Day One - Diary of a Raw Foodist

August 1, 2009 - Toronto, ON - Here are the recipes of what I made for Lunch and Dinner today, all inspired from the websites, blogs, movies and books I've been following. Try them out yourself!


Lunch - Minty Fresh Smoothie ( I made this a couple days and froze half of it, and used it today)

Ingredients:

• 2 medium bananas
• 1 medium cucumber
• 2 tbsp fresh basil
• 1 tbsp fresh mint
• 2 small peaches or 1 apple

Directions:
Put all ingredients in blender, and blend until smooth.


Dinner - Cauliflower Curry

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of chopped cauliflower
• 1 medium carrot chopped
• 6 soaked sundried tomatoes
• 1/2 avocado
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1cm piece of ginger root
• 1 tsp tumeric
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup dried coconut
• 1 tbsp flaxseed
• 1 cup of water

Directions:
Blend all ingredients until well combined and finely chopped. Serve in a bowl with alfalfa sprouts. OR serve on top of cucumber rounds topped with sprouts.

Thanks to:
http://thekitchendispensary.wordpress.com

Bee Pollen - Nature's most complete food

August 1, 2009 - Toronto, ON - While researching for this Raw lifestyle, I came across a lot of postings about adding bee pollen to your diet. After doing some research, that I will be sharing with all of you in this post, I bought my first jar of bee pollen from the great Farmer's Market in the King West Neighbourhood!

Bee pollen actually contains all of the nutrients you need to live. There have been some studies on mice that have been only fed bee pollen and have shown no signs of malnourishment!

Bee pollen has high concentrations of B vitamin complex, and also contains Vitamins A, C, D and E. It also acts as a very effective natural energizer for your body.

Scientists are hard at work to prove many more benefits of bee pollen. Some reports show bee pollen can:

• Slow the aging process


• Weight loss


• Improving metabolism


• Dissolving & Flushing fat cells from your body


• Helps reduce cravings


• Lowering Cholesterol levels


• Restoring reproductive system


• Relief of PMS


• Preventing Prostate problems


• Improve Immune system


• Detoxifies your body

So, what are you waiting for? Go out to your local market today and pick up your own today!

Day ONE - Diary of a Raw Foodist

August 1, 2009 - Toronto, ON - So, this is day one of recording my progress in the transformation of a raw lifestyle. Yesterday, I found a great deal for a Juicer ($5!) which was a great addition to my equipment I was hoping to accumulate.

This morning I made one of my favourite Breakfasts and here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 Banana

1/2 cup (give or take) blueberries or any berries you like

1/2 cup of mango (give or take)

handful of soaked Almonds (Soak them overnight in about an inch of water in a glass bowl at room temp)

a splash of unsweetened Almond Milk

1/2 Tbsp of Raw Honey

handful of unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions:

Slice banana, mango and add to bowl. Add in the berries. Top with Almonds, add honey, milk and coconut. Mix together and ENJOY!

For more information on soaking seeds and nuts, click HERE.

RAW LIFESTYLE 30 DAY CHALLENGE

July 31, 2009 - Toronto, ON - I have been on the raw diet lifestyle for almost a week now, but starting tomorrow, I will be documenting on this blog a sort of Raw Diary. This will include whats on the plate for each meal of the day, temptations, experiences, and more knowledge I learn along the way.


I would like to take this opportunity to encourage you to take the challenge and post comments or even your raw food diary here to help others and encourage others to take it on!

Generally a raw food diet takes approximately 2 weeks to kick into your system fully to get all the benefits of it and get the toxins out of your body. (Of course this all depends on how your lifestyle is now, everyone is different). So, by taking a 30 day challenge, hopefully you will noticeably see and feel the difference!

So to get you fully started, i am sharing some of my favourite links for recipe ideas to get you started planning your meals!

The Raw Chef - Russell James (At the right top hand corner, there is a FREE PDF of his Ebook)
We Like it Raw - Raw Food Goodness - Recipes
From Sad to Raw - Recipes
Gone Raw - Sharing raw recipes and advice
Living & Raw Foods - A little confusing at first, but very informative and lotsa recipes too!
Wellsphere - Health Knowledge made personal
Raw Epicurean - It's a Lifestyle


Hopefully this gets you a good start! Good Luck!

Staples in your Fridge, Counter & Pantry you need

July 31, 2009 - Toronto, ON - So you've started doing your research, and you want to get started right now. Below you will find a list of things you will need in order to start a proper healthy raw diet:



Equipment:

* Glass Bowls (for germinating & sprouting)
* Blender (This is your new best friend)
* Juicer (not needed, but helps for a lot of recipes)
* Dehydrator (not needed, but helps for a lot of recipes) Don't buy any of them unless it's the Excalibur
* Spiralizer (not needed, but helps for a lot of recipes) ... it's also a lot of fun!
* Sharp knives
* Cutting Board

GROCERY LIST:

Dried Fruit, Legumes and Nuts:
* Raw Cashews
* Raw Almonds
* Raw Sunflower Seeds
* Raw Macadamia Nuts
* Raw Pine Nuts
* Raw Flax Seeds
* Dates
* Raisins
* Dried Lentils
* Dried Chickpeas

Miscellaneous:
* COLD PRESSED Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
* Raw Agave Nectar
* Raw Coconut Oil & Shredded unsweetened coconut
* Raw Cocoa
* Raw Almond Butter

Spices & Condiments:
* Raw Honey
* Himalayan Salt
* Sun Dried Tomatoes
* Cayenne Pepper
* Cinnamon
* Ground Cumin

Frozen Section:
* Frozen Organic Fruit
* Manna Bread (YES YOU CAN HAVE "Bread"!)

Fish/Meat Section:
* Proscuitto (Cured Pork)

Fresh Produce: (if it's organic, even better!)
* Avocados
* Bananas
* Kale
* Bell Peppers
* Onions
* Garlic
* Tomatoes
* Lettuce & Spring Mix
* Spinach
* Lemons & Limes
* Oranges
* Apples
* Berries
* Mangos
* Zucchini
* Celery
* Fresh herbs such as: Parsley, Basil, Cilantro
* Jalapeno Peppers
* Ginger root


This should be a good start! good luck and keep checking back for more info and recipes to come!

Interesting facts of a Raw & Healthy Lifestyle

July 31, 2009 - Toronto, ON - I know most of us these days don't have time to read tons of books to gain knowledge. We now rely on Google, Wiki, Blogs and Television to educate us, or simply by learning from others.


I have seen two documentaries lately about a Raw & Healthy lifestyle that have given me a lot of insight on the whole concept. From being able to reverse effects of Diabetes, Cancer and other illnesses that usually we rely on drugs to cure or to regulate. Both of the documentaries show alternative ways that WORK.

Please take some of this with a grain of salt, because obviously, being a documentary it can become Bias at times. Here are the two links if you are interested in learning more:

FOOD MATTERS

SIMPLY RAW: REVERSING DIABETES IN 30 DAYS

A New Inspiration Everyone Can Benefit from

July 31, 2009 - Toronto, ON - For the past week now, I have taken on the challenge of living a RAW lifestyle. That's right. Raw vegetables, fruits, seeds and nuts. Nothing is cooked, organic is preferred and devoted research and time is required.



Luckily for all you curious Raw enthusiasts, I have done about a years worth of research and I have some great tips, starters, recipes and staples you'll need to get you started. First off, in this post I would like to fill all of you in on just SOME of the good stuff your body and mind will get out of this new lifestyle:

What is a Raw Food Diet?

The raw food diet is a diet based on unprocessed and uncooked plant foods, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, sprouts, seeds, nuts, grains, beans, nuts, dried fruit, and seaweed.

Heating food above 116 degrees F is believed to destroy enzymes in food that can assist in the digestion and absorption of food. Cooking is also thought to diminish the nutritional value and "life force" of food.



What are the Benefits of a Raw Food Diet?

* Increased energy
* Improved skin appearance
* Better digestion
* Weight loss
* Reduced risk of heart disease

The raw food diet contains fewer trans fats and saturated fat than the typical Western diet. It is also low in sodium and high in potassium, magnesium, folate, fiber and health-promoting plant chemicals called phytochemicals.

These properties are associated with a reduced risk of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.



What are the Techniques Used in this Diet?

Specific cooking techniques make foods more digestible and add variety to the diet, including:

* Sprouting seeds, grains, and beans
* Juicing fruit and vegetables
* Soaking nuts and dried fruit
* Blending
* Dehydrating food


Does “Raw Food” Mean Eating Only Salad?

Not at all! There are dozens of variations on a raw food diet – and if it seems like raw foodists eat a lot of salad and uncomplicated raw veggies, that’s mostly to do with convenience. Raw cooking can be time-consuming – from slow, low-temperature dehydration to preparation of gourmet main courses and desserts.

Some raw food diets depend on the simplicity of raw fruits, nuts and vegetables, but most include complex meals of nuts and seeds, plenty of avocado and healthy oils, smoothies, raw cereal, sprouts, juicing and more.



More to come! - Look forward to some starter recipes, staples in the kitchen, websites, blogs and videos to watch!

Street Corner Symphony

June 17, 2008 - Toronto, Ontario - I have always had a pretty big love for Rob Thomas and Matchbox 20. This group called the Hullabahoos did amazing performance of their own rendition of Rob Thomas' track called Street Corner Symphony.

Check out the original and then the Hullabahoos that performed at Big Sprong Sing Thing XX at a SOLD OUT show in the Paramount Theatre in Charlottesville, VA back in 2008.

Laugh Factor - Failing the Breathalyzer test

Toronto, Ontario - May 23, 2009 - This enlightened my day quite a bit! I thought I should share this with all of you.

Take a look! *also, take notes! haha

In case you missed HOT DOCS

Toronto, Ontario - May 17, 2009 - I had just been referred to this beautiful website dedicated to the documentary "Water Life" in this year's Hot Docs Festival. It is quite the informative website which made me feel like i watched the movie through the website. Beautifully put together, with great footage, interviews, music and interactiveness!

Please do take a look at it, and get educated on WATER LIFE.
http://waterlife.nfb.ca/

Website built by:
http://www.jam3media.com

Real Life Twitter!

Toronto, Ontario - May 14, 2009 - Something to clear your minds of that horrible monster from earlier..... check it out.

Montauk Monster

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Toronto, Ontario - May 14, 2009 - Since I haven't written in a few days, I figured it was time to post something. I came across this story today that has been lurking around the news for almost a year now. It's the case of the Montauk Monster. This unidentified monster was allegedly washed ashore new the Montauk (which is a resort) in New York's Business district in July 2008.

Speculation in published reports included theories that the Montauk Monster might have been a turtle without its shell—even though a turtle's shell cannot be removed without damaging the spine nor do they have teeth as appear in the photograph —a dog, a raccoon,or maybe a science experiment from the nearby government animal testing facility, the Plum Island Animal Disease Center. The creature's appearance was believed to have been altered through immersion in water for an extended period before coming to rest on the shore, making it difficult to identify.

On August 1st, Gawker published pictures and X-ray images of a water rat, an Australian rodent with many similarities to the Montauk Monster, like the beak, tail, feet, and size. On the same day, Jeff Corwin appeared on Fox News and claimed that upon close inspection of the photograph, he feels sure the monster is merely a raccoon or dog that has decomposed slightly. This was backed up by Darren Naish, a British paleontologist, who examined the images and agreed that, if real, the creature was a raccoon.

Take a look at the video posted and you decide for yourself.

The Great Canadian Tune

Toronto, Ontario - May 9, 2009 - The city of Toronto will have many celebrations this year in honour of it's 175th anniversary. Events paying tribute to the City's heritage with unity and diversity include historical art exhibits, discussion panels, photo contests, historical tours and one more thing...

This year's Luminato Festival Team has decided to launch a public event to celebrate Canadian musicians. Hoping to set the Guinness world record of the largest-ever guitar ensemble, people will vote for their favourite canadian song out of ten choices chosen by Luminato employees.

Take a look at the songs chosen, then vote for you fav on the list of 10. On JUNE 6th, anyone and everyone with a guitar is invited to join the live jam session at Yonge-Dundas Square to play the chosen song. Be a part of what will be the largest ever guitar ensemble!



For more info and to vote click below:

http://www.luminato.com/2009/events/44

Continuation of High Fashion Wildlife

Toronto, Ontario - May 4, 2009 - Here's a continuation of the High Fashion Wildlife series I've been working on... Take a look.

iNSPIRATION FRIDAY - HOT DOCS - dissapointing start

Toronto, Ontario - May 2, 2009 - I wanted to wave goodbye from the minute the lights dimmed and the reel started rolling. Our first documentary from the Hot Docs Festival we went to see was a film by a Canadian writter, producer and director, Don Owen called Nobody Waved Goodbye. A 1964 film that was actually the only FICTION film in the Hot Docs festival which I found very strange. Black and White, this film was mostly improve folling the lives of a very young couple, and a boy in particular that was in his time called a "rebel".

In my eyes, this boy was not a rebel, just another dumb teenager, stealing his father's car, followed by running away from home, knocking up his girlfriend, ripping off customers, stealing cash from the register and trying to get away in a stolen car to start "the good life".

All in all, this was a true dissapointment from having very high expectations of this festival. The only reason we stumbled across this film is because we had originally wanted to see "Ghost Bird" which we found out later that day that we had screwed up the screening times. (we're going to see it for iNSPIRATION FRIDAY next Friday.)

*To see and make your own Hot Docs Schedule, visit: http://schedule.hotdocs.ca/

I still believe that Hot Docs is an amazing festival, but I think for an opener, having an out of date FICTION film with no climax was a true mistake.