What is a "Raw" Diet Anyway??

Several years ago, my good friend Patricia was heading to a nutrition camp in upstate New York for women with Lupus (SLE) and other serious health conditions. I hadn't seen her for about one-year but she constantly spoke of how much better she felt, she was growing thin and increasingly energetic, and her skin was vibrant. Well, that self-report was just as accurate as could be. She must have summoned all the angels in the universe as well, she was glowing and their song just seemed to follow her. She was able to reduce the amount of medications and eventually was able to kick her medications to the curb with the help of physician. Her labs, her health, her overall well being improved dramatically. Is this going to happen for everyone, probably not but it could improve your overall health in so many positive ways.

How did this happen? While Patricia was gone she learned to adopt a raw food diet. She was eating nothing cooked. No pasta, no rice and beans, no steamed broccoli. Not even tofu (made from cooked soybeans). Most raw proponents are also vegan and strive for a high percentage of organic foods. No wonder Patricia looked so thin and healthy, she was eating nothing but fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts and grains. And most of the produce she was growing organic in her Seattle garden. FYI: Planters make excellent gardens too.

The thought behind the raw food lifestyle that is in heating food above 116F degrees destroys important living enzymes and other nutrients. Advocates of raw food believe that by preserving the living elements of the food we eat, degenerative disease is prevented, aging is slowed, energy enhanced, and emotional well-being is boosted.

Before I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism, I began making the changes to my diet as well by introducing a number of new Veggie recipes. I started slowly by giving up one or two things at a time: beef and pork, then poultry and so on. It was an easy transition as produce was already a primary staple to my daily diet. I was soaking nuts & sprouting beans and grains. I was reading raw cookbooks both online and purchasing from the bookstore to learn even more. I was making juices and loving the new additions to my daily diet.

I haven't lost any weight but I do feel much better. There is no thought of returning to my previous meat eating ways. I love my lifestyle and know that even though my thyroid health is not optimal, my overall health is. My body feels clean, I love the energy and feel refreshed. To be considered a true "raw foodist" you need to only consume 75% raw food in your daily diet. I can easily maintain that high level of raw food daily.

My Favorite Salad:

I was never much of a cook so raw is a perfect match for me. My daily salad consist of an organic spring mix, chopped beats, red onion, yellow squash, cucumber, spouted lentils, grape tomatoes, carrot, green beans or snow peas, avocado .. mixed with a dressing of fresh lemon juice and balsamic vinegar, chopped garlic clove, fresh chopped basil, kosher salt and pepper to taste.

You can add whatever vegetables are in season. I shop primarily at the local Farmers Market to support local farmers but also to keep my costs down. Enjoy eating raw and local grown!!

Foods To Fight High Blood Pressure

There is a natural food pharmacy embraced by Nutritionists and that the answer to a lot of our health problems lies in what we eat.

1. Oriental Medicine practitioners have long used Celery for lowering high blood pressure. There are some experimental evidence that shows that celery is useful for this. In one study, eating as few as four celery stalks was found to be beneficial in lowering blood pressure in human beings.

2. Garlic is a wonder drug for heart. It has beneficial effects in all cardiovascular system including blood pressure. In a study, when people with high blood pressure were given one clove of garlic a day for 12 weeks, their diastolic blood pressure and cholesterol levels were significantly reduced. Eating quantities as small as one clove of garlic a day was found to have beneficial effects on managing hypertension. Use garlic in your cooking, salad, soup, pickles, etc. It is very versatile.

3. Onions are useful in hypertension. What is best is the onion essential oil. Two to three tablespoons of onion essential oil a day was found to lower the systolic levels by an average of 25 points and the diastolic levels by 15 points in hypertension subjects. This should not be surprising because onion is a cousin of garlic.

4. Tomatoes are high in gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), a compound that can help bring down blood pressure.

5. This vegetable contains several active ingredients that reduce blood pressure.

6. Carrots also contain several compounds that lower blood pressure.

7. Saffron contains a chemical called crocetin that lowers the blood pressure. You can use saffron in your cooking. (It is a very popular spice in Arabic cooking.) You can also make a tea with it. Many Indians add a pinch of saffron in the brewed tea to give a heavenly flavor. Unfortunately, it is very expensive.

8. Spices such as fennel, oregano, black pepper, basil and tarragon have active ingredients that is beneficial in hypertension. Use them in your cooking.

9. Soya beans are believed to reduce levels of harmful blood fats involved in heart diseases, regulate the bowls, stabilise blood sugar levels and combat breast cancer. *Studies have shown that participants drinking soy milk had a significantly greater fall in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, compared with those drinking cow’s milk.

10. Oats are an excellent source of helping to lower blood pressure and sugar levels. The soluble fibre in oats also helps to remove bile acids involved in the formation of cholesterol.

11. Green and Black Teas. Scientists have discovered that tea has an abundance of phytonutrients, also found in fruit and vegetables, which are antioxidants that defend against cell damage that leads to ageing and diseases such as diabetes, cataracts, heart disease and cancer. The antioxidant activity of tea is more powerful than that found in most fruit and vegetables.

12. Omega-3 & Omega-6 Fatty Acids are found in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and grains. (almonds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, etc.) Fresh Atlantic Salmon and other fresh fish are good choices as well.

Increased Blood Pressure: a diet high in fat causes thickened blood and blocked arteries increasing the likelihood of cardiovascular disease and other degenerative diseases. According to the American Heart Association: Eating too much saturated fat (meat) can raise your blood cholesterol level, which increases the risk of coronary artery disease (clogged arteries) and heart attack. Plant foods contain no cholesterol. Even lean meats like shrimp and white chicken meat are high in cholesterol.

Tips for reducing your blood pressure:

If your blood pressure is high, reducing your sodium intake is a small lifestyle change that can have a big impact. Other critical measures you take include:

* Losing weight (if you’re overweight or obese)
* Limiting alcohol intake
* Limiting saturated fat in your diet
* Adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet
* Increasing your intake of calcium, magnesium and potassium
* Getting regular exercise
* Reduce Stress (meditate, do yoga, listen to peaceful music)
* Reduce Salt intake (most cheese contains large amounts of sodium)

Best wishes ~ Brenda