Super Nutrition- Super Food Alert!

A diet of mostly raw food (organic fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds prepared in a manner that retains all of the nutrients and antioxidants) has proven to be the easiest way to improve and sustain our health. Testimonies of thousands over the world are evidence of its effectiveness. All of these foods are super in their own right.  There are a lot of opinions about what foods are super foods. Super foods are super concentrated, nutrient dense foods.

Herbs-Using many herbs such as oregano, basil, rosemary, sage, thyme, and others in my recipes that are high on the ORAC scale

Vegetables that are high on the ANDI scale We keep these densely nutritious foods in our diet on a daily basis – see my blog entry for recipes. We drink 16 ounces of this Green Vegetable Juice every day. It is important for us to drink this juice, containing some of the top vegetables on the ANDI scale.   These foods are full of super nutrition and are truly super foods and are as close as your local fresh market. They do not come in a bottle or package, have to be shipped to you, or put a large dent in your pocketbook.

Fruits-There are exotic fruits that have a high ORAC number, but are harvested then cooked to death with pasteurization and bottled, sold to you with a high price-tag. There are wonderful berries each with their own season that you can get fresh at your local market. Right now organic strawberries (see recipes) are coming in and earlier I featured cranberries (see recipes) All of these fresh fruits and berries in their season are much more nutritious than a bottled, dried or packaged super fruits.

Food supplements- Blue Green Algae- a form of micro algae phytoplankton, which grows and is harvested from the fresh water of Klamath Lake. Micro algae phytoplankton form the basis of the food chain and were the first organisms to populate the earth billions of years ago and are still here. To survive this long, they have been able to adapt to many environments and are the richest source of chlorophyll (green) found in nature. Chlorophyll is rich in magnesium and many people are deficient in magnesium, which is why we eat and juice greens. BGA is so easily consumed by our intestinal flora, improving our immune system and allows us to better adapt to changing conditions in our environment. Refer to David Wolfe’s book Super Foods for more information about Blue Green Algae.

Years ago we used a frozen Blue Green Algae, but I never had any health changes that I noticed. A year ago we started taking Simplexity Blue Green Algae and after several months I began having many changes that were noticeable. I began having very vivid dreams; became more creative and better able to focus. I no longer have “blue days”, which I occasionally had; years on raw food had eliminated my need to take antidepressants. People we are acquainted with have had improvements, children with ADD and autism had behavioral modifications. Viktoras Kulvinskas has been eating the Blue Green Algae from Simplexity Health for two decades with great results. We have been using Simplexity Products for a year and have had major changes. This nutrition was the missing part of our raw food diet.  This is a whole food supplement that we use, and recommend, in addition to wheat grass or barley grass juice.

At the same time I also started taking Stemplex, which stimulates our body to make stem cells. Stemplex is a synergistic blend of the Blue Green Algae, blueberry, green tea, carnosine,  and vitamin D. Research shows eating 2 Stemplex veg caps per day help your body’s own adult stem cells to be up to 80% more effective at revitalizing your body. A year ago I was having increasing pain in one of my knees after a fall. I had been diagnosed with a torn meniscus and started taking the Stemplex. After a month of taking Stemplex the doctor took an MRI and discovered that I had a fracture in my humorous and he could only see the fracture after it was healing. After one month on Stemplex,  I was no longer having pain or swelling and could walk without limping. I am convinced that the Stemplex stimulated my body to create bone cells to heal my leg. A fracture usually takes 8-9 weeks to heal.

Go to http://simplexityhealth.com/rawfoodrevival

for more information and to order these products. The best way to start is the Essential Packets, which include blue green algae, digestive enzymes and probiotics, and in addition order Stemplex. Order by April 30 and get the wholesale discount.

Save 20% on ALL Simplexity Health Products!!

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Call before April 30, to secure your special Preferred Customer status without the requirement of an AutoShip by making a $40 minimum wholesale product purchase. It’s easy to maintain your special Preferred Customer status with a minimum $40 product purchase every six months.

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Other Superfoods

Raw Cacao has a lot of antioxidants, but turmeric has three times the ORAC value of cacao. Turmeric (curcumin) is the yellow spice that gives color to mustard and curry with no flavor. We bump up the nutrition of a smoothie, our salads by adding turmeric powder, and juice the turmeric root for our juices.  Years ago we ate raw cacao, making truffles, drinks and other recipes with the raw cacao but found it to be too stimulating and addictive for us. When we met each other at the refrigerator at 3 AM and fought over the last Cacao Truffle, we rethought our consumption of cacao.

The mind altering affects of theobromine and stimulating affects of caffeine, agave and coconut oil or cocoa butter needed to make this bitter seed taste good were a problem for us and we decided to eliminate it from our diet when we found that we were addicted to it. I do not want to be addicted to anything.

We turned to a sun dried fruit… carob as a substitute. If you have had issues with cacao, you may want to switch to carob. We are not the raw food police, just would like to offer substitutes for raw cacao for others who have issues with it.  Included are some recipes using carob.

Carob comes from a large tree that grows wild in nature, which is a plus. Gideon as a child in Israel with no access to candy ate the carob pod, discarding the seeds, as candy. The flesh around the seed of the carob was sweet and chewy (sort of like Tootsie Rolls). We know it as a dried powder. The raw carob has a better flavor than roasted.

Carob is one of the seven species that the land of Israel was blessed with by God (Deuteronomy 8:8). The seven species are 1. Wheat and 2. Barley, which we grow and consume as grasses. 3. Figs very high in nutrition 4. Grapes, which are high in resveratrol 5. Pomegranates, which are very high on the ORAC scale, 6. Olives high in nutrition and healthy fat 7. Honey, which is the English interpretation of the Hebrew word, Dvash means honey. During the time of the bible, honey was a general name of the sweet substance found in carob, dates and wild bee honey. There were no beekeepers at that time; therefore domestic bee honey was not widely available. Egyptians were the first to keep bees. Refer to David Wolfe’s book Super Foods for more information about honey and other bee products. These seven foods were the original super foods.

John the Baptist lived on carob pods…”the locust bean” which is another name for carob. Another biblical reference to carob pods is in the parable of the prodigal son who squandered his inheritance and so became a servant, looking after the pigs.” He would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate”- the pods would most probably have been the pods of the carob trees which produce crops in times of drought and famine and are used as feed for live stock in Israel.

Carob is an alternative to chocolate. As most of us are now aware, carob is free from the stimulants caffeine and theobromine found in chocolate. It is also naturally sweet, so carob products will generally contain substantially less sugars than their chocolate counterparts.  Carob powder can be substituted for cocoa powder in any recipe.

Carob is 8% protein and contains vitamins A, B, B2, B3 and D. It is also high in calcium, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium and contains iron, manganese, barium, copper and nickel. It has no oxalic acid as cacao does which prevents the body from absorbing calcium and zinc. ?

The main constituents of carob are large carbohydrates (sugars) and tannins. The sugars make carob gummy and able to act as a thickener to absorb water and help bind together watery stools. Tannins from carob, being water insoluble, do not bind proteins as some tannins do. Carob tannins do bind to (and thereby inactivate) toxins and inhibit growth of bacteria both of which are beneficial when it comes to diarrhea.   Dietary fiber and sugars may make food more viscous in the stomach and thus interfere with reflux of acid into the esophagus.

Carob Mint Pie Crust

By Jackie Graff

Sprout Raw Food

Serves 8

1 cup pecans soaked 12 hours, drained, and dehydrated 12 hours
1/4 cup raw honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup medjool dates, pitted
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
¼  teaspoon peppermint essential oil
1 cup carob
1.    Place almonds in processor and chop to flour consistency.
2.    Add pecans, dates, salt, vanilla, and carob a food processor and process well.
3.    Add honey and process until it begins to stick together.
4.    Press into a pie plate until entire pie plate is covered. Crust may be made ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen.
5.    Crust may be used as is or dehydrated for a dryer crust. Some of the crust may be put aside to use as crumbles on top of the pie.

Carob Mint Pie

By Jackie Graff

Sprout Raw Food

Serves 8

2 cups dates soaked 1 hour in 1 cup young coconut water and add to mix
2 cups pine nuts soaked 1 hour in filtered water and drained
1 cup carob
1 vanilla bean
Meat from 2 young coconuts
¼ cup coconut butter
¼  teaspoon peppermint essential oil
Carob Mint Pie Crust (see recipe)
½ cup mint leaves as garnish
1.    Place dates, pine nuts, vanilla bean, and coconut water in blender and blend until smooth.
2.    Add carob and salt blending until smooth.
3.    Add coconut meat, coconut butter and peppermint oil blending until smooth.
4.    Add psyllium to mixture blending well. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes and blend again until smooth.
5.    Spoon mixture into pie crust and place mint leaves around edge..

Carob Mousse Cake

By Jackie Graff

Sprout Raw Food

Serves 8

½ vanilla bean
¼ cup agave nectar or raw honey
2 cups young coconut water
2 cups medjool dates pitted and soaked in water for two hours and drained
4 young coconuts- meat
¼ cup coconut butter
1 cup pine nuts
1 cup raw carob
1 cup fresh dry coconut meat, chopped fine
1.    Place coconut in the bottom of a spring form pan, reserving ¼ cup for top of cake.
2.    Place the vanilla bean, dates and young coconut water into a high power  blender and process until smooth.
3.    Add the young coconut meat and coconut butter, blending well.
4.    Take half of this mixture out (mixture can be too thick to process all at one time) and add ½ of the pine nuts and ½ of the carob blending well and place mixture in spring form pan..
5.    Repeat this with the other half of mixture, pine nuts, and carob, blending well and place in spring form pan.
6.    Sprinkle remainder of coconut on top.
7.    Place in freezer until firm enough to remove the spring form and slice.
8.    Garnish Mint and  Raspberries

Peace and love,

Jackie Graff

Feeding Finnley II

Finnley’s ready to eat!

We’re back home and of course Finnley, my granddaughter was on my calendar! I am so lucky that Shelly lets me pick her up to spend the night with us whenever I want. Now that Finnley is a year old and feeding herself, it is a challenge to feed her the greens, which she does not like as well (I sing a little song that she likes while I am feeding her the greens).

She can chew soft fruits, peas, and cooked potatoes and other organic vegetables that are frozen and simply thawed out, and wholegrain, organic o cereal. Even though she has eight teeth she cannot chew spinach, collards and other beneficial greens, therefore I blend them with a Vitamix, which completely breaks up the fiber, making the important nutrients more available to the cells. The protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals are not altered with heat thus providing her with important, intact nutrients.   Feeding her  “Nana’s Green Pudding” daily is a way she can get calcium and protein in a bio-available organic form. She tolerates it and will let me feed her a ¼ to ½ cup serving at a time, sometimes alternating with other food that she loves.

I have had several requests for my Green Pudding recipe, which addresses the question of (where is the protein?), calcium and the fat. Kale and collards have the highest nutrient density of all fruits and vegetables, and other foods, according to Dr. Joel Furman. Kale is high in Luten, Carotenes, Vitamin K, Protein, Thiamin, Calcium, Manganese, and Folate.  Collards are a good source of Protein, Thiamin, Calcium and Manganese, Folate, and vitamins A, C, E, and B6. Bananas add sweetness and are a good source of vitamin C, potassium and manganese and B6. Mango also is a good source of vitamins C, B and A, and great fiber. Avocados are a surprisingly complete food, with fourteen minerals to stimulate growth, including iron and copper for the blood. Vitamins in avocados include A, B-complex, C, and E, K as well as phosphorus and magnesium and contain more potassium than a medium banana- 877 grams of potassium in one avocado versus 470 grams in a banana. Babies need fat for brain development and avocado provides an easily digestible, highly nutritious, health promoting monosaturated fat. All of these nourishing ingredients provide a ton of fiber. Meat, cheese, dairy, white grains, and eggs have no fiber.  It is important to get the pudding blended well, because babies are sensitive to texture. The texture is like a smooth, creamy pudding.

2 collard leaves with stems
3 kale leaves stems removed (kale stems tend to be bitter)
2 bananas
2 mangos
½ Avocado
Blend all well with a Vitamix to make the texture very smooth like pudding. Taste it to make sure it tastes sweet, and if needed add more fruit. Babies do not like the greens without the sweetness of some fruit.

Green Pudding

•    It is recommended that children eat foods that have a lot of fiber to help prevent constipation. Most fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, legumes, peas, beans, and whole grains. Cheese, meat, dairy and white grain foods have no fiber. Getting enough fluid from water or milk is important also.
•    Getting the best liquids for a child is important.

100% organic freshly juiced fruit is healthy, but contains too much concentrated fruit sugar. It is better to eat the whole fruit. Mixing some juice with water is better and getting children use to drinking plain filtered water is best. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 6 ounces of 100% fruit juice daily (can be divided into 3 ounces mixed with water X2).  Lemonade has 6 teaspoons of sugar per cup, and sugar is not good for anyone. Many shelf stable fruit juices have sugar. Freshly juiced fruit is best.  Introducing filtered water when a child is thirsty is a good way to get them use to drinking plain water. Carrying around a sippy cup with fruit juice never allows the child to be thirsty and constantly putting juice in their water or water in their juice will never get them use to drinking something that is not sweet. The sippy cup is best used just for transitioning from the bottle. When the child is older, let them self-serve by filling their glass with water any time they want. Using a jar of filtered water with a dispenser at a level they can reach makes it fun, and if it spills, it’s only water!

Pink Lemonade

By Jackie Graff

Sprout Raw Food

5 cups seedless watermelon
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
2 lemons zested
Place all ingredients in blender, blend well and refrigerate.

Banana Water

By Jackie Graff

Sprout Raw Food

4 cups filtered water
1 very ripe banana
Place all ingredients in blender, blend well and refrigerate.
Finnley will now take sips of my green juice (recipe in the last blog entry).

Finnley loves Nana’s green juice

I have had questions from mothers who are concerned about their options for milk after they have stopped breast-feeding or are transitioning off formula. Their biggest concerns are about calcium and protein. The fat should also be of concern, because babies need fat in their diet for proper brain development and I think that unheated nut milks and avocado provide the best kind of fat that is easily digested.
The baby’s concern is taste. In transitioning, it is a good idea to mix the breast or formula with alternative, flavored milk, gradually decreasing the formula or breast milk. Breast milk and formula are sweet; therefore using some of my recipes will help in this transition.   I hope my assessment of the different milk options will help mothers and grandmothers.
Cow’s Milk
Most pediatricians are advising mothers to transition an infant at one year to whole cow’s milk for the fat content. The calcium, protein and fat in cow’s milk are not digested easily and it is also high in cholesterol. Very young children have been found to have arteriosclerosis and beginning heart disease. Our body produces all the cholesterol we need. Cow’s milk is designed to feed baby cows. The mother cow weans even the baby cow. The nutrients are heated through pasteurization and heated fats and proteins are not the best for a baby’s growing brain and body. The protein is denatured when pasteurized and cannot be used for building, only for calories. Cow’s milk is high in protein and excessive protein in one’s diet causes depletion of calcium from the bones.
In addition, many are intolerant to lactose (milk sugar), which can cause digestive problems such as constipation (also caused by not get enough liquid and /or fiber), bloating, gas and allergies. Milk protein (casein) can trigger croup, asthma, sinus and upper respiratory infections, and a chronic runny nose. For many it causes the body to over produce mucous as a protection from these milk proteins, which are treated by the body as a foreign object. Many sinus and asthma problems have been eliminated when cow’s milk is withdrawn from the diet. I had severe sinus problems for years, which resolved along with constipation, gas and bloating when I eliminated dairy from my diet. Cheese is more of a problem as it is concentrated; for example one gallon of milk makes one pound of cottage cheese.  Organic cow’s milk is a better choice but is only devoid of antibiotics, tranquilizers and growth hormones and still has all of the other issues of cow’s milk. Read Colin Campbell’s book ”The China Study” for more information about dairy and animal protein. Cow’s milk is supplemented with Vitamin D, which can be obtained by 20-30 minutes in the sun on a walk, most days.
Milk Alternatives
Babies love the sweet taste of breast milk and formula. The best choice would be to transition them off breast or bottle to alternative nut milks with dates to sweeten and possibly some carob, which is high in calcium.  Finnley will now take sips of my green juice and loves my nut milk.
Nut Milk
I tried making a hemp nut milk (for the balance of Omega 3,6 and 9’s) for Finnley but she did not like it (it has a strong nutty flavor). I have found a nut milk that she likes. It is a mixture of Brazil nut and almond, both of which have worked well with other babies in transition.
I think unheated, raw nut milks are the best alternatives for growing babies. Pasteurization degrades the nutrients. The shelf stable nut milk alternatives would be an inferior nutrition source because they are heated to a very high heat, thus changing all of the nutrients to a less nutritious form.  Almonds are rich in magnesium, potassium, manganese, copper, calcium and the antioxidants vitamin E and selenium. Brazil nuts are also a rich source of selenium. The fat and protein in these unheated nut milks remain intact and unchanged. A mixture of Brazil nut (for the selenium), almond (for the calcium), and hemp seed (for the balance of omega3, 6, and 9) would be ideal.
Using a Vitamix is important to process the nut milk into small particles for getting the best yield of milk and nutrients. Soaking the nuts or seeds for 12-24 hours rinsing a couple of times daily removes the enzyme inhibitors that are naturally on nuts or seeds. Soaking in the refrigerator will prevent fermentation. After soaking, we freeze the nuts so that we can make nut milk easily, anytime we want. The soak water should be discarded as it contains the enzyme inhibitors, reducing the digestibility of the nuts and seeds (your plants will love the soak water). Shorter soaking times (less than 8 hours) decrease the nutrient content leaving a higher amount of pulp. I have seen some recipes for using nut butters as a shortcut for nut milks, but I am not sure the nuts are soaked, usually the nuts are subjected to high heat in the processing, and the cost is much greater.
Blending on high until there are no nut particles on the tamper will ensure the nuts have been blended completely. Be careful not to blend until the milk is heated, which degrades the nutrition. There will be a lot of foam with blending. Filling the container to the top will send the mixture flying out, ok if you want a milk bath! More filtered water can be added after blending and straining for the desired consistency. Place in a covered glass container and refrigerate or freeze. Both the milk and pulp freeze well. Stir well before serving. The Soy/Nut Milk Maker I think is an unnecessary kitchen tool if you have a Vitamix, because you cannot make as much milk and we are not heating the milk, which this tool is designed to do.
Straining these nut milks through a fine mesh is very important because babies and children are very sensitive to texture. The pulp can be used in other recipes such as Nana’s Teething Biscuits (which can also be used for bread).  I have tried several methods for straining the nut milk pulp, using muslin cloth, linen, paint strainer bags (holes are too large), and panty hose, preferably not used, (the dye and ease of use was unacceptable). I have used several nut bags and I have found the best! Also if feeding these milks through a bottle, strain again after adding dates and vanilla bean (fine particles can stop up the nipple, if this happens, simply squeeze the nipple to remove the particle.). See our nut bags, The best thing I have found for straining nut milks! click to order.

Making nut milk

Soymilk is not a good alternative to cow’s milk as it can unbalance hormones and stimulates the thyroid gland creating a hyperactive thyroid leading to hypothyroidism. Soy also has phytates, which can prevent the absorption of minerals. For Further reading: “The Whole Soy Story: The dark Side of America’s Favorite Health Food” by Kaayla Daniel.
Rice Milk is largely a source of carbohydrates and should not be used as a nutritional replacement for milk, as it is very low in protein and fat, both of which are necessary for the nutrition of babies and children.

Nana’s Nut Milk

Created by Jackie Graff

Sprout Raw Food

•    3 cups almonds or 2 cups Brazil nuts, or 2 cups hemp seeds after soaking for 24 hours and draining (other soaked nuts may be used and amounts may vary)
•    These nuts double in size with soaking
•    Another choice would be a mixture of 1 ½ cups of soaked almonds and 1 cup soaked Brazil nuts (Finnley likes this best)
•    5-6 cups filtered water
•    Blend to a very fine consistency
1.    Strain milk to remove skins and pulp, this can be done through a nut bag.
2.    Return strained milk to blender and add any of the flavors below, blending well.
3.    Strain again after adding flavors, or blend flavors with nuts and strain once.
4.    Add filtered water to make 8 cups or any concentration that is pleasing to your taste.
•    May be kept in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Brazil nut milk has a longer shelf life and both freeze well.
•    For your Vitamix and the best Nut Bag Ever!

6 cups almond/Brazil nut milk
½ teaspoon sea salt (optional)
5-6 medjool dates soaked in filtered water
½ vanilla bean
Carob Milk (a healthy substitute for chocolate, which has caffeine and Theo bromine and other unhealthy substances, not good nutrition for children. Carob is high in calcium.)
6 cups almond/Brazil nut milk
½ teaspoon sea salt (optional)
1/3 vanilla bean
6-7 medjool dates soaked in filtered water
¼ cup carob
Banana Pudding Milk
6 cups almond/Brazil nut milk
½ teaspoon sea salt (optional)
1/3 vanilla bean
4-5 medjool dates soaked in filtered water
2 very ripe bananas
Cinnamon Milk
6 cups of almond/
Brazil nut milk
½ teaspoon sea salt (optional)
8 dates
2 inches vanilla bean
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Strawberry Milk
3 cups almond/Brazil nut milk
½ teaspoon sea salt (optional)
1/3 vanilla bean
6 medjool dates soaked in filtered water
3 cups fresh organic hulled strawberries
Blueberry Pie Milk
3 cups almond/Brazil nut milk
½ teaspoon sea salt (optional)
1/3 vanilla bean
4 medjool dates soaked in filtered water
1 cup fresh organic blueberries
Peach Parfait Milk
3 cups almond/Brazil nut milk
½ teaspoon sea salt (optional)
1/3 vanilla bean
4 medjool dates soaked in filtered water
2 cups fresh organic peaches
Orange Dream
2 cups almond/Brazil nut milk
1/3 vanilla bean
3 medjool dates soaked in filtered water
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
•    All of these can be frozen as popsicles.
•    The dates used to sweeten these drinks can be reduced, as the child is accustomed to the alternative.
•    Ground golden flax will give the nut milks a thick and creamy texture. Flax seeds are high in Omega 3 fatty acid, which is a nutrient missing from processed food and much, needed for a child’s developing brain. Use 2 teaspoons for 5 cups of nut milk. The addition of ground flax is not recommended if still using a bottle. A small amount of flax oil can be used for the omega 3.
•    Turmeric can boost the antioxidants and give a richer creamy color without adding any flavor.
•    Sea Salt is optional and is added in transitioning from cow’s milk, which is high in sodium. The sea salt should be transitioned out when the child is accepting the nut milk.
•    Vanilla bean increases the nutrient potential of the nut milk and makes it tasty.Right now we have a special price on vanilla beans, click here to check it out.
•    If feeding these milks through a bottle, strain through the nut bag again after adding dates and vanilla bean (fine particles can stop up the nipple).
Let me know if you have any other suggestions for feeding babies.
Peace and love,
Jackie Graff

Jackie’s Vegetable and Fruit of the Month Club- May

Each month I will feature a vegetable and fruit of the month that is in season, highlighting the nutritional values, selecting the best specimens, preparation techniques, storage, and provide some delicious recipes and ideas for serving. Fruits and vegetables are the best when they are in season. I find it exciting to look forward to the coming season of my favorites.

This month I will provide these recipes free again! The cost for the year is only $10.00, which will include over 50 great recipes with pictures and special surprises during holidays, so join my Vegetable and Fruit of the Month Club for delicious ways to serve in season fruit and vegetables. Click Here to Sign Up

Kale and Collards
The vegetables for May are Kale and Collards, which have the highest nutrient density of all fruits and vegetables, and other foods, according to Dr. Joel Furman. This gives them the distinction of being a superfood. It is very important to get these greens in the diet consistently, increasing the alkalinity of the body. The other reason for choosing them is that the nights are still cool and cool weather changes starches in the leaves to sugars, and also changes the structure of protein flavor compounds to make them tastier. They are available year round, but are in season mid winter to early spring.

Kale has one of the highest levels of antioxidants with a very high ORAC score and one of the highest levels of total carotenes. Is very high in Luten, Carotenes, and Vitamin K, and also high in Protein, Thiamin, Calcium, Manganese, and Folate.   Collards are a good source of Protein, Thiamin, Calcium and Manganese, Folate, and vitamins A, C, E, and B6.  Botanists say, that the collard plant has remained almost the same for 2000 years and is actually a type of kale. Historians think that its origin was growing wild around the Mediterranean. Collards and kale are loose-leaf non-heading wild cabbages that are the predecessors of head cabbage, which grow profusely in the south and are a staple in southern or soul food cuisine where they are usually cooked for a long time with pork, degrading the nutrient integrity of these plants. Collards are good for the soul if they are not “cooked to death” (a saying that has been around for a long time, I just never gave it much thought, until we started eating food that is not dead).

Collards are more heat tolerant than kale, which tolerates the cold better. The fact that they were originally wild makes them a highly desirable food.  Collards are milder in flavor than kale, which also has a slightly salty taste. They are both members of the cruciferous family, which researchers believe help to prevent cancer. The cruciferous family also includes cabbage, bok Choy (the third highest in nutrient density), broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, mustard greens, turnip greens, arugula, watercress, kohlrabi, horseradish, and rutabaga. They are called cruciferous because the flowers of these plants are in the shape of a cross or crucifix which makes them even more appropriate in the early spring.

Purchasing and Storing
Collards and kale are usually sold in bunches of eight. It is important to buy organic because they are prone to aphids and worms, which eat holes in the leaves. Non-organic are sprayed heavily with pesticides to prevent this infestation. I won’t eat a collard if the worm won’t eat it!

We are lucky that they are available year round in the market. These greens are best when deep green and plump and I prefer the smaller, tender leaves for salads and wraps and juice the larger leaves. Leaves that have turned yellow and shriveled should be discarded or the yellow cut away. They can be stored for one week if kept at 32 degrees and need to be washed thoroughly prior to preparation to remove any sand, although I find that now they are usually free of sand.

Preparation
Preparing these greens without cooking retains all of the nutrition. Collards are prepared for marinated salads by cutting the stem away (chopping it separately). Eight leaves are stacked and rolled together into a log, placed in the feed tube of a food processor, and sliced with a 1/8-inch slicing blade then cut again after removing from the processor. The leaves look like very thin grass clippings at this point! Chopping small or slicing thin makes these heavy greens easier to chew, marinate and flavor.

Kale leaves are easily stripped from the stems by hand and then chopped very small for marinated salads. Often kale is flavored and dehydrated for a kale chip.  I compost kale stems, not used in juice, as they are bitter. Limit the number of kale stems in your green juice, as it will make it bitter. Collards with the stems removed make the best wraps and letting them sit out of refrigeration, they will be less crisp and easier to roll.

Marinated Collard Greens
Created by Jackie Graff
Sprout Raw Food

Serves 8

3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped fine
3 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped fine
1 medium onion, chopped fine
3 cups tomatoes, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
¾ cup olive oil
2 limes or lemons, juiced
1-2 teaspoons sea salt
2 bunches collard greens finely shredded

1.    Place garlic in a food processor and chop fine.
2.    Add oregano and thyme chopping fine.
3.    Chop tomatoes, onion, and red pepper fine, each separately and place in a bowl.
4.    Blend olive oil, lemon or limejuice and salt.
5.    Pour dressing over chopped greens and massage well into greens.

Sprout Secret: Marinate for 1 hour and serve or eat immediately if you are real hungry. This keeps well for a week.

Marinated Collard Greens

Kale Salad
Created by Jackie Graff
Sprout Raw Food

Dressing
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon curry powder
6 dates soaked in filtered water for 2 hours
¾ cup olive oil or flax oil
1 clove garlic

Salad
4 cups kale chopped very fine
½ onion chopped very fine
1 cup fresh cilantro chopped very fine
1 cup raisins soaked for 2 hours and drained

1.    Place salt, lemon juice, curry, garlic, dates, and oil in the blender and blend until smooth.
2.    Pour dressing over kale, onion, cilantro, and raisins massaging well.

Shelf life: Best-eaten fresh but keeps well refrigerated for one week.

Kale Salad

Juicing vegetables is the best way to get large amounts of vegetables in a form that is easily digestible and quickly absorbed by the cells. Getting green juice, Barley Max, and blue green algae along with a raw food diet keeps our system alkaline. Having a large variety of vegetables in your juice is important because each one has different nutrients. We do not juice fruit; we eat it whole with the fiber. More carrot juice will add sweetness for beginners. Some have the misconception that carrot juice has sugar- the sweetness comes from complex carbohydrates. Drinking juiced fruit puts too much fructose into the system at one time, which can cause sugar problems for some.

When we know that we will have a period of time when we cannot juice, we freeze our juice. You do loose some of the nutrition, but my philosophy is that frozen juice is better than no juice. When we are traveling we stop at parking lots, rest areas, state parks, etc. and pull out a table and juicer and make juice. We get some funny looks and comments, one lady wanted to know if we were selling lemonade!

We drink 16 ounces of vegetable juice daily, which contains kale, collards, bok Choy, parsley, spinach, romaine lettuce, sprouts, celery, cucumber, and carrot. Thank goodness for Gideon, my veggie-juice-man who also delivers this organic, Norwalk pressed juice
(retaining more nutrients and with a longer shelf life, 3-4 days) to clients in the Atlanta area (click here to order).

Veggie-juice-man

Green Juice
Created by Gideon Graff
Sprout Raw Food

6 medium carrots
½ bunch kale
½ bunch collards
½ bunch parsley
1 cucumber
8 small stalks celery
2 cups spinach
4 stalks bok Choy
1 cup sunflower sprouts

In addition other greens such as Swiss chard, mustard greens (spicy- with a flavor of horseradish), dandelion greens can be juiced (these can be bitter). Some roots are good to juice too, such as radishes, burdock root, and ginger. Add more or less carrots, depends on how sweet you like your juice. Beets are good to juice but mixed with the greens, turn the color brown. Apples can replace the carrots. Lemon juice may be added to taste. Place in a glass container and refrigerate.

Green Juice

Organic Strawberries

Organic Strawberries are in the market now. The Romans prized wild strawberries for their medicinal properties and ounce for ounce; strawberries have more Vitamin C than citrus fruit and also have the highest Nutrient Density of all fruit according to Dr. Joel Furman. According to the American Cancer Society, foods rich in Vitamin C may lower the risk of cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. Strawberries, a superfood, are vital for super skin! The vitamin C, helps keep skin firm and smooth. Strawberries also contain Vitamin A, which is vital to healthy hair and skin. Strawberries are very low in Fat, cholesterol and sodium and are also a good source of folate, potassium, dietary fiber, and manganese.

Strawberries contain natural salicylates, an ingredient that is found in aspirin, which thins the blood, thus preventing heart attacks and strokes.  They are also very high in ellagic acid, which is an antioxidant that acts as a scavenger to help make potential cancer-causing chemicals inactive.  Ellagic Acid reduces the genetic damage caused by carcinogens like tobacco smoke and air pollution. These berries also contain other antioxidants that help lower cholesterol and ward off cardiovascular disease.

It is important to eat only organic strawberries, because non-organic are heavily sprayed with toxic pesticides. Because the fruit is soft, the berries absorb these toxins and they cannot be washed off easily.

I look for bright red berries with fresh green caps on. When you remove the caps you tear cells in the berries, activating ascorbic acid oxidase, an enzyme that destroys Vitamin C, so leave them intact until ready to eat.
Check your berries, making sure there are no signs of mold growth. If one berry is molded, mold spores will have traveled throughout the entire package. Research has linked mold to some forms of cancer, thus avoid moldy berries.
When purchasing strawberries by the pound, one-and-a-half pounds equal one quart. This will yield about four cups of sliced strawberries.
Use strawberries as soon after harvesting or purchasing as possible. Refrigerator storage does not improve the quality of fresh strawberries, but does prolong the shelf life. Berries should not be left at room temperature for more than a few hours. Warm temperatures cause a browning effect in strawberries. The pigments that make strawberries red, anthocyanin, are heat sensitive. They break apart and turn brown when exposed to heat. Strawberries also lose heat-sensitive Vitamin C during browning, heating and cooking, as do other fresh foods.
Store unwashed berries loosely covered with plastic wrap in the coldest part of your refrigerator for two to three days at most. Do not wash berries until ready to use. To wash, place berries in a colander and rinse under cold filtered water. Do not allow berries to set in water, as they will lose color and flavor. After washing, remove the green cap with a plastic-tipped vegetable peeler or paring knife without removing any of the fruit.
Strawberries have long been considered an aphrodisiac, so April and May should be interesting if you are eating a lot of asparagus and strawberries. We served this Strawberry Shortcake at a David Wolf event and a girl told us later that it convinced her to adopt a raw food diet. For some, knowing that the raw food diet is more than fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and can be delicious replacements for the foods they use to eat. This delicious dessert should be reserved for special times, as with all raw desserts, and not consumed everyday. I like it best without the cake, and call it Strawberry Parfait.

Strawberry Shortcake with
Coconut Cream
Created by Jackie Graff
Sprout Raw Food

Serves 12

Cake
1 cup pecans soaked for 12 hours, drained, and dehydrated for 12 hours
1 cup walnuts soaked for 12 hours, drained, and dehydrated for 12 hours
1 cup almonds soaked for 12 hours, drained, and dehydrated for 12 hours
¼ cup of raw honey
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 dates with seeds removed
½ vanilla bean, ground to powder
½ cup flax seeds, ground

1.    Place almonds in food processor and process until the mixture is ground fine.
2.    Add pecans, walnuts, dates, salt and vanilla powder to the almonds and process until finely chopped.
3.    Add flax seeds and process well.
4.    Press crust on a dehydrator teflex sheet forming a square or onto a cookie sheet.
5.    Let this crust sit for 2 hours, do not dehydrate.
6.    Cut into squares.

Strawberry Topping
2 cups of strawberries for blending
2 cups whole strawberries chopped
8 dates
1 teaspoon psyllium husk powder

1.    Place 2 cups of strawberries in blender with dates and psyllium and blend until smooth.
2.    Mix the chopped strawberries with the blended strawberries and place on top of the cakes.
3. Top with Coconut Cream (see recipe)

Coconut Whipped Cream
Created by Jackie Graff
Sprout Raw Food

Yield 4 cups

½ cup raw agave nectar
½ teaspoon sea salt
½   vanilla bean
meat of 3 young coconuts
1 cup coconut water

Place salt, agave nectar, vanilla bean, meat from coconuts and coconut milk in Vitamix blender and blend well.

•    For easy opening of young coconuts get our “Nuts about Coconuts” DVD including many other great recipes for coconut. If you cannot find young coconuts, we can ship frozen young coconut meat and frozen young coconut water, go to www.sproutrawfood.org for items that we can ship.

Strawberry Shortcake

Join my Vegetable and Fruit of the Month Club and get more great recipes each month for seasonal fruit and vegetables

Vegetable and Fruit of the Month Club

Peace and love,

Jackie Graff

April – Traveling to North and South Carolina
First, before I tell you about our travels, let me explain a misconception about my last blog entry, “Flipping the R.V”. Apparently many thought that we had actually flipped it over on the road (as in wrecking it), which was not the case. I was referring to the renovation of a mistreated and neglected R.V. Many have asked if we still have a house. We have had our home in Roswell for 36 years and I want to continue to have a place our grandchildren can visit, for holidays and play in the yard and swim in the lake as our children did, besides I have too much “stuff “ which I am trying to down-size.
April 15 we went back to Hallelujah Acres to have a great Raw Food Revival Class, staying over for the annual Health Minister Reunion. This was fabulous, with many knowledgeable and entertaining speakers including Barbara Ellicott, a motivational speaker who at 68 runs marathons after many physical challenges. Tom Rutlin the founder of Exerstrider poles, which we think are great for fitness since we started using them 4 years ago (click here to purchase). Ed Foreman an inspirational and humorous speaker who told us how to have “a great day every day”. Dr. Matthew Young, DDS, believing the body can heal itself without prescription drugs, spoke about the dangers of some dental procedures, mercury, and fluoride to the body. Dr. Michael Donaldson, Ph.D., Director of research at Hallelujah Acres spoke about imbalances of the body and how the Hallelujah Diet can correct them (hacres.com). Olin Idol, N.D., C.N.C., one of Hallelujah Acres greatest resources for nutrition questions, spoke about the importance and affects of Vitamin D deficiency, playing a role in heart disease, cancer, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, osteoporosis. Dr. Stephan Esser, the grandson of William Esser, one of the founders of the American Natural Hygiene Society spoke about health care in America and how we can make a difference. Of course as usual both Rhonda and George Mulkmus inspired us all.

Saturday, April 18 we went to Lexington, S.C. to speak about the fundamentals of eating a raw food diet, and perform some kitchen magic with a delicious Country Barbecue Meal, loved by all. We had our class at the fabulous 14 Carrot Health Food Store, a well organized store which was very clean with a lot of organic, fresh produce. I encourage everyone in the surrounding area to visit this great store. We give thanks to Kathy Henderson, a Health Minister, and store employee for hosting a great class for us.

The next day we had a beautiful drive through the N.C. mountains to Ashville, an enchanting city which is a Mecca of alternative healing. We taught an Oriental Feast at the home of Toni Toney, an author and poet. She has just finished her book “Get Clean Go Green EcoDiet.” Her webpage is getcleangogreenecodiet.com, which sounds very interesting. Everyone loved the class and food and we already have a date to go back July 19. Chef Nadina, organizer of the Ashville Meetup Group and Raw Food Chef, coordinated our class. After finishing the class we packed up in the pouring rain and thanks to Gwendolyn… who transported us to our bus down the street. We are not always able to park close to a class, due to our 37-foot home. We spent the night at a rest stop and the following day we had a beautiful drive through the mountains of western North Carolina and North Georgia to our home in Roswell, back to our family and get to ready for our next trip.

Oriental Collard Spring Rolls

Peace and love,

Jackie Graff

Where do we go next after “Flipping” the RV?

Having received a great response to our blog, we would like to thank all of our readers. Please send the URL to your friends and relatives helping us spread news about the health benefits of eating raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

After receiving several requests for the location of our next travels we are providing the following itinerary. April 15 we return to Hallelujah Acres, for a “Raw Food Revival” Class and stay over for the Health Minister Reunion (hacres.com). There will be great speakers at this event and we’ll give a report later. On Saturday, April 18th, we will be presenting in Columbia, SC, and serving a delicious “Country Barbecue” meal, raw of course, and the next day, we will head to Ashville for a presentation and meal of  “Oriental Delights”.

We will be in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, April 24th for a “Country Barbecue” meal and presentation on our way to Ohio and Pittsburgh. On April 27th we will be in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio for a presentation and “Tex Mex” meal.  May 1st we will be in Pittsburgh for a presentation and meal and on May 2nd we will have a 2-day “ Raw Food Awakening” seminar there also. Other events are in the works in Pittsburg, and we will keep you posted.

Home is on the agenda for my daughter’s graduation and Mother’s Day and then to Augusta, GA, May 15th for a presentation and an Oriental meal. The next week we will be at Anidawehi Plantation Wellness Center in Dahlonega, Georgia for a Detox and Juice Fasting Program. We will be in Austin, Texas May 31st for an “Italian” half-day class. We are working on some other classes in Baton Rouge, LA, Houston, and Dallas and as they are confirmed we will let you know. Details for these finalized events are on this page .

We are working on the details of a June tour to New York, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Binghamton and on to Toronto. Our plans are not firm yet so if you know of anyone in this area who would like to host us, let us know.

July 18 we will be returning to Hallelujah Acres for a “Raw Food Revival” Class.
We’re on to Nashville for a presentation and raw food meal and Raw Food Revival class in late July.

August – September we will be at the Raw Spirit Festival in Maryland, and will have more classes in DC, Baltimore, Bethesda, W. Virginia, Richmond, Virginia Beach, Brandywine, and Poolesville. These are not finalized yet, and will let you know later.

In October we plan to tour New York City, New Jersey, Massachusetts, the details are not firm yet. November 21st Shelby we will be returning to Hallelujah Acres for a “Raw Food Revival” Class, and possibly for December we will return to Florida.

Now you know where we will be going until next year. If you have any friends and relatives living in or near these areas, please pass the information along. We have had many people take our classes who have never eaten raw food, (usually they hesitantly were drug along by a spouse), and quickly became converts when they realized how good the food could taste. Having foods that taste good is something we all want, and if the raw food does not taste good, it is difficult to continue eating this way.

We have completed most of the work on our RV and because we have had much interest in what we did to “flip our RV”, we will show you some before and after pictures. This “flip” was nothing that some heavy duty cleaning, painting, fixing, and recovering wouldn’t take care of. All the remnants of animals, dirt, and smoke are gone now and isn’t it amazing what a little investment and a lot of elbow grease will do!

Peace and love,

Jackie Graff