Check out this new recipe to BLAST your energy levels without coffee or a redbull!

——–> click here for VIDEO RECIPE!!! <———-

This is good for ANYONE and EVERYONE… moms, dads, nanny’s, and just about any person trying to get more energy and feel good…in a natural way! If you aren’t getting the sleep you wish you were, this is for you! Lots of superfoods and healing herbs will  deeply satisfy your system so that you don’t need anything else. Give it a try and let me know how it goes!!!

make an epic Superfood Smoothie! Recipe:

1 tsp Tumeric (healing, antibacterial, anticancer)
1 tsp Holy Basil (stress relief, immune stimulator, powerful antioxidants/vitamins)
1 cup Kale (powerful superfood vegetable full of chlorophyll and nutrients!)
1 tsp Spirulina (protein, cleansing, B vitamins, happy food!)
1 Banana (frozen preferably, add more for sweetness)
1 tablespoon Hemp Protein (excellent source of vegetarian/vegan protein)
8 oz Coconut Milk (or almond/rice) (good source of healthy fats!)
Agave to taste
Ice to temp!

Maca is a plant with a radish-like root that is used as a food and for medicinal purposes. Although maca is unrelated to the ginseng family, it has been dubbed “Peruvian ginseng” because it is used as a folk remedy to increase stamina, energy, and sexual drive.

Maca improves both male and female hormone balance, supports the adrenals, increases stamina, helps with erectile dysfunction and increases sex-drive and fertility! I would start with a teaspoon a day in a smoothie and increase up to 4 teaspoons a day. Read on to read more details!!

Maca-an Adaptogen

In the 1930s, Russian scientists studying plant medicine coined the term adaptogen to refer to a plant that promoted non specific benefits to an organism while inducing NO negative side effects.

An adaptogen is a substance which raises the non-specific resistance in an organism. Adaptogens enable the body to enhance its power of resistance and adapt to external conditions. They work with the body’s natural rhythms to help rebuild weak immune systems, re-mineralize poorly nourished bodies, and increase energy and endurance.

The endocrine system is a collection of glands that produce chemical “messengers” called hormones essential for normal bodily functions. A wide variety of physiological processes are carried out unconsciously by these “messengers”. Once released they flow directly into the bloodstream and are transported to organs and tissues throughout the entire body.

Scientists and doctors are now finding maca to be one of the best natural ways to regulate and support endocrine health. This action regulates metabolism, energy levels, growth, sexual development and the sense of well being and attitude.

Thankfully, maca does not contain hormones itself. Instead it provides a unique set of nutrients that directly fuel the endocrine system and help the glands to produce vital hormones in precise dosages predetermined by one’s own body.

Sexual drive and fertility

According to folklore, ancient Incan warriors took maca before going off to battle to make them physically strong. However, they were later prohibited from taking it, in order to protect conquered women from their heightened libidos.

One study looked at the effect of 4 months treatment with maca tablets on semen quality in nine adult men. Treatment with maca resulted in increased seminal volume, sperm count, and sperm motility. A 12-week randomized controlled trial looked at 1,500 mg maca, 3,000 mg maca, or placebo. After 8 weeks, there was an improvement in sexual desire in the men taking maca.

So why does maca feel so good?

Personally, because I eat a primarily vegan diet, my body is somewhat low in iron and B vitamins. Although I eat as many plant based foods that contain iron and B vitamins, sometimes I need to take an iron and B vitamin supplement. I find that the days I have maca I don’t need to supplement with the vitamins (OR COFFEE!)  because my body feels nourished. As an adaptogen, maca works broadly to contribute to overall well being. It nourishes and calms the nerves with calcium, phosphorus, vitamins B1 and B12 , and fatty acids, all of which work beneficially on the nervous system.

I would experiment, just like any other superfood or food, and try it each day for a few weeks and see how you feel. In my experience with maca, the best way to tell if it’s affecting you is to take it away after some time.

Maca comes in pill form or is ground into powder. I include maca powder in many of my own smoothies, and in those of my clients when they are doing a cleanse or raw-life experience.

*I would avoid maca if you are on birth control.

Here’s a video that includes some info about maca AND a recipe to use it in! (you can add it to anything, start with 1 tsp and work your way up!)

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

My husband, Adi Jaffe, is getting his PhD in Psychology at UCLA. His goal is to help people who are addicted to anything from gambling, to sex, to drugs and alcohol find healthier ways to cope with life. Therefore, we have a lot in common! Yoga and eating healthy food, in my opinion, are two of the greatest coping mechanism when dealing with life’s obstacles and greatest challenges. We are both dedicating our lives to helping others figure out the best way to navigate this ship we call life, both in our individual and unique ways.

A New Tool in Addiction Treatment

There are so many ways to treat addiction, and just like he states in a post he wrote, “different methods work for different people…if there’s a tool that can help, we need to put it into action.”

He’s also been working on a system of matching each person to a treatment facility that is the best possible “fit” for that individual. The person goes onto his website, and after answering a few questions, the system figures out what would be the best match for them. As he explains, “We’re currently testing a system that will use some basic, and some a bit more advanced, criteria to help direct addicts towards the right provider for them. Don’t have much money and working full-time? Then residential treatment should probably not be your first choice? Medicated for schizophrenia? You better stay away from providers that don’t offer serious mental health services (though they’ll sure take you if you walk through their doors)” This amazing new tool will be available in the next few weeks, so stay tuned!!!

(This rehab finder is NOW AVAILABLE! click here to access this phenomenal tool)

The point here? We’re not all the same. We are extraordinarily unique individuals with equally as unique issues. These issues could be worked out in a million different ways, and it’s important that we are treated by and as the one-of-a kind person we are to get through these issues in a healthy way.

Yoga and Healthy Coping

There are all kinds of ways to cope with life’s challenges. One way is by getting yourself to a yoga class and working out your issues on your mat. Yoga is a beautiful metaphor for life. As you practice yoga, moving through the asanas (postures/poses), you move as gracefully and truthfully as possible. Wherever you are that day, maybe you’re in a crappy mood, you’re just doing the best you can: moving, growing, evolving. Just as in life.

Camel Pose-Backbend

Back bends, for example, are a natural way to release endorphins. Natural opioids (also called endogenous opioids), which include endorphins, are used by the body to relieve pain and increase relaxation, especially during periods of extreme stress. These are the chemicals that make sure we can function during accidents, like after breaking our leg.

This chemical is released during yoga over and over again, which is why we feel so good during the class and for hours following the practice.

After a light warmup, you can practice back bends in the comforts of your home. It’s a great way to relax before bedtime or if you begin to enter into dangerous space or get thrown off track. After your body is warm, a really gentle pose to try is upward facing dog or Urdhva Mukha Svanasana.

Try This Heart Opening Yoga Pose

upward facing dog

1) Lie prone on the floor. Stretch your legs back, with the tops of your feet on the floor. Bend your elbows and spread your palms on the floor beside your waist so that your forearms are relatively perpendicular to the floor.

2) Inhale and press your inner hands firmly into the floor and slightly back, as if you were trying to push yourself forward along the floor. Then straighten your arms and simultaneously lift your torso up and your legs a few inches off the floor on an inhalation. Keep the thighs firm and slightly turned inward, the arms firm and turned out so the elbow creases face forward.

3) Press the tailbone toward the pubis and lift the pubis toward the navel. Narrow the hip points. Firm but don’t harden the buttocks.

4) Firm the shoulder blades against the back and puff the side ribs forward. Lift through the top of the sternum but avoid pushing the front ribs forward, which only hardens the lower back. Look straight ahead or tip the head back slightly, but take care not to compress the back of the neck and harden the throat.

5) Urdhva Mukha Svanasana is one of the positions in the traditional Sun Salutation sequence. You can also practice this pose individually, holding it anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds, breathing easily. Release back to the floor or lift into Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog) with an exhalation.

Impulse control has a lot to do with ones addictive behavior. If we can learn to regulate our impulses in healthy ways, i.e. through healthy challenges like sitting through an entire yoga class, we can figure out ways to bring this control off the mat and into our everyday habits.

There are so many healthy ways to cope with life’s challenges other than reaching for an unhealthy addictive substance or turning to an addictive behavior. One extremely healthy way to face obstacles in one’s life is by getting into your body to get out of your head or repetitive unhealthy patterns. Yoga is a wonderful way to connect inward.

Adi Jaffe writes for a website/blog called All About Addiction, which is a great resource for the latest cutting edge research and science in the addiction and psychological realms. He also contributes to Psychology Today, another amazing resource.

Tonight I wanted something light and nutritious, and this soup hit the bulls-eye.I didn’t warm it, I ate it as a gazpacho (considering it was 80 degrees in LA today, my internal temperature was still toasty!)

A cucumber a day keeps the body happy! This soup contains everything you need to alkalize and energize–quickly and simply.

Philosophie Ultimagreenerizer Soup!

• 1 1/2 cucumbers (I used smaller, Persian cucumbers which are easier and a bit sweeter)
• 2 sticks celery
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 avocado (I used half because I wasn’t that hungry)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 clove garlic
  
• 2 tbsp hulled hemp seeds
  
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  
• 1/2 tsp crystal sea salt

Put all of the above into a food processor and blend! Pour into a bowl and add:

• 1 tbsp nori flakes (or take nori sheets and tear it up)
• more sea salt to taste
• a swirl of olive oil, mix well with a spoon

I ate this soup with a piece of whole wheat bread… dipping as I went. It’s my favorite way to eat soup! If you’re gluten free, there are plenty of gluten free options for bread out there. Or you could eat this with little crackers, or just as is!

The Protein Myth: Let’s Get Down to the Truth Here!

PROTEIN PROTEIN PROTEIN!

A 6-ounce broiled porterhouse steak is a great source of protein—38 grams worth. But it also delivers 44 grams of fat, 16 of them saturated. That’s almost three-fourths of the recommended daily intake for saturated fat. That can be really tough on your kidneys. The same amount of salmon gives you 34 grams of protein and 18 grams of fat, 4 of them saturated. A cup of cooked lentils has 18 grams of protein, but under 1 gram of fat. So when choosing protein-rich foods, pay attention to what comes along with the protein. Vegetable sources of protein, such as beans, nuts, seeds, green veggies, fruit and whole grains, are excellent choices, and they offer healthy fiber, vitamins and minerals.

*Please take into consideration that individual nutritional requirements for every person is unique and varies. The most important lifestyle influence that may modify demands for protein is the level of physical activity.

What Food Provides Enough Protein?

From www.rawfoodnation.org:

“The World Health Organization states that humans need about 5% of their daily calorie  intake to come from protein. This constitutes a healthy diet. Actually, by being a raw food enthusiast, you have the option to get your daily dose of protein from a variety of sources. So no longer do you have to think “gee, I should make sure I have chicken tonight so I get my protein.” Now you have multiple ways to get your protein, from your breakfast smoothie to your afternoon snack. On average, fruits have roughly 5% of their calories from protein and vegetables (especially green leafy ones) have 20-50% of their calories from protein.”

Here are some great plant based foods that are packed with the proteins your body needs:

* Dark leafy greens such as kale and spinach (2-3g per 100g; great in salads, in juices and green smoothies)

* Fruits such as peaches, avocados (1-4g protein per 100g fruit; great in smoothies), and raisins (consider making a raw trail mix)

* Nuts such as Brazil nuts, pecans, almonds, pistachios (up to 21g of protein per 100g) and seeds such as sunflower, pumpkin seed and chia seed

* Hemp protein powders (23%) added to your smoothies and Blue-Green Algae such as Spirulina (contains all the amino acids) also added to juices and smoothies

After reading all these articles, and finally, reading the article by the World Health Organization “Protein and Amino Acid Requirements in Human Nutrition”, I’ve concluded that we need about for every .83g of protein for each kg of body weight(each kg is 2.5 lbs). In easy to understand terms: divide your weight into a third. That’s about what you should get in protein grams. (for a 140 lb person they should obtain around 45 grams per day)

This is from a raw food guy I follow, and this is what he says about protein on the raw diet:

“6% of protein in total calories consumed is plenty, for the following reasons:

1. Human milk only contains 6% protein (by calories). We know that babies are growing fast and need more protein than adult. So there is no reason to think we would need more protein than a growing baby.

2. Vegetarian and fruitarian animals on the planet all eat a low-protein diet and yet build tremendous strength and muscle.

3. Proteins in fruits and vegetables are of higher quality than proteins in grains or beans. They contain all necessary amino acids and are not processed, cooked or coagulated by heat. Therefore, they are easy to assimilate.

In the 11 years I’ve been on a raw diet, I’ve never known any raw-foodist with a true protein deficiency.

However, I’ve met plenty of people who consumed too little food and wasted away, in addition to suffering from many deficiency-related problems.

It’s essential to consume enough calories to meet your needs. If you do that, you’ll automatically get enough protein, along with most necessary nutrients (one exception is Vitamin B12. I recommend supplementing for that).” -Frederick Patenaude

I completely agree that we obsess over the protein controversy and that we actually (on the Standard American Diet) get WAY too much. I’m just not sure if 6% is enough. I’ll continue to do research.

Check out other thoughts he has on his blog: http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/blog/

This concept is hard for me to grasp, personally. I’m still addicted to the idea of “getting enough protein” and getting it from fish. I probably only eat fish every other week, but I feel like it’s imperative, even though it probably isn’t. This year as one of my new years resolutions, I will attempt to eat less fish. I know there are plenty of reasons to not eat fish- i.e. toxins, mercury, poisons but i continue to hold onto the notion of “how good I feel after eating it” (unlike other meats that don’t leave me feeling good). I also feel like I’m on cloud nine after drinking a green juice,  superfood smoothie or a delicious raw entree. So, would I really miss not having fish in my life? This year will be the test!

Perhaps you are burning the candle at both ends. Maybe you are a workaholic. Whatever the situation, you usually know why you are feeling fatigued.

We may not feel like getting out of bed because of factors such as nutritional deficiencies and imbalances, stress, jet lag, PMS, as well as a diet of too much fat, sugar and food additives.

You can experience fatigue in both body and mind.

You expect muscle fatigue after a hard work out. And mental fatigue is normal after a hard day’s work or after dealing with the typical emotional ups and downs of modern life. Usually, a good night’s sleep or a restful weekend will do the trick. But victims of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) experience endless, debilitating lethargy. Symptoms of CFS include swollen lymph nodes, low-grade fever, recurring sore throat, muscle pain, poor concentration and memory, headache and depression. The most debilitating is the relentless, uncompromising exhaustion.

If you’ve already done a Pure Philosophie Experience or Philosophie Cleanse, you have already experienced the feeling of raw juices instantly supercharging your body. Why do you get this quick jolt of energy? In addition to their bioelectric energy field, raw nutrients are more viable than cooked nutrients. Nutrients such as vitamin C, most B-complex Vitamins, and enzymes simply cannot survive the heat. Proteins may be altered in a way that makes them indigestible, and fats can degrade into carcinogenic forms.

When you consume these foods in a more natural state, you get nearly 100% of their nutrients, including the phytochemicals and enzymes that assist in their digestion. This increased digestibility means you get to use more of what you eat. Since it takes less energy to digest the meal, you have more left over and you feel it. You become more efficient! You need less sleep, have more energy, more stamina, less fatigues and do a better job of fighting disease.

Whatever the cause, good nutrition can reduce and possibly eliminate the symptoms. A high-energy diet that builds the immune system should include complex carbohydrates that stimulate the metabolism, whole grains and beans that add fiber and protein, low fat protein, fish and fish oils for beneficial fatty acids, and lots of water. Use the power of fruits, vegetables, and their juices to provide the vitamins, minerals and fiber to get you going. Start the day with a high protein, high mineral drink that rejuvenates your senses, vitalizes you spirit and sustains your body.

What about Coffee?

Avoid caffeine, as it is only a temporary boost, merely postponing fatigue. Put away the espresso maker and pull out the juicer. Juicing is the best way to get instant energy. Stock your fridge with organic fruits and veggies. Leave sugary foods and high fat, processed foods at the bakery and butcher shops.

See prior posts for raw recipes for energy and to blast exhaustion! (I’d suggest brain food, green smoothie, rocket fuel, bunny love or maca java)

Getting outside and breathing fresh air can do wonders. Take a blanket outside on a sunny day and lay on a patch of grass while stretching and breathing.  It’s incredibly grounding.

Brain Food!!!

• 8 oz Carrot Juice

• 2 oz Alfalfa Sprouts

• 1 tsp Blue-Green Algae, Spirulina or Chlorella

Carrot juice is renown for its abundance of antioxidants. Alfalfa sprouts are rich in phytochemicals and chlorophyll and increase oxygen in the blood and brain. Blue-green algae, in any of its varieties, is a superb brain foods for sharpening concentration and alertness. Use organic carrots whenever possible.

Good morning!! I woke up thinking about how badly I wanted a green smoothie for breakfast.

After you try this concoction you’ll understand why!!!! Grab a blender and toss in:

• 1 handful kale or collard greens
• 2 handfuls spinach
• 2 stalks celery
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1/2 cup blueberries or strawberries
• 1/2 banana
• 1 scoop hemp protein
• 1 cup almond milk, rice milk, oat milk or water
• pinch of Himalayan pink sea salt

This drink gives me energy for hours, unlike any energy a caffeinated drink could  provide. Another plus about this drink is that it really alkaline’s the system, helps you keep weight off and it is incredibly cleansing for the system (lymphatic and digestive).

You can take away the banana for less sugar or add more to make it sweeter. You’ll still get the beautiful benefits of all the green vegetables.

If you want it to be more savory and less sweet, you can alter the recipe this way:

• 1 handful kale or collard greens
• 2 handfuls spinach
• 2 stalks celery
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1/2 avocado (if you have a good blender toss the pit in there, it will make it super creamy!!)
• 1 cup water
  
• a few squeezes of fresh lemon
• a couple parsley sprigs
• pinch of cayenne pepper

I like this variation for a mid day snack or a lunch or dinner replacement with hemp protein. If you let it blend longer and get really smooth, it will even warm in the blender and come out tasting like a savory soup!!

Okay now that I’m drooling–time to make my shake!!!