*Love. Love. Love. Love.

*Love and appreciate my body, even when it’s changing or different than what I wish it were.

*Get outdoors, in nature, even for just 10 minutes.

*Continue to inspire myself while inspiring others.

*Pamper myself in some way: a bath, a massage from my hubby, paint my nails, mini facial

*Get exercise, get the blood flowing, sweat.

*Make love, with my partner or with myself!

*Have quiet time where I shut down from the world, for even 10 minutes. Meditation, or just a time when I put my phone on silent and take deep breaths and appreciate.

*Read something that brings me pleasure.

*Eat something that brings me pleasure.

*WRITE IN MY JOURNAL! OR DRAW! express myself.

*Be forgiving: with myself and others.

*Snuggle with my dog. Let him lick my face. Life’s too short to care.

*Speak up for myself.

*Ride my bike.

*Be playful. Laugh. Giggle.

*YOGA. live it. LOVE IT. do it. on and off the mat!

*Eat beautiful, organic, natural foods. As many colors as possible!

*Take too many pictures.

*Keep learning and growing. Evolving is what life is about!

*remember it’s OKAY to be WRONG.

*Share with EVERYBODY.

*Express gratitude, send thank you cards. Remember Birthdays.

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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!

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Here is a list of the “Do’s” for Los Angeles:

Paper

-All Clean Dry Paper

computer, ledger, wrapping, arts and craft paper, unwanted mail, flyers, telephone books, note cards, newspaper, blueprints, magazines, file folders, paper bags, Post-it notes, catalogs; and all envelopes including those with windows

- All Cardboard Boxes and Chipboard

cereal, tissue, dry food, frozen food, shoe, and detergent boxes; paper and toilet rolls; and corrugated boxes broken down flattened.

Metals

- All Aluminum, Tin, Metal, and Bi-Metal Cans

rinsed if possible, soda, juice, soup, vegetables, and pet food cans;

pie tins; clean aluminum foils; empty paint and aerosol cans with plastic caps removed, and wire hangers

Glass

- All Glass Bottles and Jars

rinsed if possible, soda, wine, beer, spaghetti sauce, pickle jars, broken bottles, and etc.

Plastics

- All Clean Plastics 1 Through 7

- Empty Plastic Containers

rinsed if possible, soda, juice, detergent, bleach, shampoo, lotion, mouthwash, dishwashing liquid bottles, milk jugs, tubs for margarine and yogurt, plastic planters, food and blister packaging, rigid clamshell packaging, etc.

- All Plastic Bags and All Film Bags

grocery bags and dry cleaner bags, and all clean film plastic

- All Clean Polystyrene (Styrofoam®)

Styrofoam® cups, containers, and packaging such as Styrofoam® egg shell cartons, Styrofoam® block packaging, and Styrofoam® clamshell packaging

- Miscellaneous Plastics

Plastic coat hangers, non-electric plastic toys, plastic swimming pools, & plastic laundry baskets

This is awesome! I had no idea we also recycled Styrofoam materials. That makes me so happy!

Here’s a list of all the “Don’ts” for Los Angeles recycling:

Contaminated Paper

all soiled papers or bags with oils and food waste

Broken Glass

window glass, mirror glass, auto glass, light bulbs, fluorescent lights and ceramics

Other Plastic

plastic hygienic items, any electric or battery operated toys

Miscellaneous Materials

coated milk cartons, electrical cords, cloth/fabric, appliances, mini blinds, kitchen utensils, lawn furniture, garden hoses, rubber tires, construction materials, including asphalt or concrete, wood and wood products

Hazardous Materials

electronics, syringes, all partially filled aerosol cans and containers for cleaning fluids, automotive fluids, all batteries (including car batteries, household batteries, rechargeable batteries), pesticides, oil based paint, garden chemicals, and pool cleaners

–>Remember: REUSING is much more useful and less wasteful than recycling! Always try and reuse a container a few times before sending it off to recycling land.

“In the end, we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.” -Baba Dioum

all info from Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation

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I love this recipe for raw, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. They taste like the raw cookie dough we aren’t supposed to love and eat while we’re making “real” cookies… only these are egg-free and completely safe to eat a ton of! Now I’m sharing the recipe with you, for your noshing pleasure.

Recipe for Raw Chocolate Chip Cookies

*2 C nuts (soaked almonds)

*1/2 C dates

*1 tsp vanilla extract

*1/2 tsp sea salt

*1/4 C coconut oil, melted (not in a microwave)

*1/4 C-1/2 C chocolate chips (depending on your love of chocolate)

Directions

1. With a food processor, grind up all above ingredients except the chocolate chips. If you process them for a long time they will taste much more like cookie dough, if you process for less time they will have a nutty consistency which is fun and tasty, too!

2. After processing to desired consistency, drop the chocolate chips into the dough and mix with a spoon. Then pulse 3-4 times to mix it and grind the chips into the mixture.

3. Take a cookie sheet and spread the cookie dough into the pan, using your fingers to press into the corners and flatten into one even, level, layer.

4. Put in the fridge or freezer for 30 minutes to an hour to harden.

5. I then took it out and used heart cookie shape cutters but you can roll them into a ball and leave them that way, use another shape, or take the ball and flatten it into a round “cookie”. sky’s the limit! ENJOY!!!

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Stomach

Our bodies host plenty of guests in the form of beneficial, healthy bacteria that live inside our digestive track and stomach. At one time or another, most people have used antibiotics, reinforcements that Western doctors prescribe to help us fight off harmful infections. Unfortunately, these drugs also wipe out the helpful organisms that play an important role in our digestive process. When this happens, you want to replenish the intestinal flora with probiotics. There are several types and fortunately you can obtain most through natural foods!

What are probiotics??

According to the World Health Organization, probiotics are live micro-organisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host1 (2001 WHO/ FAO Report).

Probiotics help intestinal bacteria perform their tasks more efficiently. They take over when your intestinal bacteria have too much work or are weakened or even destroyed by antibiotics, stress, poor nutrition or any other factors.

Where can I get Probiotics from?

For a rich, readily available source of lactobacillus, eat yogurt, preferably goat yogurt, which is easier to digest than the kind made from cow’s milk. Additional sources include sauerkraut, miso, tempeh, and organic soybeans. Immediately after a course of antibiotics, you may wish to recharge your sytem with probiotics, which are found with refrigerated items in health food stores. Be sure they contain bifidobacteria, enterococci, and saccharomycese as well as lactobacillus. And always take them on an empty stomach!

Anytime my clients or friends have an upset stomach or just finish a round of antibiotics, I highly suggest Bio-K, which is available at Whole Foods and most health food stores. It’s an incredible probiotic resource, with over 50 million healthy bacteria contained in one small container! Gluten-free, free of pesticides and hormones. Click on this link to order straight from their website.

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blending the crust

For the Crust

2 cups raw macadamia nuts OR a blend of almonds, walnuts and pecans
1/2 cup dates, pitted
1/4 cup dried coconut

For the “Cheese”

3 cups chopped cashews, soaked for at least 1 hour

blending the "cheese"

3/4 cup lemon juice (or lime juice-i used limequats for this! so delish)
3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt (optional)

For raspberry sauce:
1 bag frozen raspberries (or blackberries/strawberries)
1/2 cup dates

DIRECTIONS

To make the crust, process the nuts and dates in the food processor. Sprinkle dried coconut onto the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch springform pan. Press crust onto the coconut. This will prevent it from sticking.

To make the cheese, blend the cashews, lemon, honey, gently warmed coconut oil (do not use microwave), vanilla, sea salt, and 1/2 cup water. Blend until smooth and adjust to taste.

Pour the mixture onto the crust. Remove air bubbles by tapping the pan on a table.

Place in the freezer until firm. Remove the whole cake from the pan while frozen and place on a serving platter. Defrost in the refrigerator. (the more defrosted the better the taste)

To make the raspberry sauce, process raspberries and dates in a food processor until well blended. (Do not use a blender for this or the raspberry seeds will become like sand.)

finished product!

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I could REALLY use your help! 20% of the contest is up to you!!!!

www.hotrawchef.com

THANK YOU THANK YOU!

making carrot juice!

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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!

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Made with soy milk instead of regular milk, this popular drink can now not make your stomach hurt in addition to the sugar high (and then low) you’ll get.

I don’t love that it’s made with soy milk (I’d prefer almond or oat milk) but it’s definitely a step in the right direction for such a huge corporation. It reflects a demand of us, “the people”, and shows that we CAN make small changes over time!

Benefits to using soy vs regular milk:

*no animal products used

*no cholesterol

*no saturated fats

Apparently they even have a new blender for vegan customers, it’s pink, so make sure if it’s important to you that you ask for it to be used!
For more info, check out this link

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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

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