Archive for March, 2009
March 31st, 2009
A raw food lifestyle focuses on incorporating at least 50% raw fruits & vegetables to experience improved health & vitality. As one incorporates more raw foods into their diet the amount of meat in the diet naturally lessens. Some may be concerned with getting enough protein when they reduce and/or eliminate meat from their diet. If you eat enough calories of whole, natural plant foods you will get enough protein. Adding some avocadoes, nuts or seeds to get more calories can be helpful. Many are not used to eating larger portions of fruits & vegetables but it is easy to do and simply takes a little adjustment. Vegetables carry all the building blocks of protein the body needs. Green leafy vegetables are particularly high in protein, at about 50% protein and fruits & vegetables taken together are about 15% protein. The RDA recommends only slightly higher than that at 20%. Keep in mind that the RDA has cushioned this 20% figure to assume people will not absorb all the protein they are eating, which is true if it’s cooked. You absorb more when it is not cooked.
Many find an improvement in inflammatory conditions as well as other degenerative diseases when they eat less cooked protein. Raw plant based protein sources are alkalizing and reduces the stress & energy levels required to digest & extract those protein sources.
Reap the benefits with raw foods! Learn more, attend a FREE “Why Raw” talk Saturday, April 25th at Vitamins N More, 1627 N. Alpine, Rockford. 10:00am. Pre-register by April 23rd. Raw Food classes available. Contact Raw Energy at 815-543-1207 or by email: myrawenergy@yahoo.com to register or request a schedule. Schedule also at www.blogs.e-rockford.com/goodforyou
March 31st, 2009
RAW ENERGY 815-543-1207 -
Belvidere
Brenda Richter Email: myrawenergy@yahoo.com
CLASSES: These are specialty classes, $42 each OR take all four classes in 2009, for $146.00, it’s like getting one class for $20. (Pay by March 26th for discount). Registration & payment required one week before class. Classes held in Rockford/Belvidere. Classes are about 3 hours long.TIME: Choose 9:30am OR 6:00pm (Morning class will be held provided enough interest).
Increase your energy & stamina; Improve your health; Prevent, stop or reverse degenerative diseases; Reach & maintain your ideal weight; Achieve or maintain a healthy life and lifestyle. When you prepare fruits, vegetables, & other natural ingredients without cooking, you preserve the maximum nutrition in these foods. Most people are too acidic which prevents the immune system from functioning at its best resulting in degenerative illness’, disease & ailments. Protein & calcium you ask? It’s all here in raw foods! Discover how to prepare raw foods deliciously & easily while reaping the benefits in all aspects of your life.
Hungry Man Raw Cuisine: Wednesday, April 8, 2009Raw foods can easily fill the “hungry man” in you. These entrées are just for men as many women and children also enjoy meat & potatoes. This is an illustration of the traditional “meat & potatoes” meal but done raw utilizing other ingredients. You will learn how to: make a creamy soup without a chicken or beef stock broth; create a meatloaf without the meat; make a thick & creamy onion shitake gravy without any animal fat or grease; everyone loves potatoes but they are heavy in starch and not very palatable raw….some people use cauliflower and create a mock potato dish but there are not potatoes or cauliflower here and tastes just as good as those gourmet potatoes in those fine dining restaurants; coleslaw can be heavy with all that mayo but not this one…including kale gives it an extra nutritional boost; make a carrot cake & frosting without refined sugar, flour, cream, butter, shortening, eggs, dairy or butter. Menu: Creamy Tomato Basil Soup, Neatloaf with Onion Mushroom Gravy, Rosemary Garlic Potatoes, Kale Coleslaw and Carrot Cake with Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting.
Flavors of the
Mediterranean: When: Wednesday, April 15, 2009Middle Eastern restaurants are always a hit, and with good reason–aromatic herbs, warming spices, and pungent flavors such as olives and feta cheese make this cuisine both exotic and comforting. Now you can enjoy all your favorites, even hummus and felafel, in the raw. You will learn how to: Make no-bean hummus that tastes just like the traditional version; Use a dehydrator to make savory felafel patties–no frying needed; Make wheat-free tabouli; Roll picture-perfect dolmas–with a zucchini “rice” filling and aromatic marinara sauce; Substitute thinly sliced apples for phyllo pastry to create a luscious raw baklava. Menu: No bean Hummus, Savory No-fry Felafel with Tahina Sauce, Wheat-free Tabouli, Greek Salad, Carrots with Moroccan Spices, Rice free Dolmas with Middle Eastern Marinara, Apple Baklava
Latin Fiesta: Wednesday, April 22, 2009 Mexican food is what many people crave when they want something hearty, cheesy, and comforting. And who doesn’t love to munch on chips and salsa in front of a video? Unfortunately, traditional Mexican cuisine is notorious for being high in calories, greasy, and short on fresh veggies. But once you learn the raw food preparation techniques in this class, you’ll be able to make a truly healthy as well as delicious Latin American Fiesta™ for yourself and your friends. You will learn how to: Use a dehydrator to make thin, crispy chips out of flax seeds and vegetables–perfect with guacamole; Which knife skills to use to dice up delicious homemade salsa; Use a dehydrator to make flexible wraps out of vegetables–the perfect tortilla for enchiladas; Use shredded cabbage to replace rice for a lighter version of Mexican rice; Make a beautiful mango fruit tart with a coconut crust–delicious either as a dessert or as a light meal in itself. Menu: Hot Red Pepper Chips, Salsa, Authentic Guacamole, Enchiladas de Verdura con Chili
Colorado using really raw vegetable tortillas that aren’t fried, Mexican Seasoned Rice without the rice , Tropical Fruit Tart.
Pizza Mia: Wednesday April 29, 2009Everyone loves Pizza, but traditional dishes are high in calories, meat, grease, flour/wheat and cheese. With these raw substitutions you can still enjoy this classic American cuisine. Who said pizza couldn’t be light, healthy and rawlicious? Menu: Sprouted Seed Pizza Crust, Zuchini Pizza Crusts, Pizza Sauce, Pesto Sauce, Marinated Mushrooms, Mocksarella Cheese, Pineapple Ginger Sherbert.
March 30th, 2009
The names sound like the latest reality TV shows: Rock Star, Monster, Pit Bull, Adrenaline Rush, and Rocket Fuel to name a few. Yet these are just a few of the energy drinks lining our beverage aisles. These drinks promise to boost performance, increase concentration and alertness, improve endurance, and stimulate metabolism. Is this too good to be true?
In reality, energy drinks are simply revved-up sodas that often include loads of caffeine in combination with other ingredients touted to boost energy, such as taurine, guarana, carnitine, and B vitamins. Many also pack in at least 100 calories per serving. The caffeine content of energy drinks ranges from 100 mg to 500 mg per container. Compare this to coffee at about 100 mg and soda at about 35 mg per serving. And consider that some people down more than one energy drink per day. Other stimulant ingredients added to energy drinks, including guarana and ginseng, can enhance the effects of caffeine. The safety and effectiveness of some ingredients in energy drinks have never been tested, especially in children and teens. Some drinks even contain alcohol.
Certain energy drinks are clearly labeled as unsuitable for children, and many contain warnings for individuals with certain health conditions. Reports of anxiety, restlessness, elevated heart rates, headaches, stomach pain, and sleep disorders in kids and teens have caused concern among health professionals and school officials. At least one study suggests that kids who are regular users of energy drinks are more likely to engage in other risky behaviors. Not surprisingly, many schools are banning energy drinks.
March 26th, 2009
I don’t mean roll your eyes or slam your door or mimic me behind my back. I do mean express yourself. Teenage girls may be known as drama queens (I can’t vouch for that; I have teenage boys), but the healthy part of such drama is that emotions are not kept bottled up.
Sometimes we think maturity means keeping it all inside. Au contraire. Some emotions can be toxic. We need to let them rise up and escape.
If you are someone who always keeps yourself in check, it’s time to loosen up a little. When something tickles your funny bone, laugh out loud. Yeah, like the teenage girls at the mall. If something makes you angry, say so. “That makes me so mad!” Go punch your pillow. If you want a moment alone, go lay on your bed and listen to your favorite song. It worked when you were a teenager; it can work to lift your mood now, no matter how old you are.
We may be older and wiser in many respects, but don’t lose the joy of the young. Excuse me while I go take a break with my iPod.
www.whenlifestinks.com
March 24th, 2009
Now that we know about the aggrivators that cause a breakdown of the skin structure, lets talk about how to strengthen our skin structure. Part of our skin structure is called our acid mantle. This is our skins natural defense barrier. When this is functioning normally our skin looks healthy, supple and has a nice glow to it. When this breaks down all the free radicals in the world are able to enter into our skin. This leads to redness of the skin, dry/flaky skin and blotchy skin. This doesen’t look so pretty ladies.
In order to keep our skin healthy we have to follow through on a at-home skin care plan. It is essential for maintaining healthy, beautiful skin. Lets face it: when your skin looks good you feel good. Your confidence and self esteem are greater when your skin has a healthy glow to it. Let your beauty shine through!
June Jacobs Papaya Enzyme Masque is essential to every at-home skin care plan. Not only will the scent of papaya and mago wisk you away to the beach, it will gently dissolve dead surface impurities as it moisturizes the skin. Another essential is June Jacobs Redness Diffusing Serum. It will soothe and calm the skin. This serum contains arnica(a natural anti-inflamatory), that helps diminish the appearance of broken capallaries. Likewise it has vitamin K in it that will help with the dark circles around our eyes that some of us have.
The most important essential is your daily sunscreen. NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT. That is a whole other blog coming next week. Please remember to stop in and see me for a complimentary skin consultation.
See you at the Spa…….
March 24th, 2009
As the newest blogger for healthyrockford.com, I am not here to tell you how to eat (Coke and pretzels are on my desk right now), or to get plenty of rest (I like to write all night), or the best exercise (I think any exercise that makes you sweat counts as “good for you.”) The experts here can help you with all of that. My purpose: to exalt the joy in life. We sometimes lose that in our busy lives. We get caught up in the shoulds, and musts, and “I really need to …” that we overlook the little things that make a BIG difference. If you are not enjoying life, then you are not truly healthy.
My tip for today: pretty underwear. Yep. Matching bra and panties do wonders for any age and any body type, and for your mindset. What you decide to wear is not for anyone else (unless you want it to be); it’s for you. Look good, feel good. Living in France for a year, I learned the law of lingerie. Stores, and even outdoor markets, sell nothing but matching sets. I realized that if I was in an accident and the paramedics had to cut my clothes off, they would see my boring mismatched underthings. They would know that I was not French and leave me for dead at the side of the road. Pretty panties became a priority.
It’s a habit I have kept. Knowing that my underroos are attractive makes me feel attractive. Don’t roll your eyes. Try it. You don’t have to get expensive stuff. Get whatever your style is – lacy, leopard, or Looney Tunes – the point is that you like it and it makes you feel good.
Trade in the old, faded, ratty underwear for something new. The clearance racks always have good deals. Get bras in the same color as panties, or matched sets. When you start your day with something a little nice on your body, it sets the tone for the whole day. It does not matter if your daily outer attire is a uniform, sweats, or a business suit. Like your mom always said, what matters is on the inside.
Give it a week and see if you notice a difference in your daily “feel good” factor. And guys, this motto applies to you too. Get rid of those dingy old undies with holes! How you start your day affects your overall well being. The underwear experiment now begins! (No, please do not send in pictures.)
www.whenlifestinks.com
March 6th, 2009
With the beginning of spring upon us our spirits are up. Green grass will be sprouting soon and it is an excellent time to energize our lives. Juicing & blending greens allow our bodies to assimilate minerals, vitamin, proteins & chlorophyll in dark leafy greens. Eating plenty of fresh greens is important and helps to detoxify your system. Greens contain vitamins, minerals, high-quality protein and chlorophyll. Chlorophyll helps oxygenate your blood cells and eliminate toxins. The healthier and most chlorophyll-rich greens are dark greens, like kale, collards, mustard greens, and dandelion greens. If you are just starting out you may find these to be a bitter for you and therefore you may want to start with mild greens like spinach or chard. Remember, organic is important. If you took the Light & Healthy class don’t forget wheatgrass and sunflower greens, HIGHLY nutritious LIVING greens!
People new to eating greens often think dark greens are tough and/or bitter. Raw greens such as kale are less bitter when eaten raw than when cooked. For those of you that took the “Forget Cooking” class know how to prepare kale and how it has become one of your favorite salads.
Juicing & blending greens helps you to digest greens easily. Juicing eliminates the fiber. Blending helps break down the fiber but works as a broom in your system. Juicing & blending greens is great in the morning when the body is in cleansing mode and wants to spend less time working to digest food. Green juice is a great source of instant nutrition without taxing your digestion and blended green soups are great for lunch or dinner.
A nutritious & cleansing breakfast can start with 16oz water, followed by 16oz green juice and then followed with a piece of fruit or smoothie can easily keep you satisfied up to about noon or early afternoon. Raw Food classes available with Raw Energy, call 815-543-1207 or email: myrawenergy@yahoo.com for a class schedule.
March 5th, 2009
Laughter is a serious business 2As we look forward to the future with hope, inspired by a new president who was sworn into office just a few days ago, reality fearfully knocks at our door, not giving us any time to sit back and relax. There are so many things in our busy and stressful lives that need to be taken care of immediately.Laughter is the tool you might be looking for. The importance of laughter and happiness in our lives has its roots in history. One can find references to it in both ancient texts and oral rituals, as well as in the Bible. The reason for that “insignificant” subject to rise from the past is because we cannot live without it. It is a built in mechanism, in my opinion. In other words, it is a valuable tool in the spiritual toolbox that we are born with. Humans have proven time and again that they are able to live without some other important senses like smell, eyesight, hearing etc. But we definitely cannot live without our sense of humor. We can live without limbs, and even parts of our brain, due to innovative, sophisticated technology, but there is no transplant or implant for our sense of humor. Many papers written by researchers from the best universities that have appeared over the last few decades tell us something people always knew; laughter will strengthen your soul, therefore your body. The connection has been proven over and over again, but in mainstream Western culture it was ignored for a long time compared to the Eastern point of view. For many decades science, in the West, has ignored that ‘spirit’ even existed, and has seen the body as a machine to be fixed much like a car. Change some parts and everything will be fine. Contrary to the Western culture, Eastern philosophy sees the two elements, body and spirit as one. When making the necessary adjustments, they consider the two inseparable.Not surprising the idea of laughing clubs started in India. The West is gradually coming to terms with the concept.We are discovering that the change in our mind set through laughter can open many pathways to physical healing in our body, such as; increasing the number of natural killer cells that protect against viruses, activating T cells that boost our immune system, increasing the production of immunoglobulin A which helps fight upper respiratory tract infections. It also gives a jolt to the immune systems through an increase in gamma interferon, decreases levels of stress hormones, reduces pain through increased production of endorphins. We also should not overlook the social and other positive aspects of the changes that result from laughter, like; disarming possible confrontations, dissolving tensions, anxiety, irritation, anger, grief, and depression. Laughter allows us to integrate both hemispheres of our brain. We can become better communicators and better team players, acquire more friends (every one likes to spend time with people who know how to laugh), achieve a balance in our lives to help us through times of trouble and the ability to accept the inevitable with greater ease.We can only guess what we still don’t know.Knowing what we know now, and with a hand on our heart, do we still want to use the lame excuse that we are too busy to laugh?Leading a Rockford Laughing Group (R.L.G) for few months I heard many excuses as to why we shouldn’t start right now. Can we really afford to say no, when we, all of us, walk around with this magical medicine right in our hand? Next time I will discuss a life without laughter and how we misinterpret happiness. Roni Golan is an artist, owner of the Golan Liberman Art Gallery in Rockford, free thinker and leader of the first Rockford Laughing Club.
March 4th, 2009
Spring is just around the corner. Is your skin ready? Mine’s not. Now is the time to make an appointment with your Aesthetician and get your skin ready for the heat, sweat, and sun.
Here is the skinny on aging ladies. 50% of aging is genectic and the other 50% is environmental. Not a lot we can do with genetics. We can manipulate it a little though.
However, there is a lot we can do about environmental aging (yeah). Majority of environmental aging is accumulation of sun damage. Other environmental factors include pollutants, smoke and being a smoker, and chronic skin irritation-such as sun burns, chemical exposure or even reaction to product you’ve used on your skin. All of these aggrivators cause a breakdown of the skin structure and ultimately creates aging skin. Aging skin is revealed through hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, elastosis(lack of elasticity).
The ray of sunshine is that your Aesthetician can minimize all of these. Aestheticians are specially trained in skin care. We know how to add lipids, serums, and nutrients to your skin during a facial. Facials also help keep your facial muscles toned through the massage. Work out a skin care program that best fits your needs with your Skin Care Pro. Aestheticans love helping people with their skin care needs.
See you at the spa…..
March 1st, 2009
The Raw Food Diet is a lifestyle of incorporating more raw fruits, vegetables & other natural ingredients into your diet without cooking. Anyone can experienced improved health & vitality by eating at least 50% raw fruits & vegetables. The results are wide and varied from gaining more energy, looking younger, weight maintenance, preventing or reversing degenerative diseases or ailments in the body. Tired of feeling sick & tired all the time? Want to experience something refreshing and the notice the difference in how you feel after eating a satisfying raw meal verses a traditional cooked meal? Re-creating standard cooked dishes from raw fruits & vegetables without cooking are wonderful and many do not really understand the concept, “raw foods”. Often times people hear “raw foods” and either do not understand what it means or they immediately think “rabbit food”. Whether you know someone who eats primarily a raw food diet or you ask a “raw foodist” questions, it may not be until you actually take a class or two in preparing raw foods that the concept “clicks” and you see what can be created, how it is done and how great it tastes. The payoff in eating raw is found when you experience it in your health, energy and spirit. Raw Food “no-cooking” classes are available. Tickle your tastebuds and listen to a FREE “Why Raw” talk: March 13th at 1:00pm at Health First Physical Rehab,
1007 W. Riverside Blvd, Rockford OR
March 14th, 10:00am, Vitamins N More, 1627 N. Alpine,
Rockford. Pre-registration required by Wednesday. Call or email Brenda at Raw Energy 815-543-1207 or myrawenergy@yahoo.com to pre-register or request a raw food class schedule.
