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!!

We are excited to announce a very special offer only available during the month of April. Here’s a limited-time offer to change your retail account to that of Preferred Customer with NO AUTOSHIP REQUIRED!

What does this mean for you? We’ve made it even easier for you to save money!

You can order products at wholesale prices (that’s a 20% discount!) without having to commit to an AutoShip order. As a Preferred Customer, you will also be eligible for special product promotions that are not available to Retail Customers.

This fantastic special is for April only, so we urge you to take advantage of the offer before it’s too late!

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.

This special is designed for all Retail Customers who want to order products at a discount but who are not interested an AutoShip or the Simplexity Health business opportunity at this time. You’ll be impressed with the amount you save on product purchases!

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Call our toll free Operator line at 800.800.1300 or your upline sponsor (Jackie and Gideon Graff  http://simplexityhealth.com/rawfoodrevival and join thousands of satisfied Preferred Customers who enjoy better health thanks to their consistent use of Simplexity Health products. This special offer is not available through our online store; so make sure you call our toll-free Order department to get the best savings on your favorite products!

We look forward to hearing from you by April 30!

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 IV

Finnley spends a day or two with us most weeks when we are in town.  She is two years old now and is able to tell us just about anything she wants.   She is a happy, smart child, talking or singing all the time and has a higher vocabulary than other children older than her in day care. She sings several nursery rhymes and songs, ABC’s, and counts. She runs, jumps, plays ball and dances to some of her favorite music. What a joy she is and I am sure her baby sister will be just as special when she comes in July.

I have many requests for more ideas about feeding children. I have to make it clear that Finnley does not eat completely raw but she eats a lot of raw foods and her mother has been open to trying different things. I approach feeding Finnley as a grandmother who eats a raw food diet feeding a granddaughter whose parents eat a healthy but cooked diet. I think it is best not to have issues over food choices and be an example for new healthy foods that she will eat. As a grandparent be an inspiration and don’t be judgmental!

So what is she eating at Nana’s now… she loves most fruits, especially watermelon, pears, grapes and apples – preferably organic Golden Delicious, Granny Smith are too tart. She loves bananas and prefers organic. Blueberries are still a favorite fruit but sometimes she will not eat them. Peas, corn and carrots are about the only vegetables she will eat. Peas are loaded with nutrition, so for now we are blessed that she is a good eater. She will not drink juice,  prefering water. I am working on giving her a smoothie so that I can add greens. She loves my applesauce from the last Feeding Finnley, but she has eaten so much of it, last week she said “no more applesauce Nana”, so we will give it a break for a while.  She likes brown rice that I mix with my Sunflower Humus, making the rice stick together, which can be quite messy to eat. She also likes this humus on whole-wheat pita. The next time she comes I will see how she likes my Sweet Pea Humus. She eats small amounts of the Vege- Burger and likes to snack on Protein Nuggets and soaked raisins. She will also snack on some of my Kale Chips. She sleeps 12 hours at night and takes a nap every afternoon. Sleep is very important for children and should be considered as important as any nutrient.

Some say the “terrible twos” are a difficult time. This can happen when the parents are “terrible” by not setting limits and teaching them to respect others and their things. We have never moved anything in our house when she comes over. She knows what she can play with and when she tests these limits, I simply say, “Finnley, thank you, that’s Nana’s”. I save “no” for the important things. I also support whatever my daughter is trying to do for discipline. The first time I asked her if she wanted to go in “time out”, she looked at me as if to say, “so mommy told her about “time out”.  Having limits will help her throughout life. Finnley is so much fun now because we feed her with more than just food.  Here are some recipes that she likes today, because tomorrow she may not, which is very typical of children this age.

Sunflower Red Pepper Humus

Created by Jackie Graff

Sprout Raw Food

Serves 8

3 cups sunflower seeds soaked 8 hours and drained

6 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons cumin powder

¼ cup olive oil

¾ cup lemon juice

1 cup raw tahini

1 red pepper

Parsley or cilantro and Zartar as garnish

For Avocado Humus add 2 avocados to 1 cup of the mix and blend.

1. Place sunflower seeds, garlic, salt, cumin, olive oil, lemon juice, pepper in a 2HP blender or food processor and blend until smooth (the food processor will not get it as smooth).
2. Add tahini and blend well.

Serving Ideas: Place on a plate, swirl humus and drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the humus and garnish with some chopped red pepper, parsley and zartar (a middle eastern spice with thyme and other herbs) and serve with vegetables, chips or pita.

Shelf life: 10 days

Protein Nuggets

Created by Jackie Graff

Sprout Raw Food

2 cups walnuts, soaked 4-6 hours and drained

2 cups sunflower seeds, soaked 4-6 hours and drained

2 teaspoon sea salt

2 cloves garlic, chopped fine

2 tablespoons fresh oregano

1 tablespoon cumin

½ cup fresh basil

1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked 2 hours, drained, and processed into paste

1 onion, chopped very fine

1 red bell pepper, chopped fine

1. Place garlic in food processor and finely chop.
2. Add salt, cumin, oregano, basil, onion and pepper to food processor or high-speed blender and process well.
3. Add walnuts and sunflower seeds to food processor and process well.
4. Add sun-dried tomato paste and process well.
5. Squeeze ½ teaspoon pieces from a pastry bag onto a Teflex sheet and place in dehydrator for 12 hours until the pieces are completely dry.
6. Store in sealed container in refrigerator- will keep for a month, or more.

Sprout Suggestion for use: snacking, on salads, topping sandwiches, pets and kids like them.

Kale Chips

Created by Jackie Graff

Sprout Raw Food

Serves 8

Cheese

2 cups macadamia nuts, soaked for 8 hours and drained

2 cups water

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon turmeric

2 sun-dried tomatoes

¼ cup juiced lemon

1 cup pine nuts, soaked for 8 hours and drained

2 bunches of kale torn into pieces

1. Place macadamia nuts, filtered water, salt, turmeric, sun-dried tomatoes and lemon juice in blender. Blend until smooth.

2. Add pine nuts and blend until smooth.

3. Stir in jalapeno peppers. Massage kale with the cheese and place on teflex dehydrator sheets and dehydrate for 12 hours. Sin a sealed container.

The story about Pine Nuts

Pine nuts became very expensive a few months ago and not widely available. We have substituted Macadamia nuts for pine nuts in all of my recipes while they are so scarce and expensive. It was not widely publicized that most of the pine nuts had been recalled because of bacterial contamination. The information was in an article in the Atlanta Journal about the infamous peanut factory in Georgia involved in the contaminated peanut butter. I had not seen this information prior. I guess it’s a good thing we do not eat peanut butter.

Peace and love,

Jackie Graff

Jackie’s Vegetable and Fruit of the Month Club-

March and April

Sweet Peas

Peas are in season now and should be available in your garden or in your local farmer’s market. Eating local and organic is best. We also like to sprout dried whole peas (not split peas), which convert some of the starch into protein. Soak the dried organic peas in filtered water for eight hours, drain them and sprout 2-3 days rinsing daily and refrigerate. They are a great addition to any salad. Fresh sweet peas are the best!

Peas are part of the legume family originating from the Middle East to Asia. Most peas are a cool-weather crop, therefore some historians believe their country of origin may have been northern India, Burma, or Northern Thailand, where peas were discovered in a cave and carbon dated at 9750 BC.

Some say the word pea possibly came from the Sanskrit, and others that the Latin Pisum was the true origin of the word. The Old English word pise eventually evolved into pease as in the nursery rhyme “Pease porridge hot, Pease porage cold, Pease porridge in the pot nine days old. ” this refers to a thick mixture of peas and other vegetables that were cooked all day, then eaten cold the next morning then more were added to the pot and the continued to be cooked for many days. This is what I call “cooked to death”.

Peas were one of the earliest cultivated food crops. Cultivation brought stability to nomadic tribes, which made it possible for peas to be brought by travelers and explorers into the countries of the Mediterranean as well as to the Far East.

Some historians believe the Chinese were the first to consider peas a vegetable and consume the entire pea pod and its seeds, leading to the snow pea being developed in China.

During the Middle Ages, dried peas became a staple food of the European peasants. In their dried form peas had the capability of long storage throughout the winter months. They were inexpensive and plentiful and made a filling wholesome meal the poor could afford.

Charles the Great, Emperor of France, was fond of finding new vegetables and fruits from other lands and cultivating them. When peas reached France about 800, he had them planted in his lands. By the 13th century peas were a common food in France. At the end of the 14th century, the Italians had cultivated tiny peas they named piselli novelli which were eaten fresh rather than dried. The French became known for their exceptional tiny peas called petit pois. Some areas of France became well known for their extraordinary little peas.

The familiar garden pea was readily accepted and quickly became popular in Europe during the 16th century. Peas became a familiar Lenten dish not only in France, but in England, too.

Thomas Jefferson, an avid gardener, thought so highly of peas that he planted 30 varieties of them. Peas, apparently, were his favorite vegetable.

Raw fresh peas: One cup of fresh peas contains 124 calories, 4 grams of protein, 22 grams of carbohydrates, and 8 grams of fiber. and 0.4 grams of fat.

The vitamin A count in ½ cup is 534 I.U. Folic acid content is 46.9 mcg; calcium 19.2 mg; iron is 1.3 mg; zinc 0.8 mg; potassium is 134 mg; and magnesium is 23.2 mg.

Frozen: Picked and frozen immediately, although briefly blanched they contain a similar nutrition profile.

The freshest, sweetest peas are those picked right from the garden or at the farmers market in the spring and early summer. When selecting fresh peas, look for pods that are bright green, shiny, plump, and moist. When the pods have a dull look, they are old, have lost moisture, and have very likely lost their flavor as well as many of their nutrients.

Eat fresh peas as quickly as possible. The sugar content of shelling peas begins to turn to starch within hours after harvesting. If stored for too many days, they lose their sweetness, leaving them with a bland, starchy flavor.

The supermarket may have shelling peas, or peas in the pod, in the spring, but by the time the peas reach the market they may be several days old and have lost a great deal of sweetness.

Sugar snap peas, on the other hand, cling to their sugar stores and almost always retain their exceptional sweetness unless they are old and dried up. Look for these in the spring at farmers’ markets, farm stands, and even in the supermarkets.

Snow peas have become so popular they can be found year round in supermarket chains as well as Asian markets. Select those that are crisp and bright green. Avoid snow peas that are wilted, limp, shriveled, and yellowish in color. These are no longer fresh and will have lost their flavor and much of their nutritional value.

Organic frozen peas are closest to fresh peas in appearance, flavor, and nutrients. Avoid defrosting and re-freezing.

Store sugar peas and snow peas in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Most will keep up to one week, but are best when consumed within 3 days.

Preparation Fresh shelling peas, sugar snap peas, and snow peas can all be eaten raw. Shelling peas do not have edible pods, while sugar snaps and snow peas can be eaten pods and all.

Break open the pods of the shelling peas, also called peas in a pod, run the thumb along the edge where the peas are attached to the pod to loosen them, and collect the peas in a bowl or cooking pot.

Sugar snap peas and snow peas require trimming to eliminate the stringy edge that holds the two halves of the pod together. While cutting off the tips of the pods with a paring knife, pull along the length of the pod to remove the stringy portion, then discard. The only preparation these peas require is washing. Both varieties are ideal in salads and raw soups.

Sweet Pea Humus

Created by Jackie Graff

Sprout Raw Food

Serves 4

3 cups sweet peas (use frozen thawed, left raw, if fresh not available)

6 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 tablespoons cumin powder

¼ cup olive oil

½  cup lemon juice

1 large avocado

Place peas, garlic, salt, cumin, olive oil, lemon juice, and avocado in a 2HP blender or food processor and blend until smooth (the food processor will not get it as smooth).

Serving Ideas: Place on a plate, swirl humus and drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the humus and garnish with some of the peas and mint and serve with vegetables, chips or pita. This humus has less fat than traditional humus and most of it comes from avocado.

Shelf life: 10 days if it lasts that long.

Snappy Unfried Peas

Created by Jackie Graff

Sprout Raw Food

Serves 8

4 cups sugar snap peas or snow peas chopped by hand on the diagonal

3 cloves garlic

¼ cup lemon juice

3 drops lemon oil

¼ cup extra virgin olive or flax oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 cups sliced mushrooms marinated in 2 tablespoon sea salt, ¼ cups lemon juice for 30 minutes and drained

2 cups mung bean sprouts (marinated in 2 tablespoons sea salt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 2 cups filtered water for 30 minutes,  then drained)

1. Place garlic in processor and chop well.
2. Add lemon juice, oils, sea salt, basil, and lemon zest, processing well.
3. Pour dressing over sugar snap peas, drained mushrooms, and mung bean sprouts mixing well and serve immediately.

Sweet Pea Salad

Created by Jackie Graff

Sprout Raw Food

Serves 8

4 cups fresh sweet peas (use frozen thawed, left raw, if fresh not available)

½ cup chopped fresh thyme

1 Vidalia or sweet onion

4 stalks celery chopped small

1 red pepper chopped small

Dressing

2 cups macadamia or pine nuts soaked 8 hours and drained

4 teaspoons dry mustard

2 tablespoons raw honey

4 teaspoons ground cumin

3 teaspoons sea salt

4 teaspoons turmeric

½ cup lemon juice

¼ cup filtered water

Place dressing ingredients in a strong blender, blending well and add to the vegetables in a bowl. Mix well and top with a sprig of  thyme.

Dilly of a Pea Salad

Created by Jackie Graff

Sprout Raw Food

Serves 4

Dressing

2 teaspoons sea salt

¼ cup and 2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons raw honey

½ cup olive oil or flax oil

2 cloves garlic

Salad

3 cups fresh peas (use frozen thawed, left raw, if fresh not available)

1 sweet onion chopped small

1 red pepper chopped small

1 cup sliced mushrooms (tossed and marinated in 1teaspoon sea salt and 2 tablespoons lemon juice for 1 hour and drained)

1 cup fresh dill chopped very fine

1. Place salt, lemon juice, honey, garlic and oil in the blender and blend until smooth.
2. Marinate mushrooms, drain, place in a bowl and add peas, onions, red pepper and dill.
3. Add dressing, stirring well.

Shelf life: Best-eaten fresh but keeps well refrigerated for 3-4 days.

Sweet Pea and Ginger Soup

Created by Jackie Graff

Sprout Raw Food

Serves 8

2 carrots

4 cups sweet peas (use frozen thawed, left raw, if fresh not available)

reserve 1 cup peas whole

½ sweet onion

2 stalks celery

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 inches ginger root

1 ½  medjool dates pitted

1 avocado peeled and pitted

4 cups of filtered water or more for desired thickness

Place all ingredients in a 2 hp blender (except 1 cup of whole peas) and blend until smooth. Add whole peas, and grab a spoon.

Serving suggestion: May be used as a salad dressing.

Peace and love,

Jackie Graff

Jackie’s Vegetable and Fruit of the Month Club

January and February

Citrus

Various citrus fruits are in season now. We use different citrus juices such as lemons and limes as the acid in our salad dressings and otherwise we just like to eat oranges, tangerines, grapefruit and all of the citrus in season this time of year. Even though citrus is available throughout the throughout the year it is best during the winter. Citrus juices have pulp, which also provides fiber. The citrus juicer in our on-line store is the best one we have found. We have a commercial juicer that we do not use since we got this one. Go to http://Rawfoodrevival.com You do not need recipes- just eat citrus. An important thing to remember is to rinse your mouth or brush after eating citrus because of the acid.  See my latest recipe book “ Get your Salads All Dressed Up” Easy solutions to delicious Raw Vegan Salad Dressings with tips on how to make your own recipes and answer the question “Can you get enough Protein from salads?”

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

Cranberry

Cranberries next to blueberries are the healthiest berries that are available to us fresh. They are full of antioxidants, protecting cells from free radicals. They are much healthier than all of those exotic berries that are processed, bottled, and dried usually with much sugar. Fresh is best.  According to Amy Howell, a researcher at Rutgers University, cranberries are among the top foods with proven health benefits. Researchers are also investigating their potential against cancer, stroke and viral infections. They discovered that the cranberry’s proanthocyanidins are structurally different than those found in the other plant foods tested, which may explain why cranberry has unique bacterial anti-adhesion activity and helps to maintain urinary tract health.

Cranberries contained the most antioxidant phenols compared to 19 commonly eaten fruits, which may play a role in helping to prevent heart disease and certain cancers according to Joe Vinson, Ph.D., research chemist at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania.

Studies have found that cranberries can reduce the risk of heart disease.  By drinking cranberry juice, individuals have been found to have higher levels of good (HDL) cholesterol and reduce levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol and improved blood vessel function.

Certain compounds in cranberries have been found to be toxic to many cancer tumor cells, including: lung cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and leukemia. Cranberries may prevent tumors from growing rapidly or starting in the first place. A study published in the June 2004 Journal of Nutrition, discovered that a compound in whole cranberries inhibits prostate, skin, lung and brain cancer cells.

Cranberries contain hippuric acid, an antibacterial, and have a unique ability to inhibit bacteria, including E. coli, from adhering to the urinary tract, preventing urinary tract infections. A compound in cranberries is known to keep Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria that causes most gastric ulcers, from adhering to the cells of the stomach lining.

A study published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition in 2002 found that compounds in cranberry juice are great for your oral health. A compound discovered in cranberries, proanthocyanidine, prevents plaque formation on teeth; mouthwashes containing it are being developed to prevent periodontal disease. Why not just rinse and swallow a little cranberry juice.

American Indians enjoyed cranberries cooked and sweetened with honey or maple syrup-a cranberry sauce recipe that was likely a treat at early New England Thanksgiving feasts. Cranberries were also used by the Indians decoratively, as a source of red dye, and medicinally, as a poultice for wounds since not only do their astringent tannins contract tissues and help stop bleeding, but we now also know that compounds in cranberries have antibiotic effects.

Fresh cranberries are at their peak from October through December, just in time to add holiday color, a tart tangy flavor and numerous health benefits to our holiday meals.

We like them year round as juice and or as frozen cranberries. The juice will keep for a month or more refrigerated.

The greatest antioxidant levels are found in fresh raw cranberries and raw cranberry juice is even higher in antioxidants: processing, storage and heating reduce antioxidant levels. There are some studies that indicate that most are destroyed with heat as with other fruits and vegetables.  Compared with 19 other common fruits, cranberries have the highest level of the antioxidant phenol.

Most recipes are for cooked cranberries. It is not necessary to cook them to get a great tasting dish. I use dates and raw honey to sweeten my recipes and I like the raw juice diluted in water. I learned to really like the tart flavor. Stevia in small amounts can also be used to sweeten.  We sell a delicious Cranberry Squares in our web store  order now. Our Cookie Sampler and Fruitcake also make healthy gifts for the holidays or anytime.

Cranberry Cheesecake

Created by Jackie Graff

Sprout Raw Food

Yield 1 cheesecake

1 cup macadamia nuts, soaked for 8 hours and drained
½   cup filtered water
½  vanilla bean
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup freshly juiced orange
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup raw honey
1 cup pine nuts, soaked for 8 hours and drained
2 teaspoons psyllium

1 Honey, Nut and Date pie crust (see recipe)
½-1  cup Cranberry Topping (see recipe)

1. Place macadamia nuts, filtered water, salt, vanilla bean, honey, orange zest and orange juice in blender and blend until smooth.
2. Add pine nuts and blend until smooth.
3. Add psyllium to mixture blending until smooth, let this mixture sit for 5-10 minutes and blend again.
4. Place mixture into pie crust lined spring form pan and top with Cranberry Topping and swirl with a knife or spoon.

Honey, Nut and Date Pie Crust

Created by Jackie Graff

Sprout raw Food

Serves 8

1 cup almonds, soaked for 12 hours, drained, and dehydrated for 12 hours
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 medjool dates, pits removed
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
¼ cup of raw honey

1. Place almonds in processor and process until mixture resembles flour.
2. Add salt and vanilla to the almonds and process well.
3. Place pecans, walnuts, and dates in food processor and process.
4. Add honey to the nut and date mixture and process just until mixed well.
5. Press mixture into 8 –10 inch glass pie pan.

Cranberry Topping

Created by Jackie Graff

Sprout Raw Food

2 cups of cranberries
5 pitted dates, soaked in water for 2 hours
½ cup raw honey
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup freshly juiced orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 teaspoon psyllium

1. Place the cranberries, dates, honey, salt, orange juice and orange zest in blender and blend well until smooth.
2. More dates or honey may be added if needed to sweeten.
3. Add psyllium and blend well. Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes and blend again.

Cranberry Orange Sauce

Created by Jackie Graff

Sprout Raw Food

Yield: 8 cups

8 ounces cranberries
2 oranges, seeded and peeled
2 apples, cored and peeled
1 tablespoon orange zest (from organic oranges only)
2 cups walnuts, washed, soaked for 6 hours, and dried for 6 hours in dehydrator (optional)
8 medjool dates, pitted and soaked for 1 hour if they are not soft
1/2 cup raw honey

1. Process cranberries in a processor until finely chopped and remove to a bowl.
2. Process orange, apples, orange zest, dates and honey until finely minced.
3. Place in bowl with cranberries.
4. Process walnuts in a processor until coarsely chopped and add to bowl of cranberries, oranges, and apples.
5. Combine all and mix well. If more sweetness is needed add more dates or raw honey.
6. This is best if made a day ahead and refrigerated.

Shelf Life: This will keep for 3 weeks refrigerated. Bacteria do not like cranberries.

Cranberry and Apple Punch

Created by Jackie Graff

Sprout Raw Food

Serves: 12

10 pounds apples, juiced
2 eight oz packages cranberries, juiced

Ice Ring

1 mold
1 cup cranberries

1. Blend apple and cranberry juices.
2. To make ice ring, place cranberries in mold filled with some of the mixed juices and freeze. To remove ice ring from the mold, place in warm water briefly.
3. Serve in punch bowl with ice ring.

Note: Other juices such as pineapple or orange juice can be used in this punch.

Shun the H1N1

The hot topic in the news now is the H1N1 or Swine Flu virus, causing a lot of undue panic. Fewer deaths are attributed to H1N1 than to the regular seasonal flu. I have been unable to take flu vaccines, because of an allergy to eggs. Since I improved my immune system 14 years ago by eating a raw vegan diet, I have not gotten the flu or colds, which are also viral infections. As a nurse working in the hospital with exposure to many patients, staff and visitors who were sick with colds and flu, I did not contract these illnesses because I kept my immune system strong. The antioxidants in unprocessed fruits and vegetables boost the immune system.

The last time there was a Swine Flu outbreak, was in the mid 70’s. Anyone born before this probably has immunity to H1N1. Children and pregnant women probably do not have immunity if they were born after this. This is one of the reasons the government is pushing vaccine on children and pregnant women. The Swine Flu vaccine that was produced in 1976 had neurological side effects. One in 80,000 developed symptoms of Guillain-Barre after this vaccine, which can be a fatal disease.

The Daily Mail reported that the Government has sent a warning about the new swine flu vaccine being linked to a deadly nerve disease, to senior neurologists in a confidential letter. The letter from the Health Protection Agency, the official body that oversees public health, has been leaked to The Daily Mail, leading to demands to know why the information has not been given to the public before the vaccination of millions of people, including children, begins. It tells the neurologists that they must be alert for an increase in a brain disorder called Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), which could be triggered by the vaccine. GBS attacks the lining of the nerves, causing paralysis and inability to breath, and can be fatal.

There are pediatricians and doctors that are not in favor of children or adults taking this vaccine because of the possible side effects and the fact that it has not been tested just as the previous vaccine in the mid 70’s. There are some employees of the CDC who have stated that they will not take this vaccine. Many people have already been exposed to the H1N1 virus since the present outbreak and those with a depressed immune system have probably already gotten sick and are now immune.

High levels of toxicity in the body are the root cause of most common diseases and illness. This includes conditions such as the common cold, flues, viruses, infections, allergies, asthma, and others; this over abundance of toxins helps create adrenal fatigue, overloads the liver and kidneys (the body’s primary toxic elimination organs) and generally depresses the immune system, thus allowing a variety of harmful microorganisms and viruses to proliferate. These organisms in turn put a tremendous burden on the body, drain it of energy and create the disease conditions listed above. A primary source of toxicity for most people is their food.

What parents can do is what they should normally do to keep their kids and themselves healthy: Keep a healthy immune system, wash hands frequently, sanitize the house, keep kids with fevers at home and away from others until they’re without a fever for a least 24 hours, make sure everyone in the family is getting adequate sleep of 8 hours per night, and eating healthy.

Eating healthy is the most important and includes a diet of many raw fruits and vegetables nuts and seeds, which are loaded with anti-oxidants. Eat whole food, and eliminate processed food, especially sugar from the diet. Sugar depresses the immune system. Glucose and Vitamin C have similar chemical structures and they compete with each other to be transported to all cells by insulin. If there is more glucose around, there is going to be less vitamin C allowed into the cell. It doesn’t take much: a blood sugar value of 120 reduces the immune system by 75%. Vitamin C is needed for healthy immune cells. Short-term elevated blood sugar affects all major components of immunity and impairs the ability of the individual to fight infection. The white blood cells are the primary mediators of the immune response and act as an important first-line-of-defense in the immune system by engulfing bacteria and viruses. Elevated blood sugar has been shown to decrease white blood cell activity to engulf these pathogens. Vitamin C rich fruits and vegetables can boost the immune system.

Around the holidays, when people eat more sugary foods and refined carbohydrates, there is a direct and unfavorable effect on immune function. In addition, the stress of the holiday season can also have detrimental effects on the immune response. The increased consumption of sugar beginning with Halloween candies, lasting through the holidays of Thanksgiving, and on until the New Year. Diets are deficient in nutrition this time of year, depressing the immune system and are one of the reasons why we have the “flu season”. During an average cold & flu season, Americans have up to 1 billion colds each year. Between 10-20% of the population will contract the flu annually and many will need to be hospitalized. Taking measures to prevent all flu will also prevent colds.

Reducing fat in the diet is also important because it influences how well the immune system works. Diets that are high in fat depress the immune response and thus increase the risk of infections. Reducing fat content in the diet can increase immune activity. This might not just affect infections but could also strengthen the type of immune cells, which can fight tumor cells. However, it is not just the amount of fat that is important but also its origin. It is important to include Omega 3 fatty acids found in flax seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and other vegetables, nuts and seeds.

Regular consumption of probiotics or fermented foods such as coconut kefir and veggie-kraut may enhance the immune defenses in the gut. Recent research results suggest that Lactic Bacteria (called probiotics) may have a beneficial effect on the immune system. Immune system maintenance requires a steady intake of all the necessary vitamins and minerals.

Dairy products can cause mucous and lactose intolerance, digestive disturbance and are best eliminated. Making sure the diet has enough Vitamin D or exposure to sunlight, which improves the immune system, can be a problem during the winter. Exercising by taking a walk in the sunshine is good for boosting the immune system.  Drinking adequate water or eating juicy fruit and vegetables is important. Adding super foods such as Blue green Algae, wheat or barley grass, sea vegetables, probiotics and digestive enzymes can combat the stress of the holidays and strengthen the immune system.

The tests for H1N1 cost approximately $200, and now physicians and are not testing those who have the symptoms of H1N1. The treatment is the same as any virus. Many of the children who died from H1N1 had either preexisting conditions or got bacterial infections on top of the viral infections. The bacterial infections that were identified included:  Streptococcus, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, and Enterococcus. Many children are being treated with antibiotics as a precaution for the secondary bacterial infections. Viral infections are not treated with antibiotics. After being treated with antibiotics it is important to replace the beneficial lactic bacteria to normalize the digestive tract. These healthy bacteria break down fiber and create nutrients.

When a child goes to the pediatrician, the parents are sent home and told to keep the sick child well hydrated and rested. If a child or adult, sick with any virus, has a high fever and is unable to drink fluids and is not voiding, they are severely dehydrated. This is a serious condition, which can result in kidney failure leading to death. Hydration and keeping the fever down are both very important with sick children.

Some children have succumbed to an influenza virus this year according to the CDC and 67% had high-risk medical conditions, including epilepsy, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and other neuro-developmental disorders and some had a secondary bacterial infection.

The H1N1 death of an otherwise healthy child can put fear into parents for their own healthy children.  The reality is that most children who contract H1N1 get sick, but they don’t die.  Many fewer deaths are attributed to H1N1 than the regular seasonal flu:  on an average year, around 36,000 people in the US die from the seasonal flu; as of the end of September, around 4,000 people have died from H1N1 worldwide.

It is important to take kids with high fevers and coughs to the doctor for treatment. Parents should watch closely for additional symptoms, such as breathing difficulties, discoloration of the lips, extreme drowsiness, crankiness or fussiness in infants, or not drinking enough fluids. Keeping them well hydrated is most important. Young coconut water is great because it is loaded with minerals and has natural sugar for their caloric needs. Keeping the diet light with a lot of fruits and vegetables and juice is the best diet for decreasing stress to the body while it heals. The media hype surrounding H1N1 is enough to scare any parent into wanting a vaccination to protect themselves and their kids from this flu.  Before doing that, parents should be vigilant in researching the vaccines and their possible side effects. Prevention with a healthy diet and immune system for the whole family should be the priority.

Stay in touch for more ways to boost your immune system. Please forward this to friends and relatives and have them sign up for our email here!

Love and Peace,

Jackie Graff

“Reviving” the Raw Food Revival Tour Blog

We have been very busy with family, traveling and teaching since my last Blog entry. To revive my Blog and bring you up to date on our travels, I will give brief particulars of all the places we have been.

June- was a little warm in Austin, Texas, a beautiful, eclectic city we found to have a very active community with interests in a healthier lifestyle.  We had an enjoyable stay in Mckiney State Park for a couple of nights between classes, and had time to visit The Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center.  Our host Dr. Rita Marie Loscalzo organized a large group who wants us to return for more classes on our next journey westward. We also rekindled our friendship with Chavah Aima, an amazing healer who created a new discipline of Alchemical Yoga using raw food, juices and fasting for healing and spiritual acceleration. We are planning a weekend Retreat with Chavah for April 2010 and will let you know more details.  From Austin we went to Dallas for several great classes hosted by Miranda Martinez, Amy Hirsh and Maria Whitworth. We had some individuals that followed us through all the classes.

We were home for a couple of weeks then on to Toronto, Rochester and Ithaca, New York to teach more Kitchen Magic. In Toronto we taught for four days of Italian, Tex Mex, Barbecue, and a whole day class of delicious Raw Food Recipes. We were hosted by Mary Luciano and Lamont Alexander in a beautiful event space overlooking the skyline of Toronto.

Toronto Night Sky Line from our class location

The Brewery in downtown Toronto, the tall building is where we had our classes for four days

When we went into Canada from Detroit, there was no question about the produce we had in the RV. Returning from Canada through Niagara Falls we were detained by the border patrol, confiscating all of our mangos, oranges, passion fruit, and avocados. We should have had lunch in Canada!

Niagara Falls

In Rochester, NY, Monique at Abundance hosted us for a Tex Mex presentation and in Ithaca, NY at the Greenstar Store we presented Raw Barbecue. Everyone was getting ready for a Raw 4^th of July Celebration.

Abundance Coop in Rochester NY

Gideon is cherry picking in NY Finger Lakes region

Greenstar Coop in Ithaca NY

July- We returned to Hallelujah Acres in Shelby, NC for another day long Raw Revival Class with a great turnout. Gwen Morton gathered a great group in Ashville for a presentation and demonstration of a Tex-Mex meal. We ended the month in Nashville, TN with a presentation organized by Alwanda Carothers in the Church of Christ at Lawrence Avenue, and a day long class the next day. Then on to Murfreesboro, TN for a class organized by Stacy King.

August – This was a busy month! On our way to the Raw Spirit Festival we went to Virginia Beach, VA for a desert and barbeque presentation hosted by Todd Owen then on to Richmond, VA for a Tex Mex presentation hosted by Rob Murphy and the day following we had a half day Caribbean Extravaganza. We were hosted by Alysse Muldoon at the Briarley Hill Retreat, MD for a Barbeque presentation. This is a picturesque farm and retreat that focuses on raw food and juicing to achieve a better state of health. The accommodations are stunning and it is only 45 minutes from Washington, D.C. We need to get some of our politicians over there to understand what real healthcare is all about.

Briarly Hill Retreat, - view from window

Briarly Hill Retreat

The next five days were spent at the Raw Spirit Festival, which was held at a beautiful 4-H center in MD. We had a great time with presentations and selling food (which everyone loved). Our thanks to Happy Oasis for her vision to organize these festivals and we encourage presenters, volunteers and participants to continue attending and supporting their efforts.

Jackie & Gideon at the Raw Spirit Festival in Maryland

From left: Gideon, Rhonda (Barefoot Artist) Bethanne, Shashi, Jackie, Sarah, Anna - The Raw Food Revival Tour volunteers, thank you for your amazing help

September- After the Raw Spirit Festival we went to Silver Springs, MD where we were hosted by Shari Mollerick and Patricia Monica for a presentation and Tex Mex meal. Then we were on our way to Rockville, MD for a presentation with an Indian theme hosted by Sharon Greenspan. Sharon serves her community with many classes, so contact her if you are in the area. The last stop was in Baltimore for two days of classes at the home of Andrea and Stein Langlie. We thank all those who hosted us took our classes on this trip and will honor your enthusiastic request to return.

October- We traveled to Huntsville, AL for two days of classes hosted by Donna and Al Turman at their the Brindlee Mountain Baptist church. We unloaded for our first class in the middle of a tornado warning with an unbelievable amount of rain. The class was great and everyone arrived safe and sound. We ended the month with a Thanksgiving class at home.

November we will be traveling to Hickory and Ashville NC for Holiday classes, and returning to Shelby, NC for a Raw Revival Class. Click here to see the tour schedule!

December we will be teaching Holiday classes in Athens, GA, Greenville, Columbia, Charleston, Rock Hill and Myrtle Beach, SC, and Charlotte, NC For information on these classes. Click here for our seminar schedule

Janurary -we will be instructing our three week intensive Raw Food Nutrition Science, Health Educator and Raw Culinary Arts Certification. This class is limited and has a few openings. For details and to request an application click here!

February- we will return to Florida. If anyone would like to host us in the areas we are presenting, please click here see our hosting program!

Coming up soon – Feeding Finnley, Fruit and Vegetable of the Month Club, with yummy delicious recipes

Peace and love,

Jackie Graff

April and May– Traveling to Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

The end of April we traveled to Elizabethtown Kentucky, a beautiful area surrounded by country towns and horse farms.  We spoke to a large group in various stages of improving their diet, demonstrating a Country Barbecue Dinner. They all raved about how delicious the food was. Our hosts were Anna Marie and Chester Flowers, who had previously attended one of our classes and Thea and Bud Guenther who opened their home to us. We spent the night in the driveway and in the morning we were able to have short meeting to learn more about their ministry of health to their church and community using their farm as a teaching tool with young children. It is great to see people who are well into retirement so actively working their farm and ministry. Activity, a healthy diet and having a purpose keep us all young.
We got back on the road and headed towards Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. We were blessed to have another showing of spring flowers that had just finished in Atlanta.  Hosted by Julie Wandling and her mother Gloria, we taught a wonderful group of young people who were in various stages of a raw food diet. We spoke about the fundamentals of Raw Food, demonstrated and served a Tex Mex Meal in the spirit of Cinco D’ Mayo. Julie is a long time Health Minister and author of Healthy 4 Him and Hallelujah Kids.  Julie has been responsible for motivating and improving the health of her community through classes, potlucks, and her line of food that she delivers and sells at markets. Cuyahoga Falls is a beautiful town on the Ohio River, which has seven falls. We were able to spend the night close to a stunning fountain depicting the falls and fell asleep to the sound of water falling.

Cuyahoga Falls
The next day was a long day of traveling toward Pittsburgh. We stopped at Raccoon Creek State park about 30 miles west of Pittsburg to spend a couple of days. Raccoon Creek State Park has been in development since the 1930’s. It is one of the largest and most beautiful state parks in Pennsylvania. Facilities at the park are a mix, with recreational areas, and large tracts of undeveloped land. The 7,572-acre park features a beautiful 101-acre Raccoon Lake, and a 314 acre Wildflower Reserve which contains one of the most unique stands of wildflowers with over 500 species of flowering plants along the 5 miles of trails. We were lucky that this was one of the peak wildflower blooming times, April through May, and August through early September. Unfortunately we forgot our camera with us on our hike.
The next time we come here I would like to spend more time and visit the remains of the former Frankfort Mineral Springs Health Resort built in the early1800’s where wealthy guests from all over the U.S. and Europe would spend their summers drinking the mineral waters that were reputed to have a healing effect on a variety of ailments. The earliest recorded history of the Frankfort Mineral Springs begins in the 1772 when there were seven different pure springs flowing over the grotto, containing 15 different minerals thought to have medicinal qualities. Today you can still visit the spring’s U-shaped grotto and enjoy walking the trails surrounding the site of the former hotel and resort area.

The next day we drove into Pittsburgh, which was quite a surprise to me, as we emerged from a tunnel with the Ohio River, with the city in front of us, reaching high on each side, it was a site to behold. We had 5 days of classes and after Gideon’s excellent driving the RV all over this beautiful city, through tunnels and up and down steep, narrow streets, and over many high bridges I felt like I had been on a roller coaster ride. Pittsburgh is a modern, beautiful, and fun city. It has been rated the most livable city in the US twice. It has world-class universities, museums, parks, and arts and is among America’s oldest cities, now celebrating its 250th year. I have a beautiful memory of Pittsburgh etched in my mind.

Our first event was at the East End Food Co-op and Café on Meade Street, which was a most impressive complex. East End Food Co-op is Pittsburgh’s only member-owned natural and organic food market, serving the community since 1977. This market is well stocked with very fresh organic produce. We had a great turnout for our Tex Mex demonstration and talk. This is a unique, large co-op that shares space with a theater. We taught our class on stage. Pittsburgh is lucky to have such a great place. We were hosted by Grace Klein who was so helpful along with the staff in facilitating our talk and demonstration of a Tex Mex dinner enjoyed by a large group.  After this we spent another night in Raccoon Creek State Park and on our day off, enjoyed some hiking before heading back to Pittsburgh.

We had another class at the home of Yona Denby speaking about the benefits of a raw food diet and demonstrating an Oriental Meal. After the class we went to the Jewish Community Center for the Israeli Independence Day Celebration. It was great to see some of the folk dancing and songs of Israel.

Our next class was at the home of Rabi Yoseph Silverman, where we spoke about the benefits of a raw food diet and demonstrated a Barbecue Meal. Having a full class of people new to the concept of a raw food diet, we could sense their skepticism during our talk and then observe the surprise and delight for the great taste of our amazing Apple Pie, Barbecue Sauce and Nibs (like ribs), Deviled Tomatoes (like deviled eggs), Marinated Herbs and Greens, and Brunswick Stew. They all said that they would be eating more raw food. When we were setting up the recipes we were assisted by Fraydi Silverman, Rabi Silverman’s wife, to inspect the greens and herbs to remove any small bugs, which would render them not kosher and as expected, none were found. They have a kosher kitchen with separate dishes, utensils, sinks, ovens, and counters to keep meat apart from dairy, a Jewish law and tradition from the Torah.

Our next class was a two day Raw Food Awakening at the home of Grace Klein where we taught over 50 recipes to a great group of people. This class can be compared to going on a raw food cruise.   Everyone loved the food and would like us to come back.

Slide Show, courtesy of Grace Klein, Pittsburgh

We drove home through the rolling hills and beautiful countryside of West Virginia (passing many ski resorts), Virginia and North Carolina spending the night at rest stops. We were home for Mother’s Day and Ashley’s Graduation.

For Memorial Day we took the kids to Cloudland Canyon State Park and all 7 of us slept in the RV. It was a practice run for longer trips and we had a ball. This place is beautiful with many challenging trails, falls and a great campground. Finnley had a great time running around and was entertained for hours picking up sticks…she’s a real outdoor girl! The kids ate mostly raw and the great fire they built was only for our comfort and enjoyment and not for cooking!

Finnley Collecting Sticks

Cloudland State Park, GA

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