Kelp noodles rawk!!! They are virtually calorie free and don’t taste like the sea at all. There is no sugar, gluten, wheat, rice or flour. Kelp is known to aid the metabolism, boost energy, aid in digestion and they contain an abundance of minerals.

Ingredients for Raw, Vegan Pesto Kelp Noodles:

*2 packages Kelp Noodles

*2 large bushels of fresh Basil leaves

*1 Cup fresh Spinach

*1/4 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil

*1/2 Cup raw Pinenuts

*2 fresh Garlic cloves

*1/2 Teaspoon Celtic Sea Salt

pinenuts

Directions:

1) soak kelp noodles in warm/hot water for at least 20 minutes. Drain and  wring out excess water.

2) combine all ingredients in food processor/Cuisinart (except kelp noodles)

3) taste the pesto. It may need more sea salt or garlic for your taste. Also, if it’s too chunky, add more olive oil or a little bit of filtered water. If it’s too watery, add more pine nuts or spinach/basil.

If you want a variation, try my recipe for Cheezy Kelp Noodles!

Research from the University of Minnesota found that rats fed for 135 days on an 80% cooked food diet resulted in an increase pancreatic weight of 20-30%.

This means that the pancreas is forced to work harder with a cooked food diet. “Although the body can manufacture enzymes, the more you use your enzyme potential, the faster it is going to run out..” wrote Dr. Edward Howell, who pioneered research in the benefits of food enzymes. A youth of 18 may produce amylase levels 30 times greater than those of an 85 year old person.

Some excellent food sources of enzymes are: papaya, pineapple and sprouted seeds. Science cannot duplicate enzymes because they are the stuff of life itself. Only raw food has functional “live” enzymes. Therefore the liver, pancreas, stomach and intestines must come to the rescue and furnish the requisite digestive enzymes to the individual nourished solely on a cooked food diet.

This extra activity can be detrimental to health and longevity because it continually taxes the reserve energy of our organs. Furthermore, cooked food passes through the digestive tract more slowly than raw food, tends to ferment, and throws poisons back into the body. Colon cancer is 2nd to lung cancer as a killer in America and is related, in various ways, to eating enzyme-deficient cooked food.

All raw foods contain exactly the right enzymes required to split every last molecule into the basic building blocks of metabolism: Amino acids (from protein) glucose (from complex carbs) and essential fatty acids (from unsaturated vegetable fats.)

This isn’t a post to say you should ONLY eat raw or living foods… just to try and incorporate more in your diet. Even once a day is a great treat for your body!

Recipe:

*8 oz Coconut Milk (coconut butter + filtered water) or Almond or Oat Milk (can buy boxed)
*2 Tablespoons Cacao Powder
*2 Teaspoons Cacao Nibs
*1 scoop (2 Tablespoons) Protein Powder of your choice (Raw, Brown Rice or Whey)
*2 drops of chocolate stevia concentrate
*2 drops of vanilla creme stevia concentrate
*handful or two of ice

Optional:

*maca powder- 1-2 teaspoons
*banana or dates (take out the pit!) for sweetener instead of or in addition to stevia
**toppings: buckwheat grawnola, goji berries, cacao nibs

After living in LALA land for almost 8 years, I’ve discovered quite the enticing places to eat. I always love finding new spots to grab a bite, especially when the food is healthy & inspiring and the energy is positive.

Here are my top choices if I WERE visiting Los Angeles and wanted to grab a healthy snack or meal.

Santa Monica:

• Euphoria Loves Rawvolution on Main Street in between Venice and Santa Monica, fun part of town, 2 blocks from the beach. They serve vegan and raw food, sell a few supplements and raw desserts to LIVE for!  I bring my laptop or a book here and cozy up on their couch. They have open mic nights and special events for the community. It’s a very friendly environment, super casual and the staff are wonderful. 2301 Main Street, Santa Monica

• Santa Monica Co-Opportunity this is a lovely place to go if you want to get snacks for a picnic or a smoothie after gallivanting at the beach. It looks like a grocery store, but ohhhh, it’s so much more. You may not know that a supermarket can be cool, until you go here. Juice/Smoothie bar, best bulk variety items I’ve ever seen, and a whole refrigerated section dedicated to raw and vegan prepackaged foods. I’m here minimum 4 times a week! Corner of 16th and Broadway in Santa Monica.

• Planet Raw (owned by raw chef Juliano) Couldn’t leave this one out. To be honest, If I had the money, I would go nowhere else but here. It’s super expensive but the MOST creative dishes in the raw food world. Friends/other planet raw frequenters complain of the service and staff, that they are snooty and give off a bad energy. Planet Raw  is among the quintessential So Cal dining experiences-attempting to be causal with absurd prices and pretentious attitudes. ALAS, their food is OUT OF CONTROL. I highly recommended the Ariel Salad, which will give you your day’s worth of greens and energy, and I crave it daily.  I almost always get a Chocolate “milk” shake, which is beyond my comprehension in tastyness. This place has a great location, blocks from downtown Santa Monica but the energy is much calmer and you would never know it’s inches from the famous 3rd St. Promenade. 609 Broadway, Santa Monica.

Silverlake/Hollywood:

• Cru is a sit down restaurant, great for a nice dinner. You can bring your own wine for a small corkage fee. They have both cooked vegan dishes and raw vegan foods, and I have never had a bad eating experience! “Artfully weaving Italian, Japanese, Tunisian, Thai and Indian flavors into a fresh interpretation of life enhancing gourmet food, including desserts that even the most health conscious individual can indulge in guiltlessly.” They also have uncooking classes here-which I will be teaching in June! Sundays 3-4:30p here’s the link! 1521 Griffith Park Blvd, Silverlake.

• Erwhon Natural Foods Market “Health Food Nirvana” is in West Hollywood. Similar to the experience of the Co-Op (see above) but a little more upscale. They have more of a selection (if it were possible) and the best part about this place is their tonic bar. You’ll find super knowledgeable staff and drinks you won’t find anywhere else.  They have a great selection of raw living foods, vegan, specialty chef spices, local produce, macrobiotic diet and body ecology diet foods.  They also have great cheese, nut cheese and raw chocolate ingredients.  The bulk items are maybe 10% higher than whole foods for organics, but the selection is good.The tonics and vitamin selections are far superior to any juice bar I’ve ever visited in SF, NYC or London. They have tons of great events featuring organic gourmet chefs, raw foodists, and educational talks.  It is definitely more pricey than other “markets” so just be prepared. Don’t come for a big shopping trip, come for an experience. 7660 Beverly Blvd, West Hollywood.

dairy-free dessert

Beverly Hills:

M Cafe features Macrobiotic Cuisine—balanced, nutritious, creative cooking which can be enjoyed by everyone, not just vegetarians or people with dietary restrictions. The chefs prepare each item fresh daily, using only the finest ingredients without any refined sugars, eggs, dairy, red meat or poultry. Easy items to grab and go, or sit and have a bite to eat in the center of BH. 9433 Brighton Way.

Urth Cafe: For beautiful lattes and organic specialty salads and sandwiches, visit Urth Cafe. This is a good place to go with non-vegan friends because you’ll be happy and so will they! Something for everyone. 267 South Beverly Drive.

Lemonade is a new discovery of mine. They have delicious salads to chose from, and the secret is to have them take one scoop from each salad choice so that you get more options. (you get 2 scoops for each salad) Another good place to go with non-vegan friends, sandwiches and fish/poultry dishes.. but everything is clean and healthy! Oh, and definitely try their house-made lemonade! Peach Ginger was my fave!  9001 Beverly Blvd.

The Goods On Greens

Read up on the benefits, flavors and all the wonderful nutrients in all these green vegetables.

Veggie Flavor Nutrients

1. Arugula- intense and peppery; Vitamins A and C, iron

2. Broccoli rabe- bitter and robust; Vitamins A and C, calcium, iron

3. Collard Greens-mild and smoky; Vitamins A, C and K; folate; manganese

4. Kale-similar to collards but more intense and earthy; vitamins A, C and K; manganese

5. Mustard greens- pungent and peppery; vitamins A, C, and K; folate; manganese

6. Romaine lettuce- Crisp with a fresh, mild flavor; Vitamins A and C; folate; manganese

7. Spinach- mild and versatile; Vitamins A, B6, B12, C, and K; manganese; folate; magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium

8. Swiss Chard-bitter and slightly salty; vitamins A, C,E, and K; magnesium; manganese; potassium; iron

When taking the first sip of this green juice, you may be shocked that it tastes so refreshing, clean and delicious! It’s so light, almost like a green colored lemonade! Give it a go!

Kale Juice

This is an incredibly healthy, refreshing way to start your day. Kale is full of calcium and antioxidants and just about everything else—it’s one of the best things you can put into your system. Kale and other green vegetables are super alkalizing for your system, and therefore helps to cleanse the body. When juiced with a bit of lemon and agave, kale turns into a sort-of grassy lemonade. No worries if you don’t have a juicer, a blender and a sieve do the trick.

• 1 bunch of organic kale, stems removed and leaves washed
• the juice of 2 small lemons
• 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of agave nectar
• 1/2 cup cold, filtered water

Combine everything in a blender and blend until completely pureed. It might take a little bit of time and a shove to get it going. Strain the juice through a fine sieve into a bowl, pushing down on the solids with a kitchen spoon being sure to extract all the juice. Taste the juice and add a bit more lemon or agave if you think it needs it. Pour into a glass and drink up!

Today I met a client to take her grocery shopping after doing a 3 day Philosophie cleanse. She bought pineapple and said it’s one of her faves…so, since it’s almost summer, I thought I’d post some recipes for yummy Pineapple Salads!!

Sweet and Tropical tasting-Creamy Pineapple Sauce:

1/4 cup cashew or macadamia butter

1/4 cup pineapple juice

1 tb. lemon juice

1/2 tb. olive oil

2 tsp. dried dill

Pineapple Waldorf Salad:

1 chopped apple

1/2 C Pineapple chunks

3 stalks celery, sliced

3-4 scallions, chopped

1/2 C walnuts or pecans

1/4 C parsley, chopped

Creamy Pineapple Sauce

Sea Salt to taste

Bon Appetite!

I’ll never forget the first time I watched almonds blend away and white, pure “milk” be created. It’s a surreal experience, try it for yourself!

To make dairy-free mylk, you can use pretty much any seed, grain or nut. I like almond, oat and coconut mylk the best. Experiment with your own taste buds  to see what works for you.

Ingredients:

• Nuts or seeds of choice
• Pure water
• sweetener of your choice (a few soft dates, raw honey, raw agave or stevia)
• 1 pinch of unprocessed sea salt (optional)

To create Mylk:

1. Soak nuts or seeds (almonds and hazelnuts for 8-12 hours, sunflower seeds or brazil nuts for 3 hours) I like to soak the nuts before bed and then in the morning it’s ready for biz-nas!

Before blending...

2. Place soaked nuts or seeds in a blender so that the nuts are even with the level of the uppermost part of the blades.

..after!!!

3. Add pure water to just cover the nuts and blend until smooth. Add more water until desired consistency is reached.

4. Sweeten to suit your taste buds with a soft date or two, raw agave, raw honey or a packet or drop of stevia (if you use too much stevia, it will become bitter). Strain with cheesecloth or a nut milk bag.

5. Make only what you will use in a day or two. Refrigerate.

(These milks will go bad after about 48 hours)

Vanilla Hemp Seed Mylk:

• 1/4 cup shelled hempseeds (buy them in air-tight containers, not from bulk bins where they can be rancid)
• 1 liter pure water
• 1 pinch of unprocessed sea salt (optional)
• sweetener of your choice
• vanilla pod or a few drops of vanilla stevia instead of sweetener

To Create Mylk:

1. Place the hempseeds in a blender with just enough water to cover them and blend well.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.

3. Strain in a mesh strainer and drink! Refrigerate the remainder.

Optional: for a thicker, more omega 3 rich milk, soak 1/4 cup flax seeds for 2 hours, then rinse and blend with hemp seeds.

*If you want to make these mylks chocolate for a kid or for a yummy treat, add raw cacao powder at the end of the final blend. It tastes DELICIOUS and no one will ever know you are drinking something with amazing superfoods, antioxidants and health benefits!!!

Organic produce can be very expensive. I’ve previously written about the benefits of eating and buying organics… but are you wondering which fruit and veggies you can buy conventionally?

The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization that advocates for policies that protect global and individual health, produces the Shoppers’ Guide to Pesticides in Produce. It is based on the results of nearly 43,000 pesticide tests.

Organic fruits and vegetables are by definition grown without the use of pesticides. But some find the expense of organic foods prohibitive.

Of the 43 different fruit and vegetable categories in the Guide to Pesticides, the following twelve foods had the lowest pesticide load when conventionally grown.

Consequently, they are the safest conventionally grown crops to consume:

* Broccoli

* Eggplant

* Cabbage

* Banana

* Kiwi

* Asparagus

* Sweet peas (frozen)

* Mango

* Pineapple

* Sweet corn (frozen)

* Avocado

* Onion

Sources: DrWeil.com July 30, 2008; FoodNews.org Printable Shopper’s Guide

DESSERT FIRST! (don’t mind if we do!)

To promote proper digestion, here are a few food combining tips. First and foremost… dessert first! Greens, and our other savory entrées require acid for digestion, thus should be consumed after fruit, honey, or other sweets. It’s best to eat sweets 15 minutes before, or two hours after, eating savory foods.

I suggest consuming liquids 15 – 30 minutes before solids to ensure proper digestion.(If you drink water before or after eating it can dilute your digestive enzymes therefore making it potentially more difficult to digest.)

Another tip for proper digestion is to consume a digestive enzyme when eating cooked foods. A diet that consists mainly of cooked food requires the pancreas to “work overtime” and the extra effort leaves it exhausted. If the pancreas is always having to produce enzymes that could come from food it will eventually cease to function properly.

It is believed that when a person eats an enzyme-poor diet consisting of lots of cooked food, the result is illness, lowered resistance to stress and a shortened life span.

How Do You Know if You Are Lacking Enzymes?

Heartburn, gas, constipation, bloating, allergies, ulcers, lack of energy and reduced functioning of the immune system may occur when there are not enough enzymes.

Raw foods contain the natural enzymes IN the plant, so it isn’t removed like with cooked foods.

I like the brands Enzymedica, Digest Gold and Jarrow brand, Jarro-Zymes Plus.