Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days
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The Power of Greens
As a kid, I lived for trips to 7-11. It wasn’t until years later while working at the Ann Wigmore Institute and living entirely on raw, living foods that my body began craving greens. Now many years later, I understand the logic behind the cravings. My body sought the nutrition it needed for optimal health. Once my palate became accustomed to the taste, my body knew what it needed.
Greens contain a powerhouse of nutrition. We often don’t think of “powerful” and “lettuce” in the same sentence. For many of us, the only lettuce we know is the pale, limp iceberg served on a plate with the hamburger on top! Or maybe Mom served an iceberg lettuce salad with dinner – topped with those thick bottled dressings, of course.
When I talk about greens, I don’t mean those salads. I’m talking about GREEN greens – bright emerald, happy-go-lucky grass green, and even paler shades of bok choy. Greens contain a wealth of nutrition calorie per calorie, along with fiber and chlorophyll. And don’t forget the power of enzymes!
Just take a look at this information on the nutritional content of favorite greens and you’ll see what I mean:
Kale Romaine Lettuce Bok choy
Vitamin B1 0.22 mg 0.43 mg 0.308 mg
Vitamin B2 0.26 mg 0.40 mg 0.538 mg
Vitamin B3 2mg 1.9mg 3.845 mg
Folate 58 mcg 802 mcg 508 mcg
Calcium 270 mg 195 mg 807mg
Iron 3.4 mg 5.72mg 6.15 mg
Sodium 86mg 47mg 500 mg
Beta carotene 18,452 mcg 20,556 mcg 20,617 mcg
Lutein + zeaxanthin 79,100 mcg 13,641 mcg 308 mcg
Easy Beginning Steps to Raw Foods
One of the easiest transition meals when you’re just starting eat a cleansing, detoxifying raw and living foods diet is breakfast. Very few people today are die-hard breakfast eaters anyway, and those that are find that it’s the easiest meal to adjust. If you don’t eat breakfast, you may find it even easier to add in our breakfast suggestions that the conventional type of breakfast.
Start your day with fresh fruit. Fruit is a quick transit food, meaning it passes quickly through the digestive system. It’s broken down easily into glucose, which our brains need for fuel, yet it’s high water content means it’s also low in calories. And fruit is packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
If you never or rarely eat fruit, start with whatever appeals to you. Apples, pears, bananas, berries…there’s an almost limitless choice in the supermarkets today. Purchase organic fruit whenever possible. Apples, peaches and berries are among the most heavily sprayed crops in conventional farming, so choose organic always with these fruits.
If you’ve never had a fruit smoothie, you’re in for a treat! Made with frozen fruit, they taste like a milkshake without the milk. Make with room temperature fruit, they’re still a satisfying and sweet way to wake up your day. A quick and easy fruit smoothie to make is a blueberry-banana – spinach smoothie. Simply place one cup of organic frozen blueberries, one ripe banana, and 1-2 cups of water or fresh coconut water and a handful of spinach (I promise you won’t taste it) into a blender. Blend on smoothie setting for 30 to 60 seconds and serve. You can even pour this into a travel mug and take it in the car with you on the way to work.
Start your transition to a healthy living foods diet with fruit. Eat fruit until noon, then switch to greens, salads, and other healthy foods, and watch your energy levels soar!
Healthy Weight Loss
Have you ever tried the crash diet thing? Fallen victim to the “10 pounds in 10 days” diet mentality? Most people have at some time. Yet we know somehow, deep down inside, that it’s not so really so healthy or sane to lose 10 pounds in 10 days, no matter how much we wish we could.
Our bodies must guide healthy weight loss. Losing weight isn’t just a matter of shedding fat and inches. Your body adjusted to the increased amount of calories you ate over the years by adding fat, yes, but it also increased its blood supply and adjusted all sorts of intricate hormones to keep running optimally. The body adjusted to the extra weight slowly. In order to lose weight, we have to do so slowly and gradually to allow all of the body’s systems to adapt. That takes time.
When you eat a raw, living food diet and lots of healthy plant-based nutrition, you’re giving your body optimal nutrition. At first it may be reluctant to shed the weight. Over time, however, your body should naturally, gradually and easily find a weight that’s comfortable for it. It might not be the exact weight on a height and weight chart at an insurance company somewhere. It will be a weight determined by your genetics, frame, activity and nutritional status.
High calorie, high fiber, moderate fat, high nutrient living foods are really the key to long term weight loss. Ditch the crash diets. After all, who really wants to crash? Not me!
Adding Positive Foods to Your Diet
Whenever I read about changing to a raw food diet, most of the experts begin with what to eliminate. They talk about eliminating processed foods first, alcohol, caffeine, soft drinks, artificial sweeteners, and the list goes on. It’s a way that feels safe to most people and familiar. After all, the typical “diet plan” starts by eliminating many of the same foods. Some people, however do better by focusing on what they can have instead of what they can’t have or what they are trying to eliminate. I’m sure you know someone who’s like this – if you tell them they can’t do something, they have to absolutely, positively do it! It’s as if you issued them a challenge. They’ll find some way around whatever it is you’re telling them not to do. For those folks, I recommend simply focusing on a list of what to eat, rather than what not to eat. As you’re changing your diet to a raw, plant-based diet and embracing the wonderful health benefits, increase the following foods in your diet: Salads, with lots and lots of different greens Herbal teas – chamomile, peppermint, ginger Avocados Raw, cultured foods Chia, hemp and flax seeds Sea vegetables If eliminating foods feels too frustrating, why not try the opposite? Focus on what you can have, and see if that helps!
The Right Frame of Mind
The right frame of mind is vital no matter what the endeavor. Have you ever asked someone to do something for you and they say yes – but they sigh all the time while they’re doing the chore, or complain a lot, or procrastinate?
It’s the same thing for detoxification programs. If you’re nagged into it, or if you embark on a detoxification program out of fear – fear of disease, fear of illness, whatever – it’s like the little kid who agrees to clean his room, but he sighs a lot and talks to himself about the “mean mommy who makes him do stuff.”
Instead of thinking about detoxification as a chore, a burden, or something you’d rather not do, how about embracing this new step forward in your health? If that sounds like too much of a stretch, maybe some sort of daily affirmation such as, “I am so grateful for the opportunity to heal my body. I am going to provide my body with the very best nutrition available and I am going to feel GREAT!!” may help. I have found that my resistance to trying something new usually indicates I have fears about something. You may be saying to yourself ”I can’t eat better because I never follow through with anything” or “I can’t afford to eat this way” or “My friends and family are going to think I’m weird if I start eating this way.” All of these fears can just as easily be shifted from the negative to the positive.
When I get into fear based thinking, at first I honor myself and acknowledge that fear. After acknolwledging the fear, I challenge myself to explore/identify and feel the opposite of those fears. Here’s is an example with the fear ”I can’t afford to eat this way.”
- Sometimes I reason with myself logically.
“Eating this way is cheaper because I won’t be buying all the expensive packaged, processed foods anymore. I will eat out less, so the reality is I will have more money in the bank as well as my health. Down the road, I will have so much more energy that my work will be more productive which will help me make more money. Additionally, I will have my health and well-being.”
- I also try to gain perspective. I try to take a global, “big picture” view of things to diminish the power a fear or limiting belief has over me. “How can I put a price tag on my health?” “I always have enough money for vacations, cars, clothes, etc, but feel like I’m not worth spending for my health.”
- Third, I begin to embrace the opposite of my fear. “How can I afford not to take care of myself?” “I have the right to feel better and nourish myself.” “I deserve to feed my body with the best food available on the planet!” “My life is abundant and money flows easily into my life!”
Here are another few tips that may help shift your mindset from an “oh great, got to cleanse this spring” to “hurray for me! I’m going to feel great!” mindset:
- Write down 3 goals for your spring health detoxification program.
- Write about why you want to achieve those goals – what motivates you?
- Keep a journal or diary and write about your feelings during cleansing, fasting or detoxification programs. Your own words may surprise you.
- Join a Revitalive Cleanse and get the support and guidance you need to help make your cleanse a success.
Enter into your detoxification program with a joyful heart. You’re doing your body a world of good. You’re giving it exactly what it needs to heal itself from the inside out. You’re learning new and wonderful ways to care for your health. Isn’t that worth celebrating?
Hemp, Hemp Hooray!
I mentioned that hemp seeds contain loads of amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. While our bodies can produce a good number of amino acids, they cannot produce all of them. These amino acids must be consumed in our food. Non vegetarians take them in through eating flesh foods. Vegetarians and vegans can get plenty of amino acids through plant-based sources as long as they eat a wide variety of foods. That’s why it’s great when we can find a food that fits into a raw, vegan lifestyle that contains an abundance of amino acids and healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Hemp seed fits the bill.
One of the questions I hear most frequently from people curious about raw, vegan living is, “how do you get enough protein?” The assumption is that if you’re not eating meat, you’re going to die from lack of protein. Even vegetarians get this question, and they may continue to use dairy products and eggs!
One of the best books to address the protein question is The China Study by T. Collin Campbell, Ph.D. Campbell studied protein for over 30 years and discovered so many correlations between high protein consumptions, especially meat-based protein sources, and so-called chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer and heart disease that it’s scary.
Many Americans continue to consume massive quantities of animal-based protein despite our sedentary lifestyles. Our days begin with big breakfasts of sausage and eggs, followed by heavy lunches of hot dogs or hamburgers, and then end with a steak dinner. While in the midst of consuming a diet rich in animal protein, many find it inconceivable to forgo the protein for even a meal or two. We have been programmed that we need animal protein at every meal to be healthy. The reality is that all fruits, veggies, seeds and nuts contain some protein.
The humble plant kingdom actually contains quite an abundance of protein. By eating foods rich in protein building blocks such as hemp seeds, we can meet all of our body’s requirements. We are just shifting the source of protein in your diet, not eliminating protein from the diet. But if you’re committed to a raw, living food lifestyle, finding plant-based sources like hemp is ideal. And no, you won’t grow weak and unhealthy from lack of protein. There are many athletes who are raw, vegans – including Kristen and myself!
Quench the Inflammation Fire with Hemp Seed
Hemp seed also helps inflammation. How? It’s those omega-3 fatty acids again. Many experts believe that our remote ancestors’ diets contained a super abundance of omega-3 fatty acids and very small amounts of omega-6. The ratio is backwards today for the majority of people. For example, I’ve read estimates placing the ratio in the average American diet at something crazy like 10:1, or 10 omega-6 to every 1 omega-3. No wonder there’s an epidemic of inflammatory diseases, including heart disease, high cholesterol, autoimmune disorders and more.
GLA, the primary fatty acid found in hemp seeds, acts like a fireman to put out the inflammatory response in the cells. To continue the fireman analogy, you can call the fire department when your house is on fire. They’ll pour water onto the flames to quench them. Sometimes that works and the fire goes out. Sometimes it doesn’t and the entire house burns down. It would probably make better fire prevention sense to have an electrician check the wiring to make sure it doesn’t spark a fire or watch other sources of heat and flame.
Like the fire department pouring water on a fire, you can certainly take GLA-rich supplements and food such as hemp seeds when you find yourself confronting inflammatory conditions. But sometimes it’s too late. It’s better to build a ‘fireproof’ house and take in plenty of natural plant-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids such as those found in hemp seed, chia seed and flax seed rather than rush around taking lots and lots of supplements once a problem develops. Consistent DAILY prevention is the best medicine!
Hemp Seeds: An Introduction
This week, I thought I would introduce a food that might be new to you – hemp seeds. Many people think rope fibers or drugs when they hear the word ‘hemp.’ I’m not recommending you chew rope or smoke an illegal substance! The hemp I’m talking about is a nutritional powerhouse, one of the few plant foods that contains the amino acids your body can’t make on its own. Hemp contains rich amounts of gamma-linoleic acid (GLA), one of the essential fatty acids thought to reduce inflammation. Another bonus is that hemp seeds do not contain enzyme inhibitors which means that you do NOT have to soak hemp seeds before consuming them. That also means that you should refrigerate or freeze your hemp seeds to prevent rancidity.
Many dieticians recommend taking supplements such as fish oil or krill oil to obtain omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids reduce inflammation and counter the prevalence of omega-6 fatty acids found in the Standard American Diet. For those following a vegetarian lifestyle, or raw, vegan living, fish and krill oil doesn’t fit our dietary choices. Often times, fish oil contains trace amounts of the carcinogen dioxin, even if the label claims otherwise. Another concern is that fish oil is rancid by the time we consume it. The issue of rancid oils is why the living foods lifestyle does not incoporate many oils in the diet. We prefer to get our oils in whole food form.
A much better method to obtain essential fatty acids along with fiber and vitamin E is to use the actual hemp and flax seeds themselves. Grinding them fresh ensures that the vitamin and oil content is optimal. You can keep a simple coffee grinder in the kitchen and use it just to grind seeds for raw food meals.
There are many ways to use hemp seeds. I love to add a tablespoon to my morning smoothies as a protein source or sprinkle some on top of my salads. Other recipes incorporate hemp into dehydrated treats and more.
Give hemp a try. Although it may sound like a funny seed to enjoy given all its cultural connotations, hemp is quite tasty, and so good for you that it’s worth trying.
The Mind-Body Connection to Weight Loss
I’ve been thinking more and more about the mind-body connection and weight loss. It’s not just about knowledge, although knowing what foods to eat to encourage health, wellness, and natural weight loss is very important. It’s more about what we say to ourselves day in and day out.
I’m finding more and more that people who are of natural weight choose healthier foods not through some super-human use of willpower, but because their internal self talk supports this lifestyle.
Here’s what I mean. Let’s imagine this as the conversation going on inside Jane Normal’s brain. Jane is of normal weight, a raw food vegan, fit, active and healthy. She’s a graphic designer at a corporation and on her way to a meeting, she passes a table on which leftover donuts from a breakfast meeting have been set out for the staff to enjoy. They’re the kind that as a kid she would have enjoyed, but now as a raw food vegan, she looks at the donut and shudders, imagining the witches’ brew of chemicals involved in each donut.
Jane Normal walks by. A craving hits her, out of the blue.
Jane: It’s just a craving. It will pass.
Jane’s Craving: No! I want that donut! Now!
Jane: Really, it’s okay. You know that we don’t eat that stuff anymore. You’re not hungry. We ate a half hour ago.
Jane’s Craving: (which sounds amazingly like her 5-year old self): If I don’t have that donut now, I’m going to DIE!
Jane: (continues walking past the donut) I’m fine. I don’t need that donut.
What’s happened here? Jane’s self talk honors the craving. She tells it, “No, you’re okay…you won’t die without the donut.” Because honestly, when you suddenly crave an old food that gave you comfort, doesn’t it feel like you’re going to die without it?
Jane doesn’t yell at herself. She doesn’t say mean words to herself. She recognizes that the craving is coming from somewhere inside of her that still reacts like a five year old child. Now, if a five year old child was with you and walking past the donuts, and they’d just eaten breakfast, and you knew they were allergic to red dye number 10 or whatever else is in the chemical glop called a donut, what would you say? You’d probably speak lovingly but firmly to the child. You’d let the child have her tantrum, but you wouldn’t give in. You’d honor her feeling, allow it room for expression, and move on.
When you’re hit with a craving and you’re trying to lose weight, consider your inner dialogue. There’s a really strong link, I think, between what goes on between our ears to what goes into our mouths. In the next blog, we will share a great tool to help while in the midst of intense cravings.
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