hemp seeds
2 tsp chia seeds
1 tsp local bee pollen
1 tsp coconut oil
1/2 cup blueberries or 3/4 cups blackberries (experiment w/ local fruits)
1/4 cup dark agave
1/4 tsp Himalayan pink crystal salt
1 T Vitamineral Greens
2 tsp MSM powder
2 tsp Maca Force
1 tsp Truly Vitamin C
small handful goji berries
small handful Incan berries
1 tsp angstrom calcium
1 droppersful Ocean's Alive Marine Phytoplankton

Blend really well. If you don't have every single ingredient, make it anyway!

I also added a droppersful of a tonic called RenewU - from The Herbalist, a local apothecary with excellent formulations (RenewU contains: milk thistle, Oregon grape, dandelion root, burdock root, yellow dock, cleavers, wild indigo, fennel, ginger).

CHILL and serve cold. YUMMY!