THERE'S ALWAYS TOMORROW

And since I last wrote, tomorrow has become the privilege of waking to each and every day. They are all special and I have the chance to live another 33 years (the third third) if my ancestry and diet and exercise do what they do.

So TOMORROW I will start 100 days of raw to get back in the groove and shed some pounds that came with eating with abandon through two holidays. I know it is good for me and I know it works and I know I feel great when I go raw. It just takes a little more time chopping and anticipating being in places where less raw is available.

I've been practicing a little, so last night I made Chia seed pudding and I would say it was very good. Chia seeds have numerous health benefits.

The following site has info about Chia seeds:

http://www.thechiaseed.com/

GRACE OF GOD

Only by the grace of God am I able to write that at 5:45 a.m. on March
29, I was involved in an almost deadly car accident in Dana Point and
survived! My recovery is being chronicled on CaringBridge by
Vanessa, who has already walked my path.

www.caringbridge.org/visit/drmichaelshannon

I will blog again, but it may be several months before I continue.

MWS

ANOTHER RAW FOOD SITE

I found another good raw web site: http: //uncooking101.com/site/

What is raw food? Why raw food? How do I start? B12, Calcium, Protein ETC!

In answer to a friend who asked me, What advice do I give to newbies, here is what I said:

Enjoy every bite.

Remember that this is NOT deprivation. This is the key to health. Health = wellness = joy = longevity. Nothing about that says “deprivation” to me.

Soak it up and live life. Drink green smoothies every day.

Eat when you’re hungry. Don’t live to eat.

At social functions, don’t forget the PEOPLE just because you are choosing not to eat the food. Make yummy stuff and share. Don’t be scared to share! BUT don’t forget that everyone is not in the same place, and they might be confused/threatened by your new lifestyle. Don’t let that hold you back from thriving in your newfound joy and energy!

Raw Food on a Budget

Is raw food expensive?

Raw food need not be expensive. In fact, over time many raw foodists find that they are able to thrive on less food and spending less money.

But in the beginning, most people find they spend more money on food and invest in new equipment (such as an Excalibur dehydrator to make breads and crackers or a Vitamix to make smoothies and creamy nut cheese).

Tips for Saving Money with Raw Food

Many raw food pate recipes call for the more expensive ingredients, such as macadamia nuts, cashews, walnuts, red peppers, etc. Sunflower seeds easily replace more expensive nuts. Although the taste will obviously vary, here is a flexible and simple pate recipe that will work using … Keep reading for the pate recipe and tips on how to save money with raw food. (SEE WEBSITE)

How to Save Money on Raw Food Equipment

Most long-term raw foodists will tell you that the Vita-Mix is the most used piece of equipment in their kitchen. They may or may not tell you that their Vita-Mix has a good chance of outlasting their … Keep reading for tips on how to save money on raw food equipment. (SEE WEBSITE)

PERSONALLY I USE A MINICUSINART FOOD PROCESSOR AND A $20 Hamilton Beach Single Serve Blender With Travel Lid FROM WALMART. THESE WORK REALLY WELL IS YOUR ARE ONLY MAKING FOR ONE OR TWO PEOPLE.

RAW FOOD KIDS

Raising their raw food family, Katie and Ka want to share all the simple secrets and insights to help your family becoming more healthy. To learn how to live a well balanced and enjoyable raw food family life, register for their free articles at www.therawfoodfamily.com

Featured Article: Rawfood diet with kids 2.0

As we we live the raw food lifestyle now for more than 6 years, and most of the time very pure and dogmatic 100% we feel that we want to share where we are at right now, to inspire you.

We stared off as purists and ate 100% along time (years!) without salt, soy sauce or any other non-natural product. We felt good with it, but from my perspective now, we also were almost stressed with all the rules and things that made us so different from the "normal families. . . Its so hard to find a balance between eating super healthy, but also enjoying your diet and feeling that you get exactly what you need not only body wise (which is covered with raw food in my belief), but also on an emotional level.

This is even more important if you have kids.

the diet is something that should be fun. If you do not enjoy your raw food diet, you will outweigh the positive effects of all the vibrant nutrients, by just feeling unhappy.

This can cause so much stress in a family, and we have seen this happening so often.

So what is the solution??

Our oldest one Benny showed it to us, by thinking and talking out of the box.

When we lived in Thailand over a year ago, Benny asked us for some cooked food again. I was shocked, but followed his wish. I would have never, ever thought that this would change our whole view of life once more. I didn't like this for myself as I was so happy with my raw food diet and Ronja -my daughter - was the same. We both refused to go "backwards" again.

But as things have unfolded over time I see it that way, that it opened up our dogmatic mind and allowed to think differently.

Don't get me wrong I am still a believer in raw food especially if you have kids, but it is so much more important what you LEAVE OUT OF YOUR DIET.

So the way we eat right now with the kids is the following:

We still eat 100% raw food 99% of the time, but:

We have introduced some cooked food to our diet as well, even if we do not eat it daily, but frequently.

We eat brown rice (much better than the white one!!) and what we eat even more is steamed veggies. especially the veggies that do not taste so good or are hard to chew. Mostly cauliflower, broccoli, beans and carrots. This feels really like an enrichment to our diet, as it does broaden the spectrum.

We also get more in more into the world of superfoods experimenting with chia seeds, maca, different oils, a variety of sea veggies, different types of pollen, sprouts and much more.

But one thing that is still of the highest importance to us is the wild greens! We still juice every morning (or better we have some employees that juice for us and also chop 30 coconuts a day) the fresh picked wild greens from our land. This together with coconuts and the fresh local grown food is the main part of our diet.

yet I just want to open up your eyes and extend your perception here. It is not the goal to be 100% of something (f.e. 100% raw), but about being in tune with your body, emotions and the spirit. If we tune in there, we will get clear signs on what to do, and what not to do.

Please also listen to your children and do not force them to eat a diet they do not feel good about. This will help no one.

Better you find some alternatives, take it slowly (but in a persistent way) and allow yourself and your kids to also enjoy something that might not be the very, very best for your body but for your feeling.

That's how we see the rawfood diet 2.0

BLENDED SALAD & PAD THAI NOODLES

BLENDED SALAD

By Frederic Patenaude

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped (about 2 cups)

1 cucumber, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)

1/2 lemon, juice of

2 cups lettuce

1 cup spinach

2 green onion

1/4 cup parsley

3 stalks of celery

1 small avocado

1 tsp. agave nectar (optional)

2 Tbs. dulse flakes

1 sheet of nori, shredded

1 Tbs. paprika (optional)

Directions:

Blend the tomatoes first, until they turn liquid. Then add in the lemon

juice, greens, and avocado, pushing with the celery stalks, until the entire mixture is blended. Flavor with dulse flakes, nori flakes, and/or paprika.

Nomi Shannon

A Recipe from The Raw Gourmet

Pad Thai Noodles

This recipe is from Raw Food Celebrations by myself (Nomi Shannon) and my friend Sheryl Duruz. It's a great book full of party themes and recipes.

This recipe will serve 2-4 people.

This recipes consists of "noodle salad", Sauce and garnish

Noodle salad

2 medium zucchini

1 large carrot

¼ cup chopped cilantro

¼ cup mung bean sprouts

Peel zucchini. Then shave into thick strips with a vegetable peeler. Cut carrot into matchsticks or julienne strips with a mandoline or a sharp knife. Toss above together in a bowl.

Pad Thai Sauce

1 cup almond butter

juice from: 2 oranges, 1 lime, 1 lemon

2 cloves garlic

4 soft dates, pitted (Medjool preferred)

½ inch piece fresh ginger (or more to taste)

1 teaspoon sea salt

(optional) ½ small hot red chile or 2 teaspoons crushed dried chiles

Blend until smooth. If too thick add a small amount of water; the sauce should be thick. Add to the noodle mixture and mix well.

Garnish

2 scallions, chopped

12 basil leaves, chopped

5-6 wedges of fresh lime

4 almonds, chopped

Sprinkle all but the lime wedges over the salad just before serving. Place lime wedges around the edge of the bowl.

SUNNY ROLL UPS

Naomi Shannon is not my relative, as far as I know, but I love her recipes!!

http://rawgourmet.com/recipes

Basic Pâté

INGREDIENTS

• 3 Cups sunflower seeds, soaked 8-12 hours, sprouted (leave out on counter) 2-4 hours
• 1 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons nama shoyu or similar liquid salt substitute
• 1 clove chopped garlic

DIRECTIONS

In a food processor, process the sunflower seeds, lemon juice, salty liquid and garlic until smooth . Store in a covered container for up to two weeks.

Yields 6-7 cups.

Sunflower Pâté

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups sunflower seeds, soaked 8-12 hours. Sprouted for 2-4 hours
• 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions
• 1/4-1/2 cup raw tahini
• 1/4 cup liquid amino's, or 2 tablespoons nama shoyu, or pinch of sea
• salt with add'l water, or none at all
• 2-4 slices red onion, cut in chunks
• 4-6 tablespoons coarsely chopped parsley
• 2-3 medium cloves garlic, coarsley chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)

DIRECTIONS

Soak sunflower seeds 8-12 hours, drain, allow to sprout for 3-4 hours (leave out on counter) then thoroughly rinse and drain removing as many of the thin inner husks that float to the top as possible. In a food processor, process the sunflower seeds, lemon juice, scallions, tahini, liquid amino's, onion, parsley, garlic and cayenne until the mixture is a smooth paste.

When thoroughly blended taste and adjust the seasoning. The pâté will develop a stronger garlic taste in a few hours.

Yields a large mixing bowl of pâté. (approximately 8 cups)

Sunny Roll Ups

INGREDIENTS

• 1 nori sheet
• 3-4 tablespoons sunflower pate’, recipe above
• 3-4 green olives, sliced
• Wasabi
• 2-3 pieces slivered red pepper
• 3-4 pieces slivered carrot
• Large handful clover or alfalfa sprouts
• Sunflower sprouts

DIRECTIONS

Sunny Roll-Ups are made with square sheets of seaweed called nori, the numerous green seaweed that Japanese restaurants use to make sushi and California rolls. Sunny Roll-Ups look just like sushi—the red pepper or carrot pieces show in the very center, making the dish a visual masterpiece. Even your most dedicated carnivore friends will love them! Once you’ve made them a few times, you will find preparing nori rolls very easy. You can buy nori at health food stores and Asian markets or through several mail order sources. It is available toasted and raw; buy it raw.

Assemble the roll-ups as close to serving time as possible because the nori absorbs the moisture from the filling very quickly and can become a bit soggy. Once you are adept at making the nori rolls, your guests will love watching you assemble them.

Lay 1 sheet of nori on a clean cutting board or bamboo sushi mat. Place 3 or 4 tablespoons of the pate’ along the edge of the nori nearest to you. Using a knife or spatula, spread the pate’ in a band that is almost as wide as the nori (stop within ½ inch (1 cm) of the left and right sides) and approximately 1 ½ inches (3.5 cm) deep. (The resulting band of pate’ will be quite thick.)

Place a horizontal row of thinly sliced green olives down the middle of the pate’. Squeeze a thin, even line of Wasabi down the middle of the pate’ (it’s hot, so use it cautiously). Place several pieces of slivered carrot or red pepper in rows next to the olives. Place a generous handful of clover or alfalfa sprouts on top (you can use more than you would believe possible; they will compress when you roll up the nori.) Finally, place a small amount of sunflower sprouts on top.

Now you are ready to roll. Starting with the end closest to you, lift the edge of the nori and roll it tightly over the pate’ and vegetables. Pull the roll back toward you once or twice to compress the ingredients in the roll. Continue rolling until a tight cylinder is formed. (This gets easier with practice). If necessary, place a bit of water on the very end of the roll to seal it. Serves 1.

#1 LONGER LIFE SECRET

FROM FOOD MATTERS. IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4DOQ6Xhqss&feature=player_embedded