Raw Love

What is Maca?

2009-10-13T21:47:00.012-04:00

As of only about a month ago, I had never even heard of Maca, and now I love it. I have increasingly been learning from David Wolfe and Matt Monarch with their extensive research and experiments within the raw food world.

I've always battled hypothyroidism and the habit of taking medication for it. It always seemed unnatural to carry medication with me daily and having to constantly deal with re-filling and the mess that follows. I finally decided to research and surely the raw food Gods introduced me to an ancient Peruvian root plant, Maca!

David Wolfe is known for speaking and writing extensively about Superfoods and their amazing healing qualities. In his book Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future, he includes Maca in the list of the top 10 Superfoods.
Maca is a major supporter of the endocrine system and deals greatly with the hypothalamus gland. There are so many benefits, and I say this only from experience. With moderate dosage, you can really notice changes in acute mental clarity and physical energy.
I began with 1 heaping tablespoon daily for the first couple of days. TOO much! I am now using a leveled tablespoon every other day, which I find just perfect. I mix Maca powder into my morning juices or smoothies thoroughly to avoid any clumps. It has the most delicious malty frothy flavor and falls down the glass in crystal forms. I love this stuff.

Watching these two videos with and other research will really help you understand the properties of Maca. There is simply too much to be explained here. Enjoy!

Crunchy Nori Spring Rolls

2009-10-04T20:49:00.007-04:00

Ok, so I am obsessed with these little rolls of heaven! This all began when my friend Courtney wanted to respect my new adventure in the raw food world. We began by making "living" Boston Lettuce wraps and rice paper spring rolls using similar ingredients. They were all accompanied by yummy peanut and soy sauces.

To make this completely raw, I opted for non-roasted nori (seaweed) sheets.
Spinach, sprouts, red cabbage, red peppers, red onions, avocado (YUM), carrots and cucumbers.
Nori sheets. I first found the Emerald Cove package at Wholefoods. One week later, I found the other package at the Asian Grand Mart with 5 times more sheets and at least a dollar or two cheaper. Just a thought!
The peanuts add that extra crunch...Helpful tips when rolling:
1. Cut the sheets in half, they are too big and are too chewy when triple layered.
2. Lightly wet each side, too dry and they will crumble! Too wet and they will rip!
SAUCES: These are best served with a peanut or soy sauce. Being that I am allergic to both (yes, I know), I save eating those sauces for special occasions. Instead, I made a light sesame oil dip which was just as tasty.

Seriously, these are delicious for anyone. As my father told me, he'd have these over chocolate cake any day.

Holy Juicing!

2009-09-29T20:16:00.006-04:00

Progression is a funny thing. When first beginning a mostly raw lifestyle, I was boggled to what I could actually eat. Everything seemed limited. After 2 days and already tired of chewing on vegetables, I began research. I instantly became obsessed with this idea as one great link lead to the next. Overwhelmed by the other world full of raw food enthusiast and their amazing ideas, I decided to start simply.

Juicing is a great start. I quickly learned about the importance of juicing. I love fruits, for a lack of better explanation. I love vegetables, but juiced? Heck yes!

I introduce you to my man, Mr. Juicer. We're in love.

I've been juicing up a storm. It's all about being daring. I've juiced beets, kale, celery, carrots, oranges, apples, romaine lettuce, moist bananas, pineapple, and the list goes on.

My favorite remains apple, carrot and beet juice with a squeeze of ginger juice. All over a few cubes of ice. Start juicing ya'll! The benefits are only understood by experience.

First Post!

2009-09-29T19:37:00.002-04:00

Welcome to my newly discovered raw food world!

While traveling in Asia a few months ago, I met with a friend of a friend, Leah. She is a raw food extraordinaire in Bali and really opened the idea of maintaining a raw life style. After 4 months of traveling and 6 months of living in London, my diet was far from comparable to my vegan experiments just before.

For the sake of mental, physical and spiritual productivity, I called for a change into the raw food world. I introduce and welcome you to a blog that is about new beginnings and simple changes to feel as healthy and happy as we are equally entitled to. I am 100% raw 90% of the time and 90% raw 10% of the time. I am a twenty something female interested in making my thoughts become physical manifestations. Again, welcome to my blog!

In Ubud, Leah's raw carrot cake.