Welcome to the VIBRANT LIVING NEWSLETTER

Even though it’s a new year with a new and bright outlook for the future, some things remain the same. Things like finishing up the last of my luscious persimmons in early February before moving on to the next fresh seasonal fruit as my mainstay. And for now that fruit will be oranges supplemented with bananas and perhaps some dried fruit (soaked overnight) in my smoothies. We get the most amazing sweet and juicy oranges at our local farmers market that make the raw diet truly seem like heaven. We are so fortunate and if you have access to fresh produce so are you.

For some, the winter season, as we’re experiencing here in the northern hemisphere, can be challenging when trying to follow a raw diet. My advice to you is do the best you can where you are and don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. If adding in warming foods, like ginger root, cinnamon, and hot peppers, or sipping warm water or herbal tea don’t do it for you then adding in some steamed greens or root vegetables at night just might. Try to stay as high raw as you can while still maintaining your health and mental well being. Spring will be here soon enough and with that the warmer weather and the raw bounty that it brings.

I actually think that most people may be better suited to a high raw diet rather than a 100% raw diet filled with stress. Stress of any sort is far worse for our health than some fresh steamed greens and vegetables. The point of the raw diet is to become healthier, so if you approach it from that perspective and enjoy the journey then true health will be yours. Do what you can, when you can, and always have your end goal in mind. And if you take a step back realize it is just that and nothing more. Several steps forward will put that behind you and reset you on your personal journey to greater health.

In this issue of Vibrant Living I have an article on the benefits of green smoothies, I discuss how to make the best one, what the best blender is, and how I got hooked on them. There are plenty of new recipes for your enjoyment, a small piece on wheatgrass and its benefits, and the usual quotes. Enjoy!

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Thank You I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you that visit the website for its grand success. As you know, all the information and recipes are free and I encourage you to share it with others. The Raw-Foods-Diet-Center website is thriving with hundreds of thousands of hits per month by readers from around the globe. The feedback I receive is phenomenal and makes everything I do worthwhile. I will continue to improve content and add new pages and information to help you on your raw path. If there’s something you would like to see, please let me know.

~Be Well and Wonderful, Hugh

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"Pound for pound, molecule for molecule, there is more nutrition, more protein, more healing power and more life force in plants, leaves, fruits, vegetables, and seeds than anything else" ~Markus Rothkranz, Heal Yourself 101

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Anatomy of a Green Smoothie

If you’ve been receiving my newsletters for very long, you know that I’m big on green smoothies and their benefits, so I thought I would share a bit about what makes them so special for me. I have been drinking green smoothies for breakfast since 2006 when my friend Linaka, shared her recipe with me. At that time she had been drinking them for about 4 years every morning and swore by them. Although Victoria Botenko may have put the green smoothie on the map for raw fooders across the world, they had been around for a long time, perhaps as long as the first high powered blender.

I added in more greens to my smoothie recipe so the ratio was about 50/50% fruit to greens by volume, and like Linaka, usually added in a teaspoon of flax or chia seed. I found that my new breakfast meal would carry me for up to seven hours and I felt more balanced, although I had never really felt out of balance before. I began to experiment and sometimes I would add in a teaspoon or two of spirulina, chlorella, or Vitamineral green.

At the present time, I’m not adding in any fats and most days I add a teaspoon or two of Ormus greens or Vitamineral Green. These days I almost never take any fat except with the last meal of the day. That just seems to work best for me, but your experience may be different. I usually don’t add much if any water to my smoothie, relying on the juicy fruits and vegetables to provide water content. I make my smoothies with the fresh fruits and veggies of the season, but during the winter months sometimes add some dried fruit that I soak overnight for variety of taste and nutrients. I add a small handful of sprouts before the last blend.



Benefits of the Green Smoothie

• Allows you to get leafy greens and their nutrients into your system more easily and earlier in the day.

• Breaks down the fiber into a predigested state so it’s much easier for your body to assimilate the nutrients.

• Simple, relatively fast to make, and quick clean-up.

• Although I think they’re best consumed right away they can be easily transported for consumption later in the day.

• They allow you to incorporate foods into your diet that you may not otherwise consume, i.e. nettles, fresh ginger, harsh sprouts like broccoli, beets, and even fennel.

• People with compromised digestive systems can more easily assimilate nutrients.

How To Make the Perfect Smoothie Every Time

• Start with your watery fruits first, i.e. oranges, grapes, peaches, soaked fruit and soak water.

• Next add foods that need the most blending like ginger root, whole lemon, hot pepper.

• Follow with greens and pulse a bit to reduce volume.

• Add remaining greens and any other soft fruit like persimmons, apples, or bananas.

• Pulse to break down further and add any additional fruit or greens, and then blend for 30 seconds or less total time. Certainly less than 60 seconds.

• Add super greens, turmeric powder, or other dry ingredients and just pulse enough to mix.

So Which Blender Is Best?

I owned a Vitamix blender for 10 years and thought it was a wonderful blender, and then I decided to look at the Blendtec which was relatively new and offered an extra large carafe. My Vitamix was still operating fine, but I must admit sometimes it was a liite tough making my greens smoothies. Trying to blend the large capacity smoothie that I consume every morning in the Vitamix and not have it get warm was a challenge on some occasions. And then sometimes the smoothie would not get completely blended smooth in the time I allotted for blending. After researching I bought the Blendtec primarily because of the larger carafe, and have been pleasantly surprised in many ways. In my opinion it is a far better blender than the Vitamix for the following reasons:

• The larger carafe holds more volume.

• It never over heats the food contents.

• Because of the design you don’t need a plunger.

• The large square design of the carafe makes it easier to use.

• It’s much easier to clean due to the smooth sides.

• The base is smaller so it can be stored on the counter and still fits underneath your over the counter cabinets.



Just about any leafy green or herb you can think of can be used in your green smoothie. One of the really fun things for me about green smoothies is that you can experiment and make them suit your particular taste and needs. I add in many vegetables that are not considered greens, but have excellent nutritional profiles. Check out this partial list of veggies that I’ve added to my morning green smoothies: Beet root, celery, cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, purple cabbage, napa cabbage, green cabbage, radish, zucchini, radicchio, broccoli, okra, sweet pepper, hot pepper, ginger, and fresh flowers. If you want some ideas of different fruit, veggie, and herb options take a look here.

The green smoothie can be enjoyed at any time of day. You can tweak it to be a savory smoothie/soup or enjoy your morning smoothie as is. Some people choose to do a cleanse where nothing but green smoothies and perhaps fresh juice are consumed for days or weeks on end. By making it easier on the digestive system, that saved energy is utilized by the body to clean house as it were. It is important to note that a green smoothie, fresh juice, or any liquid should be taken at room temperature and swilled in the mouth for some seconds to allow for the digestion process to start.

I know some people are concerned about degrading the nutrients by blending, but I along with many leaders in the raw food movement feel the loss of nutrients is insignificant if the blender does not overheat and the total blend time is kept to less than a minute. The shorter the blending time, the better, so keep that in mind as you prepare your smoothie. After a short while you’ll have it down so you automatically make your smoothie with the shortest blend time possible. Even if you have a blender that requires more blend time, the nutrients and easy assimilation you’re getting probably still outweigh the lost nutrients compared to green salads and certainly cooked food.

For more tips on smoothies and a host of fabulous smoothie recipes visit this page.


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“What protein consistently and strongly promoted cancer? Casein, which makes up 80% of cow’s milk protein, promoted all stages of the cancer process. What type of protein did not promote cancer, even at high levels of intake? The safe proteins were from plants.” ~Dr. T. Collin Campbell, The China Study

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• Potent detoxifier and cleanser

• High in enzymes

• Improves digestion and bowel movements

• Helps restore alkalinity to the body

• Helps build healthy blood and is a liver cleanser

• Is a complete protein (20%)

• Clears skin and reduces body odor

• Helps with weight loss

• Helps cleanse overall and is anti-bacterial

• Produces an environment for self healing

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New Recipes

Fiesta Slaw



Flax Seed Crackers


Purplerific Juice


Orange Date Romaine Smoothie

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"The health of your body influences what you experience in your mind. There is no split. If you can engage your whole spirit in the pursuit of total fitness - not just your intellect, not just your emotions - but instead everything inside you that is truly you, you'll discover what it is to be a whole person." David Patchell-Evans

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Most days I’m posting health information, recipes, testimonies, etc on the facebook page of RAW-FOODS-DIET-CENTER.COM, so if you’re interesting in checking that out you can do that here.


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Discount Super Foods and Such

Although I believe strongly in a diet comprised mostly of fresh raw foods, I do supplement with super green powders, nuts, seeds, sea vegetables, and the occasional dried fruit such as goji berries. If you’re like me you’re always looking for a good deal on quality food whether it’s fresh from the farmers market or purchased online, so I thought I would share with you where I make most of my online purchases.

You may already be aware of the Raw Food World and their “at cost” specials, but if not here you go. When you go to purchase supportive foods like those listed above you can save money and get “at cost” special pricing by going to the link below and clicking on the “at cost” specials tab. This also allows you to save up to 14% on every order of their already good deals. The important thing to remember is that fresh is best and these products are supportive and should not be your mainstay. Enjoy!

The Raw Food World

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Continuously Updated Web Pages:

There are a number of new testimonies at the website which I hope you will read and pass on to others when you feel they would benefit. And please feel free to leave your own story if you feel moved to do so.

You need not be 100% raw to share a testimony; the fact is most people on the raw diet are not 100% anyway. Your story may inspire someone else, perhaps from the other side of the globe, to give the raw food diet a try.

Success stories.


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Please send me your health questions, they can be submitted anonymously if you prefer, and you may help someone else improve their health and quality life. Your questions.


Please contact me with other questions, feedback and comments here.

Be Well and Wonderful, Hugh

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https://www.raw-foods-diet-center.com

hugh@raw-foods-diet-center.com

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER

The contents of my website and my newsletter are gleaned from my experiences and observations, meant only for educational purposes and not intended to replace medical advice, consultations, or treatment of any kind. I recommend you see your professional health care provider if you suspect you have an illness or disease of any kind. I'm not medically trained, and I would never suggest or imply that I know what is best for someone else's body or overall health, ultimately each of us is the only one who knows what's best for us.