June 2009 Raw Food Cooperative Buying Sheets Are Ready

June 2009 Raw Food Cooperative Buying Sheets ARE READY The Raw Natural Path Nature's Elements & Wholy Herb Garden The JUNE 2009 ONLINE MONTHLY BUYING SHEET - RAW FOOD COOP CLICK HERE JUNE BUYING SHEET Are Ready Organic is sometimes NOT ENOUGH Easy ONLINE ordering or print and email/phone your order Ordering Deadline: Monday June 8th Anticipated Delivery Date: June 21st (or sooner, if possible) Buying 2009 ONLINE MONTHLY BUYING SHEET - RAW FOOD COOP Click JUNE Raw Food Recipes Delicious Raw Recipes Recipes added every week! We are very excited to announce COMING SOON ALIVE Living Food CATERING Catering that is Living in Agreement With Nature STAY TUNE (CLICK Here for a sneak peek) CLICK HERE Subscribe to The Raw Natural Path

Raw Feelings...why don't people go raw?

I am going to be very bold in this article and I might evoke some raw feelings in you as a reader. On more than one occasion I have been accused of trying to make others into "rawfoodies". I sometimes even catch glimpses of the "rolling eyes" from family and friends (lovingly of course). Let me take a stand share it exactly how I see it and why I feel "called" to be an emphatic, passionate educator on this topic. Isn't it obvious that whole, living foods heal - that FOOD is medicine? I think most people either agree or intuitively know this. So, now let's flip it over - as much as food can heal and repair, it also holds the power to destroy and distort. So, here is my take on this! When it comes to health many keep having the same kinds of experiences over and over again. Our body is amazing at balancing things...so the downward spiral of health appears slow and goes unnoticed. Due to this People may blame genetics and hereditary predispositions. Perhaps it may be the inability to rid the excessive weight, the daily pain and discomfort, a re-ocurring cold or flu, fatigue or an "hereditary" chronic disease. I often hear the comment "my whole family is like this". In my view, the root of all these concerns is ALWAYS related to "food" even if they are genetically predisposed to certain health ailments. You food is the cause of your ailment! Mankind is dying of all sorts of dis-eases! We have to get our minds around why this is happening... why diabetes and cancer and heart disease and arthritis and depression is killing us. If food is our greatest healer and our greatest poison, then why aren't you more people transitioning to a whole, raw diet? Well, they are! I can't tell you how much I believe we are in the midst of a much needed and required raw food revolution. It is gaining much popularity and speed. Just google "raw food" - 25,500 hits and growing! For those that resist or are lethargic to a raw food transitioning, I suspect there are many "blocks" and "barriers" that need to be addressed. They either can't, won't or don't want to change. Sometimes people actually believe that their diet is "good" or "right" and they don't need to change...their health concern has nothing to do with their diet.. Some "enjoy" their cooked and processed foods, when in reality, this "enjoyment" is only an addiction. Did you know that processed foods (basically anything processed in a box, can or bag) are full of excitotoxins (food additives such as MSG, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, aspartame, etc.) that actually increase our cravings, appetite and desire to consumer thus making us more vulnerable. Some, simply don't understand! The truth is that when it comes to our health (or any other thing for that matter) the same kinds of experiences don’t keep happening to us - we keep having the same experience based upon our understanding, beliefs and lifestyle. It isn't happening "to us" - we are creating it. Perhaps there is great value to be had in experiencing a discomfort over and over until we are one day we are ready to make different experiences. I would like to think this is the case when a person comes for a health consultation or a health and healing workshop. But, psychologically, most of us don’t like to be proven wrong and, in all honesty we really don't want to give up those cultural and habitual "emotional comfort" foods. For example, you may have heard about all the incredible benefits of RAW, whole, living food yet you continue to cook. You may know about the chemicals and negative affects of consuming processed dairy and meat, yet, you still have these items in your daily diet. Truth is, though, as you continue to eat the chemicalized, irradiated, cooked and processed food, you will create and experience worsening symptoms and discomforts over and over. To add to our burden, we are bombarded every day with untruths via media, commercials, advertising and even "clinic studies" that have been funded by "groups" and convince us that all is good. It is not! Yes, I believe that the greatest gift I can offer any client, friend or family member is the education about living, whole lifestyle. When someone truly understands the incredible power of nature (and God's gifts in nature), then those old beliefs and understandings can slowly be dismantled. There is a great shift happening in our understanding that food is NUTRITION and "becoming a rawfoodie" is the most powerful thing you can do for your health, your families health and your daily living. So, now that I have gone on this passionate rampage, I must emphatically state that I am not suggesting that people make a 100% change over night..it is a journey that should begin with an "open-minded" attitude and a willingness to make small changes. The beauty of the raw, living food lifestyle is that the baby steps you take actually kick-start a transformational process that has you craving and creating more and more and more. I have seen this happen over and over again. Come, walk this Raw Natural Path with me!? Consider a Natural Health and Nutritional Consultation with Nature's Elements. Available for long distance clients too! PS READERS: this article is conveys my passion behind the new website "The Raw Natural Path" being launched very soon!

What is stevia? The WHOLY Herbs departement of Nature's Elements will be selling exotic and hard to find plants this summer to our local customers. One plant we are sharing is Stevia. Stevia is shrub native to Paraguay, used for over 1500 years by the native Guarani Indians. A herb with an abundance of positive effects. The whole leaf contains numerous phytonutrients and trace minerals and is much sweeter than sugar with out negative effects. It can sweeten any drink with no calories, no carbohydrates, no tooth decay and is diabetic safe. Stevia nourishes the pancreas and does not raise blood glucose levels, making it not only safe for diabetics but also beneficial. Since there are no calories or carbohydrates, stevia is an excellent weight loss aid. It does not contains the negative side effects reported with the use of artificial sweeteners including aspartame. Adding stevia to your diet on a regular basis, it has also been reported that it can help minimize hunger sensations, cravings for sweets or fatty foods, aide in digestion, decrease hypertension without effecting normal blood pressure, stabilize blood glucose levels, shorten recovery time from cold and flu and aide in addictions to tobacco and alcohol. When used in toothpaste or mouthwash, cavities and gum disease is reduced due to its antibacterial properties.

Raw Food Cooperative March Buying Sheets

March 2009 Raw Food Monthly Cooperative Buying Sheets are ready. Offer Canadians raw, organic, whole, living, excellent quality products at discount prices. No minimum orders. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Let’s blend Ayurveda with the Raw Food Philosophy and see what we can come up with!

Going beyond the food matter, though, no matter what your faith, thoughts or beliefs, Self-Realization only can be obtained through self-inquiry with a clear, pure and reflective mind. It doesn’t matter much “what you believe” as it does “how” you are viewing your experience.

In Ayurveda, perhaps the most important factor for me as a Rawfoodist is the teachings on Sattva. This connects Ayurveda to the raw food lifestyle at a passionate, personal level. The Ayurvedic wisdom is that since food has a major effect on the mind and body, a Sattvic diet enhances both the health of the body as well as purity and strength of the mind.

So, what is Sattva? Sattva is the one of the three basic components of the Triguna. “Tri” stands for “three” and Guna is the “subtle” component. The other two components of the Triguna are Raja and Tamas. Tamas is the subtle base. It offers substance and inertia. It is like glue as it provides attachment. Raya is the fuel and energy that brings about passion, action and motion. Sattva is the purity and light. It is the closest to divinity. It is wisdom andknowledge and understanding.

In science, we understand that all things are made up of the basic particles of electrons and protons and neutrons and photons. Ayurveda teaches that the Triguna is what makes these particles exist. Therefore, the Gunas become the very fabric of creation and influence the behavior of all things. The Triguna are viewed as “subtle” because they are tangible, not physical in nature and cannot be seen with any scientific instruments. They are intangible. These three subtle components can only be perceived by the subtle sense organs and our sixth sense of perception.

So, then the question then becomes if Sattva is purity and wisdom and knowledge, “What is a Sattvic diet and how do we find it? I must admit finding the answer to this question is perhaps like finding the fountain of youth. But there is much Raja and Tamas energy to wade through. With all the different views and opinions and diets, who has the authority for saying that certain foods are Sattvic? There is so much information out there about “diets” and what is best for mankind. Equally, there is also much disagreement among experts and gurus on their school of though and background. So, where do we seek to find the truth? Well, let’s simplify it…..at a basic level, a Sattvic food is one that leads to good health, mental clarity, poise, and spiritual advancement.

Let’s look at Ayurveda’s teaching on a Sattvic Diet?

Sattva foods are those that will cause the body to gain health and for the mind to be calm and peaceful. This is what constitutes the Sattvic diet. To some extent, this requires knowing the needs of one’s own body and being sensitive to the effects of various foods on our system. Foods which are very suitable and nutritious for one person may not be right for another. Common sense and wisdom are the essential ingredients to find the best Sattvic diet for yourself.
In terms of particular foods to be eaten, the raw food gurus and spiritual yogi’s have all answered this question, but the answers have different variations.

One common element to an Ayurveda Sattvic diet and Raw foods is that they are both primarily vegetarian. Vedic Spiritual texts elevate cows to sacred status. It also favors raw butter for consumption especially by children or those convalescing. I suppose one could reasonably argue that dairy products (such as yogurt, milk, lassi, etc.) also belong to the Sattvic food category. And Raw foodists are generally supporters of raw milk and dairy products. From my own personal clinical experience, I would even suggest that many lacto-intolerant individuals are actually sensitive to the pasteurization and not necessarily the milk.

In Ayurveda, food, any food that is obtained respectfully with kindness, love, and humane treatment is Sattvic. It is common knowledge that “heat” or “fire” will destroy (rajas energy), I will add and further assumption that any “living food” that is “cooked” is no longer Sattvic…it becomes rajasic. According to the Vedic principle of Ahimsa (nonviolence), any food procured through violence to animals (and I add to living food) cannot be considered Sattvic.

According to Ayurveda, taste and the effects of taste on our mind and body is very important. Foods which are too bitter, sour, salty, pungent, dry, and hot can lead to pain, distress, and disease of the body. Interestingly, Vedic texts also teach that foods cooked more than three hours before being eaten, foods which are tasteless, stale, putrid, decomposed and unclean should be avoided by spiritual aspirants and those who seek excellent physical and mental health. Well, what about all those processed foods in our kitchen cupboards. How long ago were they “cooked” and preserved before landing on our shelves?

Interesting the Ayurvedic tests were written many thousands of years ago before overcooking and over-processing became a problem to mankind. In Bhagavad-Gita (Vedic texts), Sri Krishna states, “If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it:’ . To me this seems to suggest that Sri Krishna is sanctioning a diet based on leaves and fruits and water as the best one for spiritual growth. I am no scholar on the Bhagavad-Gita, but my liberal interpretation of this verse would be that the Sattvic diet is generally plant based and includes all or most vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, nuts, etc

My personal experiences

Having been raised with a Standard American Diet and experimented with a variety of foods, I feel that a vegetarian diet can be as healthy or unhealthy. For example, if I am a lacto-vegetarian and eat too many pizza pieces, the feeling of discomfort is likely to follow. I believe this also holds if one eats bucket loads of ice cream or chocolates or sweets or nuts on a frequent basis. So, is vegetarian diet healthy? It depends!

The point is that a vegetarian diet can be either healthy or unhealthy depending on the nature of food eaten as well as the quantity of food consumed. Ayurveda emphasizes moderation in eating and sleeping. “There is no possibility of ones’ becoming a yogi if one eats too much, or eats too little, sleeps too much or does not sleep enough.” Clearly, over consumption of food leads to problems and one can logically conclude that the quantity of food consumed is probably an important element in a diet being considered Sattvic. In a world of “supersized” foods, we can safely assume our society lives of Tamas diet.

Sattvic diet is also a matter of degree. Some diets may be very Sattvic, while others may be moderately Sattvic. Finally, the thoughts and the emotional balance while eating the food has an effect on our system and should be considered. This is why in many religions, prayers and showing of gratitude for the food being consumed is offered. This mental state while eating helps the diet become more Sattvic.

What does it all mean?

So what does it all mean and what are the lessons from Ayurveda and this discussion of the Sattvic, Raw diet? Here is what I think some of the lessons are. See if you agree.

1. 
   Whatsoever you eat, eat in moderation (easier said than done!).
   Educate yourself on proper nutrition, be sensitive to your body, and see what foods work for you.


2. Emphasize fresh vegetables and fruits and eat a diet which is mostly plant-based.


3. Do not eat foods which are too salty, bitter, or have gone stale and putrid.


4. Regardless of the food being eaten, eat with gratitude, prayerful attitude, and with mental poise.


5. Chew the food carefully and taste it deeply without rushing.

There are literally thousands of great sources on the web and hundreds of books in stores to help you educate yourself on the Raw food, vegetarianism, Ayurveda and nutrition. Go do some research and find out for yourself! The answer lies within the individual.

Well, that’s my wisdom for today. Good luck!

Banana Blueberry Crepes

My daughter whispered a subtle complaint the other day that we never have Sunday the "traditional" Sunday breakies any more. We all have fond memories of the Sunday morning gatherings. Since going RAW, it just isn't the same sipping Smoothies at the table. I don't miss the bacon or the eggs, but I do miss the Sunday morning sharing at the breakfast table.

So, I decided to add some sweetness my daughters Sunday morning and make Banana Blueberry Crepes that we could enjoy as a family at the table. She actually has an aversion to bananas (beleive it or not), but she loved these healthy treats. And, they were so simple to make.....much faster than bacon and eggs and less clean-up too!

I prepared the crepes the night before. Just before I went to bed, I put the dehydrator on very low.

Crepes:
4 Bananas
1 Lemon Juiced
1/2 inch cube of raw ginger
1 tsp agave nectar
Blend completely and pour over a teflex sheet into round circles.

Cream:
1/2 cup soaked (overnight) cashews
1 tsp vanilla bean
touch of sweetner (I add 2 pcs of yacon root)
Blend in a high speed blender until creamy. Put aside for 10 minutes or so until it thickens

Fruit:
Choice of fresh fruit - we love blueberries. If you have some on hand, crumbled Raw chocolate could also be added.

Assembly:
Lay down crepe and lather with cashew cream. Top with fresh fruit. Roll up tightly. If the cream isn't thickened, it will be difficult to roll...but not impossible.

Enjoy! These are so easy...and so good. It will be a Sunday morning sharing from now on!

We Are All Different - Lessons From An Elephant

I absolutely love this poem that illustrates how we are so incredibly different and need to learn the wisdom of embracing the differences. I would love to hear your comments and responses. Check It Out Here

http://natureselements.ca/faq/index.php?topic=23.0