In a past entry, I wrote about enzymes and broke down the details to their benefits and the differences between them. The bottom line: as we get older, all of us loose our ability to produce concentrated digestive enzymes. That’s where raw food comes in! Raw foods are rich in enzymes. Enzymes are needed for the digestive system to work. They are necessary to break down food particles so they can be utilized for energy. The human body makes approximately 22 different digestive enzymes which are capable of digesting carbohydrates, protein and fats. Raw vegetables and raw fruit are rich sources of enzymes.

While all raw foods contain enzymes, the most powerful enzyme-rich food is sprouted seeds, grains, and legumes. Sprouting increases the enzyme content in these foods enormously.

A diet rich in enzymes can increase energy and stamina, as well as support weight loss, healthy skin, and overall good health.

Here is a delicious recipe for a raw, vegan smoothie that’s especially full of enzyme rich foods to aid in digestion.

Enzyme Rich Tummy Tamer

• 2 C coconut water
• 1/2 C fresh or frozen papaya
• 1/2 C fresh or frozen pineapple
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• few fresh leaves of mint

Raw Food Diet: Eliminate the Damaging Foods

The number one benefit for eating a (mostly) Raw Food Diet is that you are (mostly) eliminating all the processed foods that are DAMAGING to the body. For people eating the ‘Standard American Diet’ (SAD), this is a hard transition to make, but a worthy one. The most important thing is to get MORE raw, natural, unprocessed foods into your daily habits and hoepefully take out some of the cooked, unnatural, processed ones. (which cause food addiction)

Eating enzyme-rich raw foods is not the main reason why people heal and regenerate their bodies. They heal because they are leaving out all the damaging foods. Now don’t get me wrong… these enzymes and raw foods are GREAT and they do nourish the body, especially if you are consuming them as vegetable juices and smoothies. When you cook food it changes in its molecular composition, which in turn makes foods more damaging to the body.

Most important take-home message: You can eat enzyme-rich raw foods until you are blue in the face, and you are not going to heal unless you also eliminate these processed foods from your intake.

We can help you! Start with a Universal Luv Pak (long distance cleanse program) and we’ll work from there.

zuddhagirls@gmail.com

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!

Now that it’s autumn, root vegetables are in season.

Here’s a yummy smoothie recipe using carrots and sweet potatoes, both of which are in season right now!

Autumn Smoothie Recipe

• 4 oz carrot juice (buy it organic pre-juiced or juice it at home if you have a juicer)
• 4 oz almond milk
• 3-5 pitted dates, depending on size
• ½ sweet potato, cut into cubes
• ½ avocado
• 1 tbsp coconut butter or ½ tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• handful of ice
• optional extra agave or stevia if more sweetness is desired

You can use this creamy, grounding smoothie as a meal replacement or as a hearty snack. It’s filling and fulfilling- because of all the nutrients.

Carrots have tons of vitamin A, which is great for the eyes (to adjust to light), skin and is a cancer preventative. Intake of foods such as carrots that are rich in carotenoids may be beneficial to blood sugar regulation. Research has suggested that physiological levels, as well as dietary intake, of carotenoids may be inversely associated with insulin resistance and high blood sugar levels.

Sweet potatoes are a rawkstar vegetable-amazing dietary fiber, vitamin A and C, iron and calcium! The numbers for the nutritional sweet potato speak for themselves: almost twice the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A, 42 percent of the recommendation for vitamin C, four times the RDA for beta carotene, and, when eaten with the skin, sweet potatoes have more fiber than oatmeal. All these benefits with only about 130 to 160 calories! Among root vegetables, sweet potatoes offer the lowest glycemic index rating. That’s because the sweet potato digests slowly, causing a gradual rise in blood sugar so you feel satisfied longer. It’s time to move sweet potatoes to the “good” carb list!!

Heather and I visiting Boston in the Fall!

This amazing raw chocolate smoothie will leave you dreaming of it. (hence the name)

Raw cacao is the most abundant antioxidant in the WORLD, (far beyond blueberries and red wine) and will give you amazing energy and mental clarity. It also has a great amount of Magnesium in it, which most people are deficient in and don’t even know it. Make this as a caffeine free alternative to an energy boosting cappuccino or frappaccino, or a healthy indulgence…raw chocolate mylk-shake

ORAC scores for the Top 10 Antioxidants Foods (per 100 grams)

1) Raw cacao powder* 95,500
2) Raw cacao nibs* 62,100
3) Roasted cacao powder 26,000
4) Organic Goji Berries* 25,300
5) Acai Berries* 18,500
6) Dark Chocolate 13,120
7) Milk Chocolate 6,740
8 ) Prunes 5,770
9) Raisins 2,830
10) Blueberries 2,400

Source: US department of Agriculture/Journal of American Chemical Society

*Brunswick Laboratories MA, USA

Smoothie Recipe: Delicious Chocolate Dream

• 1 cup almond milk/oat milk/coconut milk or water -maybe more if you want the consistency thinner
• 1 Banana (Tip: I keep them frozen once ripe in a ziploc bag for easy access!)
  
• 1 small avocado (to make it creamy and for the good fats)
• 1/4 cup raw cacao nibs
• 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
• 1/4 cup agave (less or more depending on sweetness desire) or 1 packet Stevia
  
• 1 tbsp coconut oil (consistency and for the good fats)
• 2 tsp maca
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon (lowers blood sugar levels)
• handful or two of ice
  (to make this a complete meal/more filling you could also add hemp, raw or brown rice protein)

This smoothie will give you an abundance of ENERGY! Forgot coffee, this smoothie will keep your energy high for hours with no “come down” like caffeine provides. Enjoy! It’s DELICIOUS!

Cacao Nibs