Beach Body: Faster and Easier than a Boot Camp.

There's a sign on the side of a local road here advertising a Boot Camp for a Beach Body.

Following a high raw life can get you the Beach Body you'd like without the hard yards and going without. There's very little raw food can't replace in conventional food (okay, there's a few things that can't be

done, like pavlova!) so there's no need to feel deprived to obtain your desired 'Summer Look'.

What is more, high Raw eating habits will give you fast results whilst eating real food that tastes good and is satisfying. Sheesh! Some of these weight loss programs and big multinational companies seem to make it harder than it needs to be...and more expensive.

Take a good look at the ingredient information on their packets – you will find artificial sweeteners, preservatives, flavourings, emulsifiers and names that cannot be pronounced. If you can’t pronounce it, that is a good sign you shouldn’t eat it either. Anything that has this stuff in it and then passes itself off as food and to weight-watcher-wanna-bees is a product of very savvy marketing of hope and precious little else.

I’m sure some of these companies started with good intentions but many have been sold for big bucks by their creators and the program has morphed into a mission to keep you trapped and believing you need them. The maddening thing is that to some, they actually work. But wouldn’t you rather eat real food that is genuinely meeting your body’s needs, sets you free from a ‘program’ and equips you to make good eating habits for the rest of your life?

You could start with a detox program lasting from one week to 21 days or so (with food, please, not one of these lemon, maple syrup and cayenne pepper things). A detox will give you faster weight loss that will encourage you to keep going, adding more raw food and leaving behind the processed, high fat, sugar 'foods' that make up a large chunk of the western diet.

If you don’t want to start with a detox, fine! You don’t have to. Just start eating more fresh fruit, increase your salad options and learn more about Raw.  You will still get fast results that will thrill you! Then bit by bit you improve, fall off the wagon a few times, climb back up and find a raw/cooked ratio that suits you. You should enjoy a life-style (not a temporary diet) of permanent weight loss, energy and better health than you imagined.

I realise there will be a few special cases that need guidance and will have to work harder at it but for most of you, this is doable and so much easier than most other options. No clubs to join, points to count, special meals, packets, shakes, supplements or portions to weigh. Breathe a sigh of relief at your freedom!

This might be the right time to invest in a Vita-Mix now that there has been such a good price drop. $1295 for the Red, White or Black model and $1450 for the Stainless Steel model. 

So, Go More Raw!

Christine

www.gomoreraw.com
email: christine@gomoreraw.com

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The Anglo-Far East Company
The Original Private Gold and Silver Bullion Custodian
Your reference: an-001
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YOUnique Gold and Silver
Buy small, affordable physical gold and silver or start a savings program towards physical gold or silver grams for as little as US$25 per month.
Blog : www.goldsilver-money.blogspot.com
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Reflections on a Seven Day Detox

Just before I comment on the Detox I want to remind you about the wonderful price reduction for the Vita-Mix (NZ readers only). $1295 for the Red, White or Black model and $1450 for the Stainless Steel model. If you pay by cash/internet banking I will reduce the price by a further 3%. And as an extra sweetener, I will pay the $25 courier fee for your Vita-Mix to be delivered to your door. What are you waiting for?

One week on after the Seven Day Detox I have some thoughts that I'd like to share with you. Namely, what would I do different next time or more pointedly, what would I include if I wrote my own
Program?

The first thing I'd say include as "ok" would be tea and coffee. I like tea and coffee - they're one of my 'cheats'. You all know what happens if you suddenly stop drinking caffeine. That dreaded headache kicks in. I don't like headaches, so I chose to keep my breakfast cup of tea going and some evenings I had my traditional night-time cuppa, too. Besides I'm not actually convinced that tea and coffee is all that bad;there are now known advantages to drinking the stuff. It comes down to personal choice.

It's highly likely the headache that afflicts most detoxers is actually withdrawal and not necessarily a detox headache. It's not so much a detox headache as much as a withdrawal symtom.

If the thought of a headache for two or three days is too hard - some of us have to keep working - then by all means keep a cup of tea or coffee going. It's not going to ruin your week of detox.

Better to keep a cuppa on the program than fall off the wagon completely because it all gets too much.

Alternatively, go ahead and take a panadol to break the headache cycle - obviously that's contentious but heck, if that's the difference between you 'making' it or not then have the panadol. The chemicals will get ditched pretty quickly with your detox anyway.

There were little to no fats in the program. I'm not sure what a nutritionist would say about that. Possibly no big deal for a week but that is the real reason you drop weight quickly. Definitely not to be done longer than a week except under professional supervision; you can do yourself long-term damage with not enough fats in your diet.

The weight loss obtained over the week can inspire you to keep building good habits once your detox has finished. For me, I was pleased to feel my jeans a little looser as little bit by little bit I'd put on some weight over the Winter.

That's one of the good things about the discipline a detox enforces on you - it's a good kick-start to doing better than you were before. The Seven Day Detox has now been taken down but there is a 21 Day Program available for those of you wishing to still do a detox. And in case you're wondering why I'm sending my blog mid week instead of the weekend when I was supposed to, that's because I'm working on my own Seven Day Program! So exciting! It's not a detox ( I will write on later) but a program designed for those who've either been to one of my workshops, gone home all inspired and enthused only to have life get in the way, and good intentions fading with that pesky guilt feeling hovering around. You know who you are! and this is going to be just what you need to get you onto an increased raw life style. Watch this space!

Christine
www.gomoreraw.com
email: christine@gomoreraw.com

____________________________________________________

The Anglo-Far East Company
The Original Private Gold and Silver Bullion Custodian
Your reference: an-001
____________________________________________________ 
YOUnique Gold and Silver
Buy small, affordable physical gold and silver or start a savings program towards physical gold or silver grams for as little as US$25 per month.
____________________________________________________

Why Do I Eat Mostly Raw Food?

Why do I eat mostly raw food? The answer to this question is based on a simple equation rather than a philosophy or conviction. By that I mean I am not high raw because I am vegan or vegetarian; I suspect most who choose those food paths do so due to animal rights issues.*

When I looked more studiously at the bio/clinical differences between raw and cooked I found these things: the higher water content, why enzymes are important, how omegas work in our brain and body and why they are important for pre-born babies, young children and adults, why a wide range of as many vitamins and minerals as possible are essential. The more I read, the more I could see that if I ate and drank in pursuit of these things then I needed to be consuming as much as possible unheated or raw. In order to enjoy optimum health, hopefully avoid degenerative disease, look younger for longer (who doesn't?), maintain a trim figure then eating high raw is what I need to do. Food + action = consequences. My choice, your choice. I suspect it's a bit like a law of physics, E=Mc2

Of course it helps that the tastes are and can be great, I love the crunchy textures, the sweet options are guilt free and healthy, and there are no preservatives (read labels carefully), colourings, artificial sweeteners & other chemicals or transfats. What is there not to like here?

It still seems to be easier for me than weighing food, endless supplements (some may still be helpful at times), counting calories and points,and joining clubs with regular fees. Cheaper, too.

If you're struggling with including more raw in your life and changing habits, then stop and think what it is that you want for the rest of your life. This will help determine your actions more reliably than depending on how you feel at any given time. Just do yourself and others around you a favour and try not to get obsessive about it! Trust me when I say that you're no fun to be around when you start to become a member of the Food Police :-)

* If you're assuming I "don't care about animals/insects", please don't. Almost 30 years ago I read about battery chickens and felt ill. I had no idea. Since then I have never knowingly bought battery eggs again. Even if there was no nutritional difference between battery and free range eggs, I would still pay more for the latter. The only chicken meat I buy is free range. Organic would be nice but for now price makes it prohibitive. When eating out and I am considering a chicken dish, I ask if it is free range, if not, another item is chosen. When buying bacon I scour the deli shelves looking for free range and preferably preservative-free. A Christmas Ham is also free-range. Red meat in New Zealand is invariably  free range and I favour organic, if finances allow, for both animal welfare, nutritional & soil issues. Ditto milk. (Please note that I never query what I'm offered when at at friend or family members house.) Our honey comes from an organic farm, harvested sustainably and is raw. My cosmetic and body care is Miessence who do not test on animals and where honey is used it is sourced sustainably (vegan friendly). You can read their policy here. Although it's not so much animal rights as 'people rights', I buy Trade Aid/Fair Trade items whenever I can.

When I was a little girl my father showed me how to rescue an exhausted bee by taking her a wee bit of honey on a teaspoon. It was fascinating watching her long tongue take what would give her the strength to (hopefully) return to her hive. I have done this all my life and showed our children how to do the same. It taught them the up close beauty of the bee, the wonder of creation and led them to understand the crucial importance of bees in our food cycles. They are my favourite insect.

May you more thoughtfully enjoy your health this week.

Christine
www.gomoreraw.com
email: christine@gomoreraw.com


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The Anglo-Far East Company
The Original Private Gold and Silver Bullion Custodian
Your reference: an-001
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Pad Thai - Raw

My DS (24) and DD (22) have been raving about their latest food love: Pad Thai. Since I'm not a regular restaurant attendee I had no idea, so I went browsing through my raw books and sites to see if there is a raw version of this salivating dish. It took me a good hour to come up with a version that I thought I liked and had the ingredients on hand or suitable replacements. So to save you the bother of reinventing the wheel here are the two versions I created this week.

Pad Thai - Take One
The family-that-resides-at-home all approved so I thought I was on to a good thing.

4T peanut butter
scant 1t ground coriander seeds
1T grated ginger
1t olive oil
1T cider vinegar
blackpepper
juice of one lemon

Mix above and add water if you want it thinner. Mix through your choice of julienned or spiralised courgettes and carrots. Add thinly sliced cucumber, capsicum or what ever you have available. Top with Avocado Sauce: 1 avocado, 3T raw honey, 1/4t chilli powder, juice of one lemon.

Pad Thai - Take Two Thursday night is our Family Dinner when our above DS and DD come home for the evening and sup with us. So I had been shopping to buy the 'proper' ingredients to see if I could wow them, too. This time I used the recipe (almost) exactly and all who had it the previous night preferred Take One. My adult son found the flavours too strong so gave thumbs down but he's not overly fond of raw food (except what he calls normal salads and the yummy cheesecake and ice cream). My daughter rather liked it but said it needed more lime. That I can fix.

I said I used the almost exact recipe...I used peanut butter* instead of chopping peanuts I didn't have, and lessened the oil. This probably makes it a little too peanutty; next time I'll use less and taste/add as I go. Also, I'll try roasted sesame seed oil. I didn't add the mint because I didn't see where I'd scribbled it down as I wrote down the recipe. Hmm... this could broaden and freshen the flavour.  Again, I'll try this next time.

The 'proper' recipe:
8T chopped peanuts (I used peanut butter)
1 T coriander leaves, chopped
2T grated ginger
2T chopped mint
2T olive oil
2T cider vinegar
black pepper
2 juiced limes

Mix as first recipe and top with Avocado Sauce but use 1/2 fresh chilli instead of powder and lime juice instead of lemon.

Pile on plates or fill lettuce leaves and enjoy.

* This peanut butter (100% Nutz Ltd) is my latest find in the supermarkets. Made in New Zealand with Australian peanuts. No added sugar, salt, emulsifyers or oils. I love using NZ products that are great.

How about emailing me if you're doing the Seven Day Detox this week? (christine@gomoreraw.com) and we can be our own Cheer Team!

And last but not least...Go the All Blacks!!! Yay!!!

Until next time, take care of yourself and those you love
Christine

www.gomoreraw.com
christine@gomoreraw.com


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The Anglo-Far East Company
The Original Private Gold and Silver Bullion Custodian
Your reference: an-001
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Changes

Change can be exciting or scary or both at the same time. Life has shown me that change is unavoidable and will happen with or without me.

It’s probably a good idea to be the mistress of my own change than be blown around and have it foisted on me. My latest ‘change’ is the Seven Day detox I wrote to you about the other day. Even those of us who’ve been on the Raw Train for sometime can ‘default’ from time to time. A program like this is perfect for focus and a little life audit. I’ve got a Kiwi Team around me all ready to start next week.

What about you? Whether you’re in New Zealand, US, Australia or Rarotonga this is for you. You’ve got until our Monday morning to sign up for it as it comes down Sunday night US time.

There is no charge to this program and, I’ve been on Tera Warner’s list for a couple of years now and I’ve never had anything pushy or inappropriate yet.

Perhaps it’s the right time to go ahead and get that Vita-Mix you’ve been putting off for a while now. Whilst it’s not a necessary piece of equipment it sure does make light work of a smoothie and blend it to perfection. I never did get used to those little bits of green that didn’t quite break down in my old blender. If you’re in New Zealand, contact me for my Seven Day Smoothie Vita-Mix special deal.

If anyone has Sir Peter Jackson’s ear, please tell him that I would love to join his Foodie Team. I would ply him and his crew with such yummies that they never knew healthy food could taste so good.

Raw vegetable pasta and sauce, marinated vegetables and cauliflower risotto all raw and served alongside his meat and potatoes if he so chose. Follow main course up with cheesecake, date and nut rolls or ice cream – all dairy free, sugar free and totally good for you (him). Perhaps he’d like a smoothie to go on since he’s in too much of a hurry between takes. That’s fine, I can make amazingly tasty smoothies loaded with superfoods that will keep you (him) going for hours. Pure and fresh juices, healthy snacks and foods loaded with intense nutrition because they’re ‘raw’ will see him oozing energy and loosing that pesky weight to boot.

It’s a win-win – Sir P enjoys health, food and energy and we enjoy The Hobbit. Sounds like a good deal to me.

In Health
Christine

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The Anglo-Far East Company
The Original Private Gold and Silver Bullion Custodian
Your reference: an-001
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Can I Still Be Raw and Eat Meat?

In the raw food world there are varying opinions on what it means to be raw. Some say that only 100% qualifies and others are happy with less. Some time back I wrote about this with the motivation to reassure that there were “different strokes for different folks”. I want to reiterate that again as I think it important to be clear where I stand on the topic. Better to fly the flag so there’s no confusion or disappointment with readers.

High raw is my preferred option. I am not and never have been a one hundred percenter. There are, of course, valid reasons to be totally raw but for me it is for a limited time for a specific reason. A detox or time of fasting, or a health crisis that necessitates prompt action, would all justify my being totally raw.
 
One of the books that I promote and have used extensively over the last couple of years is Rejuvenate Your Life by Serene Allison. Recently she added a new forward to her book to explain why she had changed from being exclusively raw for seven years to including some animal products and cooked whole food in her and the family’s lives. She is still committed to a high raw lifestyle.

To all the folk who have bought this book, either the hard copy or e-book, I will send you the addendum.

To those who haven’t, I still totally recommend this book. At NZ$18 for the e-book and NZ$28 for real thing, it is a really good buy when compared to other raw books with many recipes. It has a ‘homely’ feel to it as there are no photos and basic binding but definitely not to be underrated.

Seven Day Detox – How many of you were interested in a Spring Clean detox but found the thought of 28 days a little too much? Well, how about a Seven Day Green Smoothie detox? And here’s the surprise: it’s free. You don’t see that word around much these days. So what have you got to lose? Go on, give it a go.

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The Anglo-Far East Company
The Original Private Gold and Silver Bullion Custodian
Your reference: an-001
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Feeling Green

Feeling Green. This can mean a few things to the English speaking world that can confuse an English-as-a-second language speaker. For instance, if I said I was feeling 'green' it could mean any of the following.

1. I was nauseous; the shade your face becomes when feeling seasick.
2.Perhaps a little jealous; in a nice way not the nasty sort. The kind of green I'd feel if you told me you were taking a holiday in Rarotonga and leaving me here in the early Spring cold snap.
3. Feeling environmentally inclined - probably the most popular modern application.
4. Feeling green is what you also feel if you are new at something - when I'm sitting among experts in a subject I know little about- like computers.


Context is the only way to know which green the speaker is referring to and usually happens within seconds to someone born into English. It might take a bit of explaining to your overseas student, as we have found.

The kind of green I am thinking about today is how to encourage the intake of green leafy vegetables into your diet. Choose organic or spray-free greens from your shop or market and keep in fridge drawers in slightly damp plastic bags or vacuum containers. Don't buy too much at a time.

Greens can be frozen and used in smoothies. Obviously frozen greens won't be any good for salads or juicing.

Vary your greens; don't use the same one all the time. Different greens have a variey of photonutrients so give your body a wide variety. If you're new at this, stay with the milder flavours such as cos lettuce (romaine) and spinach. It would be a shame to put you off by using the stonger silver beet, collards and herbs. Leave these until you become used to incorporating greens and start samll with the stronger tasting greens.

You can grow some yourself - a couple of pots will take up hardly any room. I have two terracotta pots of spinach on my deck and now Spring is here I will plant a few more varieties in our garden.

You can learn how to forage and get greens for free. Just make sure of what and where you are picking. Find a local who knows what they are doing and learn from them. Don't pick from where there is pollution nearby - traffic and drains. Foraging includes learning to eat some weeds intstead of pulling and dumping/composting. Every area in the world has nutritious weeds particular to it.

Make friends with a gardener and swap goodies for greens.

It took me quite a while to work up the courage to include green in my smoothie. Just the thought of green made me grimace; that was my problem: the 'thought'. It wasn't reality; I assumed the taste of green would take over my beautiful strawberry or chocolate sensation. How wrong I was. One brave day I went forth into my gardern, picked a miniscule piece of green (can't remember what it was) and courageously tossed it into my vita-mix with the rest of my smoothie mix. Whizz, whizz, careful but brave sip - surprise! Not a hint of green to be tasted. From that day I have tossed in anything from several leaves to a handful or so. As long as I can't taste green I am happy. Sure it turns your smoothie an interesting colour but once your mind understands that colour doesn't equal taste you'll never look back.

Put some greens into your juice - spinach and cos are both good. For stronger tastes that need some 'cover' you can add a knob of fresh ginger or a small wedge of organic lemon with skin attached. Please note I said "small", both pack powerful punches and can become a taste-bully in your juice. BTW a teensy tiny piece of coriander is all you need if you feel inclined as I did, to pick a piece growing alongside my spinach - really, really strong! Literally only a sprig required - deep and suspicious questions were directed at me from my not-quite-trusting family!

So there you go - a fifth meaning to the term "feeling green".

Have a great and greener week!  Why not join me in The Green Smoothie Challenge? A great way to spring clean your body as you look forward to summer, alternatively if you are one of my Northern readers, it would be an Autumn clean up to strengthen your body for Winter.

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The Anglo-Far East Company
The Original Private Gold and Silver Bullion Custodian
Your reference: an-001
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