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Working with wheatgrass

26 Oct

I have only recently begun to work with growing and juicing wheatgrass and I love it! Here are some basic steps on how to get going.

You will need:

  • Seed (certified organic if possible)
  • Sprouting Jar
  • Organic potting soil
  • Trays to grow the grass in. Shallow trays, such as 2 inches deep are ideal as wheatgrass is not grown for a great duration of time, it does not require a lot of soil.
  • Spray bottle
  • Paper towels (optional)

Getting started:

1. Sprouting the seed. Best to be done in a sprouting  jar. Fill at most to just under half full, then fill the jar with water. Rinse and refill with water every 8-12 hours until you see roots growing from most of the seed. This usually takes approximately 2 days.

2. Prep the trays. The paper towels can be used here to line the bottom in order to prevent the roots from growing outside the tray. Fill the tray with soil almost to the top.

3. Lay the seeds out on top of the soil evenly in a single layer. Place in shaded or indirect sunlight. Wheatgrass doesn’t like too much heat, causing it to wilt.

4. When getting started, they need to be watered every 12 hours using ideally the spray bottle as to not damage the delicate root growth that is forming. After 4-5 days, its okay to water once a day. Even when no longer using the spray bottle, its important to water the grass gently and not to overwater, as mold will grow at the base of the grass.

5. Harvest time! After about 10 days or when the grass is 6 inches tall, get a sharp pair of scissors and start cutting. If there is mold, avoid cutting those areas. Depending on the juicer, you need about 6 square inches worth of  grass to get a 1 ounce shot of juice so plan accordingly. The grass will grow back and can be harvested generally 1-2 more times before its best to change the soil.

6. Rinse and juice! You will need a sturdy juicer such as a Champion or a manual gear juicer. Centrifugal juicers do not work well as they tend to clog up.

Its generally considered that a 1 ounce shot of this juice is all one person needs per day. Happy juicing!

 
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Posted in Equipment, Ingredients, Tips on Healthy Living

 

5 Favorite Super Foods

15 Sep

(Extra Virgen) Coconut Oil – Not only is EVCO great for cooking, it is also an excellent skin treatment. The uses are endless and this product is used in many of the highest end organic cosmetic products, because it works. By the way, because EVCO is  primarily made up of Medium Chain Saturated Fatty acids ( all oils are blends of medium and long chain fatty acids. ) it has less calories than standard oil (6.7 versus 9).

Organic Cacao – Either roasting your own beans, or buying low temperature processed powdered cacao, this is one useful food. Cacao is known to be one of the best sources for trace minerals and nutrients such as magnesium.

Acai – A tasty super food originating from the Amazon River. I use this to add flavor to my greens supplements.

Spirulina – This stuff has been harvested throughout history. There is a wide variety of this on the market so choose carefully.

Maca – Maca is an adaptogen. This means it has shown to help regulate the endocrine system. This means restoring order to out of wack glands and all types of degenerative diseases. If your looking at a lifetime of medication of modern medical solution, you might want to do some research on this and other adaptogens.

I have come to prefer seperately source these foods first because products containing these prized ingredients command a premium in the marketplace. Each one of these foods has its in’s and outs to learn about. For example: Cacao’s flavor can vary greatly by species ( there are 3 variations of cacao that are sold on the world markets – Trinitario, Forastero or Criollo ) and soil/location as well. Same goes for Maca. Over time you will find sources that are appealing to your tastes.

 
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Posted in Ingredients, Tips on Healthy Living

 

An introduction to Coconut Oil

01 Jul

Recently I have been reading up on the differences between coconut oil and other vegetable based oils and have found some interesting information while reading a book called The Coconut Oil Miracle by Bruce Fife.

This book contains very useful information as to what most oils are comprised of and how exposing them to heat affects their chemical compositions. It also discusses very clearly how these oils are digested. High grade food oils are expensive and coconut oil is no exception. As a consumer, its wise to educate yourself as you can then make a more informed decision as to what oils you will cook with and ultimately ingest into your body.

One of the most surprising pieces of info I have found so far is the medium chain fatty acids in Coconut oil contains 6.7 calories versus 9 per gram in other fat sources ( including olive oil). Your body also processes these fats differently,  they more directly converted into energy instead of being broken down and stored as fat throughout the body.

I have been cooking with coconut oil exclusively for about a month and have been very impressed with the results. I cook everything in it and you can substitute coconut oil for butter in many recipes. I will be posting more as I continue to experiment with my new favorite ingredient.

 
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Foods that offer protection against radiation poisoning

02 Apr

The meltdowns at Fukushima Daiichi have already and will continue to emit radiation into the environment for months if not years. As this story has developed, people started paying attention to methods used to cleanse the body after radiation exposure. This has created a lot of attention for a particular inorganic compound called potassium iodide (Kl), a substance which plays a crucial role in the bodies ability to cleanse radioactive toxins after exposure. Its also used to iodize table salt, but incidentally a useful dosing of this would require a lethal amount of salt and it not recommended as a health solution. Why do they iodize table salt? Turns out that we really this substance. Sea salts naturally contain this compound in trace amounts.

Potassium iodide supplements have been selling fast as people are now realizing the usefulness of having this in the emergency kit. Even if the radiation from the current meltdown doesn’t require taking it now, many people have realized they live within a close enough distance to a nuclear power plant that they feel its part of a modern day survival planning. Outside of this supplement which is more of a commercially processed emergency medicine, my attention began to focus on finding other naturally occurring sources of potassium iodide. Turns out many of the best sources come from the sea such as Kombu- a form of edible kelp & sea salts. Spirulina is a good source as well, as it thrives in very mineral rich environments such as volcanic lakes.

When patients undergo medical radiation exposure ( chemotherapy ) people are choosing to eat foods high in antioxidants for preventing damage during the exposure and shortening the process of cleansing the radiation from the body.

Edit: Just came across some information that indicates the common herb Rosemary can be very beneficial to combat prolonged radiation exposure. This plant is also very strong and grows in many climates.

Will keep posting as this situation develops.

 
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Roasting your own cacao beans

26 Feb

When first getting started I had trouble finding out how long to roast raw cacao beans.It does vary by variety and source, but I have found that 280 degrees, 28-30 minutes does it pretty well and should work as a starting point for roasting your first batch. Its best not to over roast, and you can start with a small batch to test the timing if you want to be absolutely sure

Make sure to spread them evenly on the baking pan, I had best results using basic rectangle cookie sheets. Deeper pans like brownie didn’t work as well. For an even roast, make sure to spread them evenly with no beans on top of each other.

When you take them out, allow for natural time to cool. During this process, the skin of some of the beans will crack as they expand. This seems to be the sign of a good roast.

For more information this site has a lot of info: www.chocolatealchemy.com/roasting.php

 
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Posted in Cacao, Ingredients

 

Apricot and cacao granola recipe

25 Feb

To get started, preheat the oven to 300 F.

Then in a stainless pot, mix in:

  • 1/4 cup coconut oil (could use butter)
  • 1/4  cup cane syrup / honey / agave nectar
    (careful not to use too much, amount will vary depending on sweetener)
  • vanilla extract (est 20 drops / a capful per batch)

Grind the nuts and add them to this liquid, heating it slightly.

Stir in the following:

  • oats ( 1 cup )
  • ground flax (1/4  cup)
  • wheat germ (1/4 cup)

Grease a cookie sheet and spread this mixture as thinly as possible if you like your granola crunchy. Bake for 30 minutes or just under if you like it softer. For best consistency stir once while baking.

After its cooled off, add in these optional ingredients:

  • dried fruits
  • roasted cacao nibs

Any combination of dried fruits and various other items will work here, you can find your own combination of flavors. For larger dried fruits such as apricots ( shown in photo ), I tend to soak them and then dice them up to make them last longer and mix more into the granola.

 
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What is super food?

22 Nov

The term originated to describe specific nutrient rich foods, recipes and beverages. The concept is that by eating a carefully selected grouping of properly grown foods and you can nourish the body back into a natural state of balance where it on its own can accomplish amazing things.

Nutrient dense foods also can be wasted if your body is given a proper chance to absorb the benefits. To properly absorb nutrition from food, it is suggested that your body be at or near the pH of 7.3-7.6 (depending on which source, but basically your pH should be slightly alkaline). You can easily test for this. Having an alkaline pH allows your body to properly harbor a culture good bacteria in the lower intestine (believe it or not, this culture is what keeps you alive). These good bacterias absorb the nutrients you eat in your food. The healthier this culture is, the more nutrients you absorb from the same foods you eat. It is this bacterial culture that is often nearly destroyed as a side effect of heavy antibiotic usage and is also why probiotics (yogurt, acidophilus, kombucha) are recommended after their use. These are also good things to eat basically anytime, as it seems the more of the good bacteria the merrier.

A concept of eating nutrient dense whole foods is that less food can provide you with more nutrition. If you are able to make the adjustment to smaller portions, you benefit from your body putting less energy towards digestion. You body can then put that energy towards expelling existing toxins & healing damaged organs. This is also why people fast or eat very little during cleanses, as they purposefully divert this freed up energy towards other area of the body.

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Posted in Tips on Healthy Living

 

Herbal Ginger Honey Tea

09 Nov

This tea is very cleansing and I help use it to flush out my body when I am feeling rough. Its also a great afternoon tea served hot or cold.

Boil a full pot of water. While bringing to a boil, cut up a good amount of ginger into coins and add them to the water, roughly 2 tablespoons per quart (you will learn to calculate this pretty easy after a few batches).

Boil the ginger for 5-10 minutes. I prefer a milder brew, around 5 minutes. I take the ginger out after it stops boiling, although some people like to leave it in there to create a really potent extraction. Let this mixture cool for a little bit, then mix in:

  • fresh juice from 1 lime or lemon
  • 1 tsp honey * (add this last as the amount needed will vary based on the acidity & amount of lime used)

I prefer to drink this mainly as a hot beverage, but this does store well and can be cooled and keeps for a few days. If your really feeling rough, add a few drops of Echinacea to each cup.

 
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Spicy hot cacao recipe

30 Oct

This recipe covers how to brew my favorite hot cacao drink.

1. Boil 1 cup of water per serving. You can add a few slices of ginger to the water during this step to add even more kick to this recipe. If so, let the water boil 1-2 minutes, then remove the ginger before mixing.
2. While its getting warm, add the following to each cup:
(the first 4 ingredients are powders and can be premixed into a ready to serve spicy cacao blend)

  • 1 tbsp. Cacao powder (more than this will have trouble dissolving)
  • 1 tsp. Maca (optional but really nice to have)
  • dash of Ceylon Cinnamon (less than 1/4 tsp)
  • pinch of Cayenne Pepper (will vary largely by taste but is important)
  • 2-5 drops Vanilla depending on potency/taste preference
  • 1 tsp Nut milk (hazelnut milk goes well, or my preferred blend is 4 parts almond to 1 part pecan)
  • sweeten with a very small amount of Agave syrup (honey/natural sugars can be substituted, the taste will vary)

3. Mix this into a chocolate paste then mix in the hot water. ( I use a fork, hand whisks work too )

You can whip it up a little to form a head of foam for presentational purposes, which is a nice touch when serving this beverage to friends.

Its best to stir a few times while drinking to avoid settling.

The cacao in this drink adds approximately 10% of the caffeine a cup of coffee but still packs quite an energizing kick and without the crash later. I used to down 2 to 4 cups a day and have used this recipe as a substitute and have gone to being only an occasional coffee drinker.

 
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Posted in Recipes

 

Making your own nut milks

28 Oct

You will need a little patience to get started the first time, but trust me its worth it. To start you need to soak some nuts for at least 12 to 24 hours. Preferably a glass or container where the nuts will see a few hours of natural light.

1/2 to 1 cup of nuts is good for starters, soak them, filling the container past the nuts (roughly twice as far as the amount of nuts you have). Its beneficial to change the soak water about every 12 hours. Soaking should be done before you eat any brown skin nut. Its better for digestion and if  properly processed provides an enzyme rich protein boost to smoothies and other super food recipes in the kitchen.

Read the rest of this entry »

 
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Posted in Recipes, Tips on Healthy Living

 

Maca and Nut Milk Smoothie

26 Oct

Maca is one of the most interesting foods emerging from South America, primarily seems to be coming from Peru and Chile. This high altitude growing root has been treasured by the native cultures for in the region for thousands of years. One of its most fascinating properties is how it stimulates your bodies natural systems to restore balance. This is one you need to be careful to measure out, as this is known to have a cumulative benefit that can increase over time.

Here is maca based smoothie with easy to try options: Read the rest of this entry »

 
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Posted in Recipes

 

A brief introduction to Cacao

25 Oct

Cacao has a rich and interesting history as a food and its usage dating back thousands of years. At one point in Central America, cacao was so ubiquitous that it was used as a form of currency.

Cacao differs greatly from what most have experienced in the form of processed chocolate. Cacao is a very interesting in that it has the most complex make up of any known natural food source. It is an excellent source of magnesium and very high levels of antioxidants. While these components are broken down slightly processing, there are low temperature processed raw cacao powders which attempt to render a high quality product that remains nutrient rich. These raw powders are an easy way to get started enjoying the wonderful properties of cacao. Nibs and beans have even higher concentrations of antioxidants and can be fun to have around and can be put to good use making granola and other goodies ( use them as a replacement for chocolate chips ).

One book I recommend to learn more about cacao is Naked Chocolate. Here you will learn in more detail than I would ever go over here. There is an amazingly extensive list of compounds that can be contained in a single cacao bean. The book also goes over some of the history. The best part is in the back half of this book is in full color loaded with interesting raw food recipes.

Many books, including this one will suggest eating massive amounts of cacao at a time. While this may have pleasurable effects on your mental state, its probably not nutritionally sound to eat massive amounts of cacao for prolonged periods of time. Nutrient dense sources such as this should be approached in moderation and in carefully measures amounts. I too caught the cacao craze and was eating 3-4 tbsp a day while I was weaning myself off coffee using my spicy cacao recipe. After a while I noticed a bit of a headache, almost like a hangover from eating too much for a week or so straight. My suggestion is to approach it in moderation, with maybe 1-2 tbsp daily max, and with periods of rest for a few days every so often. One suggestion they make in the book is to eat 20 raw cacao beans then do yoga. I can barely eat 5 at a time. Cacao has properties as a natural appetite suppressant, I find myself quite satisfied after eating a very small amount and then moving on. If you have never eaten raw cacao, its definitely something that needs to be experienced. Go find some cacao beans (they can be eaten raw or roasted), put a drop of agave on the bean, dip it in some maca powder and enjoy.

 
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Posted in Ingredients

 
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