Excalibur Dehydrator Videos... and How to Make Homemade Yogurt

I don't recommend making yogurt from dairy, but you could make yogurt with coconut milk, nut milks, rice milk, soy milk etc. I am trying to get more fermented foods in my diet.


More how-to videos from Excalibur!
http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/media.php

"Never Be Sick Again" by Raymond Francis M.Sc.

I really enjoyed this book. I read it a while ago, and have to return it to the library...Raymond Francis really hits all the key points to recovering your health. He talks about deficiency, toxicity, and how to turn these around and choose health! I recommend this book, check your local library...it's free!

http://www.beyondhealth.com/

Free Body Ecology Cookbook

Click on the link below to get a free Body Ecology Newslettter, Cookbook, and lectures.
http://www.facebook.com/BodyEcology

Have a Happy Memorial Day weekend and eat healthy at those BBQ's! Grill some veggies! or make a pressed salad, or some raw Fetuccini Alfredo (I love Alissa Cohen's recipe in "Living on Live Food" it's so good you can take it with you to a regular BBQ and EVERYONE will LOVE it!

Gluten Free Strawberry Pie

This can be vegan, without even the regular gelatin,  if you use agar flakes instead. Again this is not super healthy, only a once in a while treat, although you could also make a raw nut/date crust instead of their GF crust. Do you see a pattern here of me sharing sweet recipes??? It is PMS time.... all of a sudden desserts are on the mind. I am not making these all, thank goodness, just sharing them with you all. Personally I prefer my strawberries straight up, nothing added except maybe other berries as well!
We are going organic strawberry picking on Saturday! I can't wait!
For this pie, if you made a nut crust (using almonds and pecans or walnuts) and used soaked dried apricots instead of dates and used a strawberry kanten for the filling it would be MACROBIOTIC! I'm getting pretty good at changing recipes to fit macrobiotic/raw food/gluten free/vegan. Great job Toni!

http://www.livingwithout.com/recipes/Gluten-Free-Strawberry-Pie-1543-1.html?ET=livingwithout:e224:1299a:&st=email

Ani Phyo's Raw Chocolate Video

Was at  http://www.lupusgirlgoesraw.com/ and saw that Lisa posted this. Thanks Lisa, I've been trying to make raw chocolate for a while now and just couldn't get it perfect. I will let you all know how this comes out when I make it! OK chocolate is not recommended on a macrobiotic diet, but I do indulge occasionally. In fact I got "a talking to" at a recent macrobiotic meeting (Thanks Meg and Ken I do really appreciate you caring! The seed has been planted in my brain...)

Macrobiotic Crispy Rice Treats

This is one of those "eat rarely" recipes, the rice crispies are baked and very drying to the body,not great for the kidneys, but if you are healthy enough, or if you want to make your kids a healthier treat this is a good one. You can use organic peanut butter (get organic peanut butter because regularly farmed peanuts are sprayed with lots of fungicide) instead of the other nut/seed butters. Make sure the rice syrup is gluten free!

http://macrobiotic.about.com/od/snacks/r/RiceBalls.htm

How to make Cultured Veggies with Donna Gates and Renegade Health

There are 3 parts to this recipe. All parts are listed in the links below. Here is the Part One to watch...



http://renegadehealth.com/blog/2009/09/17/how-to-make-cultured-vegetables-with-donna-gates/

http://renegadehealth.com/blog/2009/09/18/how-to-make-cultured-vegetables-with-donna-gates-part-2/

http://renegadehealth.com/blog/2009/09/21/how-to-pack-and-ferment-cultured-vegetables-with-donna-gates-part-3/

Food Allergies and Immune Disorders

I read in the book "The Body Ecology Diet" by Donna Gates that if you have food allergies it is a signal that your immune system is not working properly. I searched "Food Allergies and Immune Disorders" and I found this terrific article. Click on the link below.

http://www.alive.com/267a1a2.php?subject_bread_cramb=112

"The Body Ecology Diet" by Donna Gates

A quick description of "The Body Ecology Diet" is a diet that focuses on rebuilding your immune system though a combination of raw foods, macrobiotics, fermented foods, food combining, all types of  foods are allowed in the later stages of the diet, blood type diet, acid alkaline balance, cleansing, following your  intuition, reducing stress. Sounds good doesn't it?



Sign up for Donna Gates' Free Newsletter  http://www.bodyecology.com/signup.php

Dark Chocolate Tofu Mousse

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/dark-chocolate-mousse-recipe/index.html
I made my changes to the recipe as always....

Ingredients


1 (12.3-ounce) package silken tofu, drained   (make sure it's organic, non GMO)

3 ounces high quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I use Lindt Bittersweet bar 3.5 oz milk free)

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed (I use Ghiradelli cocoa powder)

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon brandy (I use 2 tsps vanilla)

1/2 cup evaporated cane juice or sugar or other sweetener
Directions

In a blender or food processor, puree the tofu until it is smooth.

Put the chopped chocolate, cocoa powder, 1/4 cup water, sugar, and brandy (if using vanilla add after the pot is off the stove) in a saucepan or heat-proof bowl fitted over a pot containing 1-inch barely simmering water. Stir frequently, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. (You can also use a saucepan without a double boiler/simmering water underneath, just keep stirring and put the heat on medium or low, chocolate will burn quickly if left unattended!)

Add the chocolate mixture to the tofu and puree until smooth and well blended. Spoon the mousse into serving dishes, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

She also makes a whip cream topping, being vegan I leave that off!


Yield: 5 servings (serving size 1/2 cup of mousse each person)

Macro vs. Raw of Note

Dirty Teeth (covered in grains) with macro... much cleaner with raw food (I had written this before I went to the dentist!)

Don't think all cooked or all raw, either one, is the answer think need both (wrote this before the dentist visit)

Warm Foods feel better in stomach and warm foods seem like a better idea to help Raynauds/circulation

More interesting food choices/recipes in raw food

I'm not fond of Japanese foods to begin with...

More intestinal healing built in to diet with macrobiotics, but could learn to add to raw (David Wolfe)

More medicinal things with macro, but could learn and add them with raw (David Wolfe)

No chocolate in macro, in most raw food diets considered a super food

More lifestyle directions in macro

Fermented pickles and  fermented other foods in both diets

Sea veggies in both diets

Lots of tropical foods in raw... not allowed in macro

No meat, eggs, dairy, in both diets (eliminates many peoples allergies both are good "elimination diets")

Gas cooking in macro

Both considered healing diets

Raw has more interesting desserts

Macro has soy (usually fermented)

More grains in macro (diabetes risk?)  in raw some sprouted grains

Nightshades in raw... not in macro

Cooked beans in macro,  sprouted beans in raw

Tea in macro

Herbs in both raw and macro

****As of the end of this month I have been on a macrobiotic diet 2 months******

Tooth Health and Macrobiotics

I went for my 6 month checkup today at the dentist. This time the hygenist said I had more inflammation. I told her I switched from raw food to cooked foods and grains (she doesn't understand macrobiotics)
She said I NEED some raw foods to exercise my gums and teeth. For instance eating a raw apple "brushes" your teeth for you as you chew...on macrobiotics I am eating all softer foods, even have to cook my apples!
I do cook many of my veggies lightly, (al dente)when cooking for macrobiotics, but this still isn't giving my teeth enough exercise. I am sure I am getting lots of nutrition on a macrobiotic diet for strong teeth...but...
I also feel that with grains (supposed to eat them 3x a day! and snacks too!) I always feel like I have a "slime" on my teeth that didn't happen with raw food.

 Last time (6 months ago) I went to the dentist, I had a glowing report and a healthier mouth on a  raw food diet. Less inflammation, strong teeth.

What I am trying to say here is that I believe both types of food are required, raw and cooked, to eat for a healthy life.

I still believe there is a place for macrobiotics and raw together in my life, and that I need the miso soup(for digestion and probiotics) and the sea veggies(for the minerals) and grains and beans (for protein and to sweep out the cholesterol and other toxins) etc. but again I've come to the opposite conclusion that raw food is NOT evil either (macrobiotics cooks almost EVERYTHING!)

I have come to the conclusion that no extremes are good, it doesn't have to be all raw or all cooked.

PS - I feed my dogs and cats raw meat food and they need a marrow bone to chew on too regularly...we all need to work our teeth!

Peanut Allergies Triple.... by Care2

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/why-have-peanut-allergies-tripled-in-a-decade.html

Recipe for Macrobiotic Pressed Salad

I am camping this weekend, "macro on the road" so there have been less posts. I will  try this pressed salad soon and let you know how it is... for camping I brought salmon and brown rice cereal(grits) and brown rice, strawberries, almond butter, cabbage/carrot/brown rice wrap on a brown rice tortilla, nori, umeboshi, sauerkraut, miso soup, rice and lentil and veggie stew. I'll be back on Mon or Tues, have a nice weekend!

http://macrobiotic.about.com/od/salads/r/PressedSalad.htm

Today's Breakfast - Macro Stew

Recipe Coming Soon...

Yesterday's Breakfast- Tofu, Potato, Kale Scramble

Recipe Coming Soon

More Macro Recipes..

http://www.kushiskitchen.com/macrobiotic-and-whole-foods-recipes.html

Some Favorites Vegan and Macrobiotic Cook Books

Four Stars = great, highly recommended

****"Vegan Lunch Box" by Jennifer McCann
****"Love, Eric and Sanae" by Eric LeChasseur and Sanae Suzuki (do use wheat often)
****"Love Eric" by Eric LeChasseur (do use wheat often)
??"The Allergern Free Baker's Handbook" by Cybele Pascal (tried one great recipe so far)
****"The Real Food Daily Cookbook" by Ann Gentry
****"The Joy of Pickling" by Linda Ziedrich
****"Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for all Seasons" by Nava Atlas
****"Japanese Foods that Heal" by John and Jan Belleme
??"Flying Apron's Gluten Free and Vegan Baking Book" by Jennifer Katzinger(didn't try recipes yet)
****"The Vegan Table" by Coleen Patrick Goudreau
**Babycakes" by Erin McKenna (the original recipes posted on the internet are better than the recipes in the book...)
**** Any cookbooks by Christina Pirello
**** "The Kind Diet" by Alisha Silverstone (uses wheat)

12 Tips to End Clutter by Care2

I love to organize things, but sometimes feel like I don't have enough time, or am too tired. Even though my joint pain, headaches, sinus pain, symptoms of Lupus don't normally bother me, I still have issues with fatigue at times. When I spoke to Sherry Rogers MD she said that she believed from my blood work that my mitochondria are not working properly from toxins in my body (like phlalates/plastics and pesticide residues).
If your mitochondria are not working properly you have low oxygen and low energy.Click below for more information on mitochondria and how to feel better..from a previous post..
http://lupushope.blogspot.com/2010/03/metabolic-tune-up.html

Clutter can make me feel worse and overwhelmed,  if it does the same for you click on the link below on advice on how to lessen or eliminate the clutter.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/12-tips-to-end-clutter.html

Simply Raw Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days

I was able to find "Simply Raw Reversing Diabetes in 30 days"  at my local library(the county library system) and request it. I watched it twice, once by myself, and once with my husband, I actually would like my kids to see it also but I don't know if they would sit through it. It was a little slow moving in spots..but all in all terrifically made and had great information.
I HIGHLY recommend this DVD to people with diabetes or anyone with any disease to see how food can change your situation and though pharmaceuticals can be life savers,  there can be another way to completely heal.
Through my research I have found many diabetics have Celiac Disease also (can't digest gluten properly).
Therefore not only are the sugar in foods affecting them they shouldn't have gluten either...
To complicate the situation many people who have Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerance and have had an issue for any length of time can get a leaky gut or intestinal hyper-permeability, and larger molecules of other foods can pass through the intestinal wall,  into the blood stream and the body reacts to that by forming antibodies to the new foods and then you have MORE food allergies/intolerances, so you may have issues with more than just gluten by the time you are diagnosed... I wish the first doctor had told me to get tested for celiac disease before I went gluten free...

Leaky Gut Explained Click below
http://www.purebodysolutions.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/PDF/leaky_gut.pdf

If the diabetics in this DVD had muliple food allergies/intolerances, a  raw food has no gluten, dairy, eggs, just veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds and sprouted grains. So they would naturally feel better and take the stress off their body that needs to fight the bad foods... and be able to heal.
******Just a quick note The Kushi Institute has a diabetes program also and says that macrobiotics has been very successful to reverse diabetes also.
http://www.kushiinstitute.org/html/diabetes_workshop.html