Fall in NY, Potty Training & Elimination Communication

Right now, we are in NY visiting Paul's family. We are having a blast staying with Paul's twin sister and her husband on Staten Island. The fall weather has been amazing, and we love visiting the parks and watching the trees changing.

Today we visited the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens and enjoyed the fall colors and cool weather. We only have a few more days left of this trip, then we fly back to Florida for a short visit home. We are trying to squeeze in as much fun into this trip as we can because when we return in November, it will be cold!

We have a packed schedule until the end of the year, and will be on the road until January. Please check out Paul's tour dates HERE and come and say hi! We love connecting with old friends and especially love making new ones!

Noa is having a blast visiting the parks, playing and making new friends. I love that she can spend time with Paul's family, and it's fun having Paul show me around Brooklyn where he grew up.

Noa is almost 21 months, and we are taking huge steps toward becoming potty trained.

Since Noa was about 11 weeks, I began a practice called Elimination Communication (EC). EC is a toilet-training method that uses timing, signals, cues, and intuition to address an infant's need to eliminate in an appropriate place, like a toilet, portable potty, or even bowl. While at home, I mostly let Noa play diaper-free, and I tried to tune into her elimination rhythms and take her when I felt she needed to go. I was not always in tune with her, and when we went out, I would put her in a diaper. I did not practice this 100% of the time, but I did my best, and when it was not convenient or if I had a day with lots of "misses", I tried not to be too hard on myself. I always tried to keep a small portable potty with us in the car, and even took her in public restrooms and held her over the toilet. I started using a "pssssss" cue, and she caught on! It was really amazing connecting with her and tuning into her needs. It also was a huge help and encouragement that my close Mama Friend Debra was also practicing EC like a pro and I was able to learn a lot from her too.

Here is a picture of Noa at about 3 months, sitting on the potty while I cue her.

I'll admit that it did seem like more work getting started with the Elimination Communication early, but now that Noa is approaching two, she is almost completely cuing and letting me know on her own when she needs to go. She even makes her own "tssss" sound, or says the word "potty". I always try and take her potty when I go too, and she has no problem saying "no" if I ask her, especially if she is busy playing!

I will definitely write more about EC again, but for any moms who are interested in letting their new babies or even older infants go diaper-free, here are few quick tips to help you get started:

• 1) Babies will not eliminate while they are sleeping, so always take them potty immediately after waking up in the morning or after a nap.

• 2) Take them potty after a feeding.

• 3) Before a bath.

• 4) At different intervals throughout the day (15 mins., 20 mins, etc.).

Once you get started, it gets easier and starts to become routine! You will be amazed at how easily you can tune-in to your baby. I loved showing Noa the proper place to eliminate at such an early age and now that she is older, she knows where to go. There is no un-training!

I encourage all of you parents out there to try EC even once a day to get started! You will be amazed at how natural it feels and how connected you become to your baby.

Check out these websites to get more information on going diaper-free and Elimination Communication: DiaperFreeBaby.org & the EC Store.com.

Check back here too, and I will be posting more!

Life on the Road

We have been traveling now since July 29th, and it has been quite an adventure! It has been the longest trip we have made as a family since Noa arrived in our lives. We quickly learned that 3-4 hours in a car is enough for one day and spending some time at a park or playground everyday is a must.

Many of you have blessed us by opening your homes to us and we have loved making new friends too! And there are times when we decide that a quiet night in a hotel will be a nice break, as long as we can open a window. Noa has had a blast playing with new friends which gives me a nice break too.

Overall, I think we are managing pretty well with life on the road. I definitely need to learn to not over pack, and I have some ideas to help me be a little more organized. There is definitely some consistency and routine to our days even though we may be in a new city or town.

We often have people ask us what we eat while we are traveling, and we definitely keep it simple. We actually brought our VitaMix with us on this trip and have only used it a few times. We stop at a supermarket almost everyday and are able to find organic greens, avocados and fresh fruit. We have eaten so many locally grown peaches the past 2 weeks that we decided we are peached out! Watermelons and cantaloupes are in season, so those have been a nice treat. But we only eat the seeded watermelon, and so should you! Seeded watermelon is more nutritious than the hybridized unseeded varieties and it tastes better too.

A typical day usually starts out with some fruit for us, and maybe a raw egg or two. I actually swallowed my first raw egg yesterday and liked it! It seems like an easy way to get some high quality nutrients.

Then we may eat a light salad, or some nuts or seeds like pumpkin, sunflower, cashews or walnuts. We bring apples, blueberries, raisins and any other fresh fruit we can find to snack on, and Noa likes these fruits too. I may also buy some hummus and sprouted grain tortillas to have later if I'm still hungry, and Paul and I both like to stop eating pretty early. Sometimes the day is almost over and we realized that we have not really eaten that much, and we feel okay. If I'm a little hungry and it is getting too late to eat, I might sip on a little water or tea and it takes the hunger away. That way I can still get a wonderful night of sleep on an empty stomach.

Eating on the road definitely has a few challenges, and I am looking forward to being back home and having access to a kitchen. But maybe I am enjoying having a little break from the kitchen too!

I hope to write more soon and blog more of our road trip adventures. We will be home soon and we hope to get more recipes posted too, so keep in touch!

Here is a picture of us with an amazing family who invited us to the Creation Museum in KY. We had such a great time, thank you very much!

Vegetable Nori Rolls

I love the experience of eating out, and when I went raw, I soon began to miss going to my favorite restaurants with my friends. It's a little difficult when you change your diet to find places to eat that will accommodate you. Instead of turning down invitations, I began to join my friends and sometimes I would eat before and then sip on water while everyone else indulged. Or I could find a simple salad on the menu, and I would bring my own dressing in my purse, or I would ask for a little lemon and olive oil.

But when we decided to go out for sushi, I was excited because I could actually order from the menu. I would order vegetable rolls with no rice. At first, I would get funny looks from the servers, but the sushi chefs had no problem making it for me. It may not have been that filling, but I was still able to have the sushi experience with my friends that I loved so much.

I even learned how to make my own vegetable rolls at home from my friend Jessica who had been to Japan several times. It's so easy! Once you master the rolling, you can make it with anything! I began to make my own vegetable rolls using lots of different vegetables and fruits like cucumber, carrots, avocados, sprouts and lettuce greens. You can even make nut pates and spread them on the nori sheets like you would rice.

Once I began working at Hippocrates, I learned about the alkalizing grains like quinoa and millet. After being 100% raw vegan for a while, I began eating some of these cooked grains and loved them! I even made rolls using millet and avocado and Paul loved them too!

I love making these vegetable nori rolls. They are so easy to make and you can be creative using different ingredients and they will taste great.

Paul recently talked about the importance of consuming sea vegetables like nori on The Raw Life Health Show. Right now, we have raw nori sheets available at a discounted price at The Raw Life Health Store.

Click here to order!

Here are few examples of some of the nori rolls I made recently. You can slice them like sushi or eat them as hand rolls.

If you need a little help getting the "roll" down, you can find the bamboo rolling mats at a local Asian supermarket for pretty cheap. But after a little practice, you won't even need it.

Linen for Your Health!

A few months ago, I posted about how Paul and I were making the transition to more modest clothing and how we discovered the amazing health benefits of linen fabric. We are now in the process of changing everything to linen! From our clothes, bed sheets and even curtains, we want everything to be made of linen. I am even planning to reupholster Paul's work chair with purple linen (his choice)!

It has been so exciting researching and learning about the history and benefits of linen. Linen is even mentioned throughout the Bible. It is one of the oldest textiles, dating back 3500 years ago. Yahweh instructed Moses to make garments of linen for Aaron and his sons when serving in the Tabernacle (Exodus 28:39-43). The actual Tabernacle in the wilderness had curtains made of fine linen (Exodus 26:1-6). The body of Yeshua was wrapped in linen (Matthew 27:57-61). And in Revelation, it is prophesied that linen will be used as a sign of purity: Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure" - for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints (Revelation 19:6-8).

It is amazing to me when scientific facts confirm what the Scriptures have said for thousands of years. Linen is made from the flax plant, which is complementary with human cells. It measures 5,000 signature frequencies compared to cotton, which has 40, and organic unbleached cotton which measures 100. Pure wool also measures 5000 units of energy, but we don't need to wear any wool while in Florida! Also, wearing black of any fabric collapses the energy field, yielding it useless.

Linen provides an excellent filter protection against noise, chemical exposure and dust. Sleeping on sheets of linen can also provide a better night's sleep, absorb moisture, and is more durable than cotton bedding.

While I am browsing through stores, I try to look for anything linen. I recently found shirts and pants at Target made with 100% linen and Paul and I had a blast picking out his new wardrobe. I bought a couple of things, but I hope to start making linen skirts and tops soon, so I am holding off on buying too many items. My friend Debra has also been inspired to wear more linen and spotted linen clothes for children in the window of boutique while we were walking. The clothes were quite expensive, but looked simple to make. So making linen clothes for Noa and other young ones will be on my list to make too!

Making changes to a more modest wardrobe has been quite challenging for me, but discovering the healing benefits of wearing linen has really helped make this process more simple and easy. One health advocate whose writings have really inspired me about dress reform is Ellen G. White, author and co-founder of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. White has many teachings on diet, health and nutrition and she also emphasized the importance of proper dress by not exposing the limbs, which she claimed can cause circulation problems, and by not wearing clothing that is too tight, again causing circulation problems. I am not familiar with all of White's religious teachings, but I have found truth in her teachings about health, diet and dress.

I am amazed at how Yahweh reveals these wisdom nuggets to me as I continue on my journey to optimum health and healing. It is definitely a process and He is gentle with me as I make changes when I am ready. We are all in different places, and I am encouraged by all of you who are also growing and learning in these areas. Please post comments and share your knowledge too so we can inspire each other!

Attachment Parenting and Creating Healthy Children

We recently had the honor of hosting our friend Karen Ranzi for a few days while she began her first major book tour in West Palm Beach, speaking about her new book Creating Healthy Children Through Attachment Parenting and Raw Foods. I was familiar with the Attachment Parenting concept before I met Karen, but after meeting her when I was about 6 months pregnant at the Raw Spirit Fest 2008 in Sedona, she left a strong impression on me that helped me understand the importance of Attachment Parenting, especially the first 3 months of an infant’s life. We only had a brief discussion, but she advised me to not do anything for the first 3 months post-partum, not to worry about housework, cooking and shopping. Karen said that my main job is to hold my baby 24 hours a day, and even take showers with her! I thought that 24 hours a day seemed a little extreme, but now looking back I completely understand her urgency. Keeping our newborns close to us at all times is the most important thing they need!

I may not have been able to hold Noa 24 hours a day, but we did incorporate Attachment Parenting into our lives about 90% of the time. I carried her in a sling almost all day while she napped or just hung out. She immediately went from the car seat to my chest anytime we went anywhere. I began bathing with her and letting her sleep on my chest at night. It was amazing! I fell so in love with her and really felt a strong bond that continues to grow. Being so close to her allowed me to intuitively meet her needs and really get to know her.

Now at 15 months, she is maybe in the sling about 50% of the time. She prefers to run around and explore and is becoming very independent. But when we are out and I prefer her to be with me, then I put her in the sling and she is perfectly happy.

There are so many benefits to incorporating Attachment Parenting, and I hope to go into more detail in the future. If you are interested in learning more, please check out Karen’s book Creating Healthy Children Through Attachment Parenting and Raw Foods. I am reading it now and it is filled with so much valuable information. This book is well researched in so many areas. Karen shares her own experiences, references and testimonials as well as her wisdom and scientific knowledge of the human body. We may not be in agreement with every single issue Karen discusses, but we respect all points of view and encourage others to have an open mind and try things for themselves.

I remember when Paul and I were figuring out the things that we needed after Noa was born and I really wanted to buy this high-end stroller for about $600.00 because I thought we “needed” a bassinet. After discussing it with Paul, and then our midwife who said we don’t even need a stroller if we are doing Attachment Parenting, I decided that maybe it would be wise to spend less on a stroller and now I am so thankful we did! Noa would have grown out of the bassinet within months! I barely used the stroller until Noa was about 9 months, and then I started taking her for walks around the neighborhood once or twice a day. I continued to use the sling, and never really brought the stroller anywhere. Now Paul and I joke about how it would “not” be funny if I got my way and spent so much money on a stroller we hardly used. Thankfully Dave Ramsey has instilled in me some of his money wisdom and I can talk myself out of some of these “wants” that I think are “needs.”

If you are in the market for a stroller, then check out Karen Ranzi’s new book and maybe it will change your mind completely about even “needing” one at all.

I am continuing to understand the importance of Attachment Parenting everyday. Another great book to read is the Continuum Concept by Jane Liedloff. This book really enhanced my understanding of child wearing and co-sleeping. I understand that Attachment Parenting may not be for everyone. But I do believe that even incorporating wearing your child part-time will be of a tremendous benefit to both you and your child. I even encourage mothers with two, three and four year-olds to start wearing their children part of the day.

I look forward to writing more extensively about all of these topics in the future. Please let me know if you have any questions, comments of concerns!

Creamy Fiesta Dressing

1 cup hemp seeds
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
3 T lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar)
2 T olive oil
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1 garlic clove

(Add enough water to blend to desired consistency)

Raw Walnut Taco Filling:
1 1/2 cup of walnuts (soaked)
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
3/4 tsp. coriander
2 tsps. nama shoyu

Process in food processor. Dehyrdrate 6-8 hours.

Living Debt Free!

It has been a while since the last post, and I have been trying to make time to write, but life seems to be a little crazy lately!

We got home from our trip to California and Arizona a little over a week ago, and then it was time to prepare for Passover. I was hoping to have my spring cleaning finished before the first night, but now I am just hoping to be complete by summer! I have a few different piles accumulating that I plan to donate, including lots of clothes that I no longer wear and don't plan to wear again (and some I probably should have never worn). It feels so great to let go of these items and make room for clothes that fit into my current lifestyle.

We bought a car yesterday! One thing that Paul has taught me is to learn to live within our means. We currently drive a 10 year old car that I bought a few years before Paul and I met. He helped me pay it off when we got married, and we have shared it since then. We are strong believers in Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University and have been working to pay off all our debt, including our house. We desire to live completely debt free! It is such an amazing feeling to not be a slave to the government. We no longer use credit cards except for business transactions (which is paid off every month) and if we do not have money to buy something, we don't buy it! This was a completely new concept for me! I have had to really retrain my thinking, but now I am a strong believer in living debt free!

So we saved some money and bought a used 2002 Honda Civic with 50,000 miles. This car will be perfect to help us get around town here in West Palm Beach. It is efficient and runs great. There are a few quirks that we have to get fixed, like the back windows don't roll down and we need to install a CD player, but we own it! We did not have to take out a loan and we do not have any buyer's remorse!

I encourage any of you who may be in debt to start listening to Dave Ramsey's show, buy his book, or listen to his CD's (Click here to buy The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey from our site). He will give you step by step instructions to help free you from financial debt. We are currently free from credit card debt, school loans and car payments. Our next goal is to pay off our house, which we hope to do within the next few years. It has taken lots of prayer, discipline and retraining on my part to be able to live this way, but the blessings are abundant. We are free!

Fruit Flies No More!

One thing about living in South Florida's warm and humid climate is that our kitchen can easily become a breeding ground for those annoying fruit flies. I learned quickly that overripe fruit and an unsealed compost container will feed these pests overnight and soon turn into a big problem.

So I have learned a few techniques to keep these tiny flies at bay. Here are a few tips to help you as the weather gets warmer and more fruit comes into season.

#1: Fruit flies eat the yeast that develops when overripe fruit begins to decompose, so avoid storing overly ripe fruit on counter tops and move this fruit to the refrigerator.

#2.Keep counter tops clean and wash and put away any utensils used for cutting fruit.

#3. Keep all compost bins tightly closed and store them away from the entrance to the home.

#4. Pour apple cider vinegar (click here to order) and a small amount of dish soap inside a glass, stir it, then place open glass near where the fruit flies are congregating and leave it overnight. In the morning you will find that the fruit flies are attracted to the smell and will fall in and drown.

#5. For those of you who might feel a little bad about "killing" these pests, then place an overly ripe fruit in a glass or jar, cover it with saran wrap, then poke holes in the wrap with a fork. Leave the glass or jar on the counter during the day and overnight. The flies will fly in, but are unable to escape. Then relocate them outside far away from the house.

So these are few tips to help keep your home free from these tiny nuisances. These tips have definitely helped us keep these pests under control.

Raw Taco Buffet for Home Church

I signed up to make lunch for our home church Sunday, a small group of about 15-20 adults plus kids. It was a little work, but so much fun! I love introducing raw, healthy recipes to open-minded souls! Everyone was enthusiastic and encouraged to try more raw recipes.

I decided to do a raw taco bar. Here are the recipes:

Raw Walnut Taco Filling:
1 1/2 cup of walnuts (soaked)
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
3/4 tsp. coriander
2 tsps. nama shoyu

Process in food processor. Dehyrdrate 6-8 hours.

Guacamole:
4 avocados
1/2 onion
1 tomato
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 tsp. cumin
2 TBSP lime juice

Fresh Salsa:
5 med. tomatoes
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1 TBSP cumin
1/2 cup fresh cilantro

I made two batches of the salsa. I processed first batch in food processer. Then I chopped second batch and mixed into first batch.

I used romaine leaves and set up the taco station with fresh cilantro, chopped onion, and sliced jalapenos. It was fun and simple!

Here is a picture of a few tacos I made for Paul before the lunch. We used the collard wraps from the garden instead of the romaine leaves. Paul ate them up!

More on Modesty!

The past few days have been amazing since posting the last topic about modesty and how Yahweh is putting it on my heart to make changes regarding my wardrobe. I wanted to share these verses that really spoke to me and gave me even more revelation and confirmation about my lifestyle and the woman of Yahwah I desire to be.

I read Titus 2:3-5 and was amazed at how it spoke to me! I love how the Word of our Father can speak directly to the heart. Here is a version from the Aramaic translation:

Titus 2: 3. And so also the elder women that they be in behavior as is becoming to the Fear of Elohim; and not to be slanderers, and not to be addicted to much wine, and to be teachers of beautiful things. 4. making the younger women to be modest, to love their husbands and their children, 5. to be chaste and Set Apart and to take good care of their households and to be obedient to their husbands, so that no one may reproach the Word of Elohim.

These verses really spoke to me about the importance of teaching the younger women to be modest. After the first lecture Paul gave about modesty, I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this subject, and having my husband teach about it! I already feel that we live our lives pretty openly and when you feel strongly about a message, like eating healthy, then people are always observing what you eat! So I thought I would be ready to crawl under a rock and hide after this one. But I was actually encouraged even more by his lecture! Even more encouraging to me was when moms of teenagers came to thank us because their daughters were encouraged to dress more modestly! The next day I saw these beautiful girls wearing beautiful skirts and they were dancing and having fun and their hearts had changed! That is what spoke to my heart. Seeing the importance of teaching young women to dress modestly. I knew at that moment that I needed to be setting a righteous example for these young girls. It's not about me, it's about Him, and he calls us to teach and guide younger women!

I am so thankful for all of the spiritual "moms" who have guided me and shared their wisdom with me throughout my life. Now that I am a wife and mother, I hope to bring the same wisdom and encouragement to other women, and to guide and teach my daughter in truth and purity. We definitely need to grow and learn from each other!

It was also amazing that some of the older men who listened to the lecture thanked Paul and shared with him that this is a topic they struggle with as well. It humbled me to discover that these strong men of Yahweh struggled with immodestly dressed women. It is more common than I had thought! I no longer want to be a stumbling block to these sensitive men who are pursuing righteousness.

I am slowly making changes to the way I dress, and trying to find new clothes that are more acceptable to who I hope to be. It's not easy trying to find modest clothes in the malls and other stores that I was used to shopping. I know that Yahweh is really speaking to me about where I spend my money and the businesses I am supporting. I definitely want to make our own clothes soon, but in the meantime, I am trying to be mindful of what and wear I buy my clothes, and the kind of fabric they are made with.

If any of you have any suggestions, please let me know! I am looking for clothes that are made with fabric 100%, like cotton, linen and wool. It hasn't been easy, but I know that when I find something that meets my "new" criteria regarding modesty and fabric that it is meant to be for me.

Karen reminded me of a video that Paul did with Rico Cortes and he discusses the vibrational frequencies in our words, thoughts and clothing. She has a great blog at http://been-couraged.blogspot.com/2010/02/new-linen-skirt-for-simple-life.html, so check that out too.

Now that I have started our "Spring Cleansing," I am going to remove some of those items in my closet that I know are no longer acceptable for me to wear. I may not be ready to get rid of everything, but in time it will get easier. At least I'll be making room for the beautiful clothes I am envisioning wearing in the future!

Almost Time for Spring Cleaning!

I’m really excited to begin my first phase of Spring Cleaning! Spring is just around the corner, and I always associate the beginning of this season with cleaning. I hope to start first with my closet! I bought a few organizing totes, and I’m going to try to be more efficient and organized with my things. I also hope to go through my clothes and remove items I have not worn for more than a year. Paul and I both try not to hold on to too much “stuff.” It is so freeing to not be tied down by your personal belongings. We feel that we can fly off at anytime without worrying about leaving our things behind. Paul lets go of his things too quickly sometimes, and I am the one who makes excuses to keep things. It can be pretty funny when Paul is looking for a book or something else that he has given away and then we end up buying it again!

I am also feeling a major pull in my heart to adopt a more modest wardrobe. Modest dress has been a topic of discussion for Paul and me since the beginning of our marriage. It is definitely one I have spent time praying about also. I am really beginning to understand how important it is to be set apart from the world. I also know that I am currently not where I hope to be in the future, regarding modesty. I am growing and changing everyday. This is a journey and I am praying for strength and guidance to become the woman that Yahweh wants me to be. So the changes I am making now may be small, but they are changes in the right direction. I admit that I can still get caught up in the current styles and trends, but I know that in my heart, these material things are not important to who I truly am.

Another great way to start a spring cleaning regime is by beginning a fast or cleansing program. Try juicing or eating a 100% raw diet for a days, and the EJUVA Herbal Cleanse is another awesome way to rid your body of excess toxins. We try to do this program yearly, but I am holding off now until I am finished with breastfeeding.

I encourage all of you to start a little spring cleaning! Whether it is your closet, your diet, or your spiritual life, try cleaning different areas in your life to create room for more positive things to come to you this year.

Carob Pods as a Teething Alternative!

I recently found this article on the Raw Mom Blog, soon after I posted the article about our new love of fresh carob pods. In the article, Ruth Hofer states that local aboriginal women living near her in Australia used the whole dried pod of the carob tree for their babies to suck on as teething rusks. I thought this was amazing! I had actually thought about giving the pods to Noa because they seemed to be hard enough and wouldn't break off in pieces as she chewed it. I was a little concerned about the seeds, but she doesn't seem to chew off enough to reach them inside.

I am loving this fresh alternative for teething! The pods even contain a mildly analgesic effect to help numb sore gums. I have them with me now all of the time. I snack on them in the car and usually give one to Noa for the car ride as well. She loves playing with them and holds them in her hands while I shop and run errands.

I was so thankful that Paul decided to order more! We went through 10 lbs. in almost 1 month! He didn't want to overdo it, but I am still craving them and love how satiating they are. He gave in, ordered 10 more pounds and he is loving them just as much!

Noa's teething does not seem to be too uncomfortable for her now, but when and if it does become painful, I will probably try a little clove oil. A friend also suggested trying chamomile too for teething. But these carob pods are keeping us both busy for now!

Garden Collard Wrap Recipe and Update!

I know it has been a while since my last post, and I am ready to get this ball rolling again. We had a busy holiday season, and Paul's mom Elaine came and visited us for 3 weeks. It was really nice having a helping hand and I was a little nervous when it came time for her to leave. I loved that Noa could spend time with her Grandma. But now we are back to normal, and keeping busy. Paul is in Dallas, Texas this weekend. He has a packed travel schedule for the next 6 months and he's excited to spread the message about health and healing naturally. Noa and I will be joining him on a few trips, but we'll be home most of the time.

Our garden is flourishing and we love being able to pick fresh greens and herbs daily. I use the collards to juice and make wraps for lunch.

Here is a simple recipe for any wrap:

First, I spread a walnut pate on the collard leaf.
Walnut pate:
3 cups walnuts
2 TBSP nama shoyu
2 carrots
1 handful cilantro
2 celery stalks
cumin and sea salt to taste

Then I topped it with the following:
avocado
tomato
sprouts
chopped lettuce
dulse
sprinkle chia seeds

I then topped it with a cashew ranch dressing:

1 cup raw cashew pieces
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 TBSP honey
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup of water (or desired consistency)
2 tsp parsley flakes
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
3/4 tsp dill
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp basil

These wraps were so simple and delicious! You can use any greens like romaine, or even nori sheets to make these wraps.

I have been making the herbal infusions daily and loving them! It looks like I am no longer craving kombucha because these infusions quench my thirst and are so refreshing. Right now, I am only making the oat straw and stinging nettle infusions, but I'll keep you all updated as I continue.

Interview with Rhio from Hooked on Raw

Rhio and her partner Leigh recently visited Paul and me in West Palm Beach and set up our kitchen for their radio show Hooked on Raw with Rhio. We had lots of fun and touched on some interesting subjects!

Check out my interview running this week or download the podcast here!

Herbal Infusions

Herbal Infusions

Recently, I began to make my own herbal infusions after being inspired by Susun Weed and her interview on The Raw Mom Summit. I purchased the herbs stinging nettle and oat straw to experiment. I followed the instructions from www.susunweed.com and soon discovered how simple and easy it was to make these delicious and nourishing infusions. An infusion is different than steeping the average tea bag. Keeping the jar covered and steeping it for more than 4 hours allows for the nutrients and minerals to transfer to the drinking water, which makes these infusions so medicinal.

They are so many nutritional benefits to these infusions!

Stinging nettle is used for the following :

* diuretic
* breaking down arthritis crystals and gout
* heavy menstrual bleeding
* anti-allergy and hay fever
* shrinking enlarged prostate
* hemorrhoids
* detoxifier
* increased breast milk production
* asthma
* skin complaints including eczema

Oat Straw benefits:

* fighting osteoporosis
* building bones
* pain relief
* calming hyperactive children
* soothing elderly people
* fighting anxiety
* panic attacks
* boosting immune system
* depression and nervous exhaustion
* antidepressant

It’s so easy:

1 ounce of dried herb (approx. 1 cup)
Fill 1 quart glass container with boiling water. Seal tightly, and let it sit overnight.

The next morning, strain out the herb, and refrigerate the tea. It will stay fresh for about 3 days. We return the used herb to the earth by putting it back in our compost.

I find these teas refreshing and light and sip on them all day. You can drink them warm or iced, and adding a little mint leaf or lemon will make them even more refreshing.

Herbal Infusions are a simple and economical way to boost your immune system and keep you healthy!