Dear Readers, July 21, 2011

I ran across an excellent video the other day, entitled "The Wisdom of Eating Raw." It features several opinion leaders in the field of raw fooding and sustainability. Check it out!

Most people I talk to who are raw or mostly raw fooders usually have a larger reason for having made the switch from the conventional "American diet." For most, initially, it was because of health issues of one kind or another, but as they continued through with this way of eating, larger reasons began to emerge. Such things as global sustainability, planetary stewardship, contributing to the health of local economies, establishing a closer relationship with the food we fuel our bodies, and a preference for feeling lighter, more alert, more alive.

It is interesting that when that switch to a raw diet is made, it also seems to throw a switch of awareness--awareness of how this form of eating impacts the world, and how so much more positive in so many ways it is. Even making small changes toward raw fooding have significant effects on the world. Deciding to grow a garden for some of your food, or deciding to replace that candy bar for raw almonds for a snack--these things make a difference, and if done on a consistent basis represent real change in the world.

My mantra this week has been "be the change you want to see," because it all comes from you. You are making your life, and demonstrating to yourself behaviors and actions that further that change, makes it happen all that faster!

Until next time...

In vibrant health,

Shay Arave, President
Subtleenergysolutions.com

Dear Readers, July 15, 2011

Here's a fabulous green recipe from Cherie Shoria's book, The Raw Food Revolution Diet, co-authored by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina. The recipe can be used as a pizza topping, spread or dip. Healthy, versatile, and delicious... What could be better!

Broccoli Pesto Pate
Many of us love Pesto, but often it's too rich for us to eat as much as we would like. With this recipe, the fat has been reduced, Enjoy it as a spread on crackers, as a topping for salads, wrapped in romaine lettuce leaves, or as a dip with Crudites.

Broccoli makes a great addition to raw pate, especially since it contains as much vitamin C as an orange, along with magnesium, the mineral that is central in green chlorophyll, and calcium. When you make pesto with Vegetarian Support Formula nutritional yeast, it's also a good source of B vitamins, including vitamin B12.

3 cups chopped broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, firmly packed
1 tablespoon flaxseed oil
2 teaspoons nutrtional yeast flakes
1 1/2 cloves crushed garlic
1/4 teaspoon himalayian salt
1/2 cup walnuts, soaked for 4 hours, rinsed and drained

Put the broccoli into a large bowl and pour 1 quart of nearly boiling water over it. Drain the broccoli after 1 minute and plunge it into cold water. This will turn the broccoli bright green and make it more palatable without negatively affecting the nutrients. Drain the broccoli well and place it on clean kitchen towels to remove any excess water. Set aside. Combine the basil, oil, nutritional yeast flakes, miso, garlic and salt in a food processor fitted with the S and pulse to chop the basil. Add the walnuts and the reserved broccoli and process until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy. Store in a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator, Broccoli Pate will keep for up to three days.

Enjoy this summer time treat with bounty from your local Farmer's Market!

Until next time...

In vibrant health,

Shay Arave, President
Subtleenergysolutions.com

Broccoli Pesto Pate and Broccoli-Tahini Pate

Here are a couple of fabulous green recipes from Cherie's book The Raw Food Revolution Diet, co-authored by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina. Both recipes can be used as a pizza topping, spread or dip. Healthy, versatile, and delicious-what could be better.

Broccoli Pesto Pate

Many of us love Pesto, but often it's too rich for us to eat as much as we would like. With this recipe, the fat has been reduced, Enjoy it as a spread on crackers, as a topping for salads, wrapped in romaine lettuce leaves, or as a dip with Crudites.

Nutrition Note

Broccoli makes a great addition to raw pate, especially since it contains as much vitamin C as an orange, along with magnesium, the mineral that is central in green chlorophyll, and calcium. When you make pesto with Vegetarian Support Formula nutritional yeast, it's also a good source of B vitamins, including vitamin B12.

3 cups chopped broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, firmly packed
1 tablespoon flaxseed oil
2 teaspoons nutrtional yeast flakes
1 1/2 cloves crushed garlic
1/4 teaspoon himalayian salt
1/2 cup walnuts, soaked for 4 hours, rinsed and drained

Put the broccoli into a large bowl and pour 1 quart of nearly boiling water over it. Drain the broccoli after 1 minute and plunge it into cold water. This will turn the broccoli bright green and make it more palatable without negatively affecting the nutrients. Drain the broccoli well and place it on clean kitchen towels to remove any excess water. Set aside.

Combine the basil, oil, nutritional yeast flakes, miso, garlic and salt in a food processor fitted with the S and pulse to chop the basil.

Add the walnuts and the reserved broccoli and process until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy.

Store in a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator, Broccoli Pate will keep for up to three days.

Enjoy this summer time treat with bounty from your local Farmer's Market

Dear Readers, July 7, 2011

If someone told you that you could produce a food that required no soil or sunshine, can be grown all year round, takes just three or four days to grow, and pound for pound, is one of the most nutritious foods available, would you believe them? On the face of it a reasonable answer would be "no". But there does exist such a food, and it is on the shelf of most supermarkets and you can grow it yourself with little trouble. Of course, I am referring to sprouts.

Seeds from which sprouts grow are potential plants just waiting for the right circumstances in which they can burst forth and realise that potential. When the seed begins to sprout, there is a veritable explosion of nutrients inside the seed.

Sprouting of seeds causes a dramatic increase in the amount of vitamins, minerals and protein available, and this increase corresponds to a decrease in the level of carbohydrates and calories. For example, just half a cup of most sprouts will provide as much vitamin C as six glasses of orange juice. Apart from being extremely nutritious, sprouts are very easy to digest because of the fact that the sprouting process converts the starches to simple sugars.

There are significant advantages to sprouts apart from the nutritional ones. They are so easy to grow in a very small space that anyone can do it in the most restricted of areas. They are cheap to grow and provide a harvest within three or four days, so you can have a continual supply on the go all year round. You can supply yourself with wonderful nutrition without the demands of a vegetable or fruit garden. There is no soil to tend, no compost to make and no bugs to repel. >>>> MORE

With all the experience I've been getting lately keeping my bowels healthy, I'm feeling like an expert! So, I ran across an excellent article that summarizes basic knowledge about colon health with some easy-to-remember do's and don't's. It's by Stephen Holt, M.D., a teacher and practicing doctor in New York state. Enjoy!

Until next time...

In vibrant health,

Shay Arave, President
Subtleenergysolutions.com

About Sprouting

If someone told you that you could produce a food that required no soil or sunshine, can be grown all year round, takes just three or four days to grow, and pound for pound, is one of the most nutritious foods available, would you believe them? On the face of it a reasonable answer would be “no”. But there does exist such a food, and it is on the shelf of most supermarkets and you can grow it yourself with little trouble. Of course, I am referring to sprouts.

Seeds from which sprouts grow are potential plants just waiting for the right circumstances in which they can burst forth and realise that potential. When the seed begins to sprout, there is a veritable explosion of nutrients inside the seed.

Sprouting of seeds causes a dramatic increase in the amount of vitamins, minerals and protein available, and this increase corresponds to a decrease in the level of carbohydrates and calories. For example, just half a cup of most sprouts will provide as much vitamin C as six glasses of orange juice. Apart from being extremely nutritious, sprouts are very easy to digest because of the fact that the sprouting process converts the starches to simple sugars.

There are significant advantages to sprouts apart from the nutritional ones. They are so easy to grow in a very small space that anyone can do it in the most restricted of areas. They are cheap to grow and provide a harvest within three or four days, so you can have a continual supply on the go all year round. You can supply yourself with wonderful nutrition without the demands of a vegetable or fruit garden. There is no soil to tend, no compost to make and no bugs to repel.

Seeds from most common vegetables can be sprouted and will provide a nutritional bonanza, but tomato and potato seeds are poisonous and should never be eaten. Be very careful though, to only sprout seeds that are packaged for the purpose of consumption, as opposed to planting, because seeds for planting are often treated with toxic chemicals.

Sprouts vary in flavour and a mixture of sprouts can create delicious combinations. The more peppery flavours of mustard and radish sprouts combine well with the more subdued flavours of alfalfa, clover and rye. Lentils, peas and beans are ideal for sprouting, and provide their own distinctive tastes with their nutritional advantages. Seeds from the cabbage family, such as cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and broccoli are great to sprout, and in fact one ounce of broccoli sprouts will supply as much anti-oxidant as three pounds of the fully grown vegetable.

To grow sprouts, take a quarter of a cupful of seeds and rinse them thoroughly, drain well, and then place them in a bowl and cover with water and leave overnight to soak. In the morning drain the water and place the seeds in a mesh-covered jar which needs to be placed at an angle to allow for drainage. Rinse the seeds morning and night in clear water, drain and put back into the jar. Exceptions to this rule are soybeans and chickpeas, which need to be rinsed between four and six times per day. Sprouting generally is better in a relatively dark space, but the cereal and grain seeds could do with a few hours of light after initially sprouting to allow for the production of chlorophyll.

If you start a new rotation every day or two, you will have a continual supply of sprouts which will provide you and your family with a wonderful culinary and nutritional advantage with minimal work required.

Values are the glue holding intention in place.

What were you up to 19 years ago, would have been 1992 ? Takes a while to think on, n'est pas? We just ended a 19 year cycle this month and have the opportunity to embrace another 19 years with a new declaration, intention and review, perhaps with a revision of our core values. The following are mine, our core values are the glue that hold are intention in place, they form our life and keep us on the path of creating useful and satisfying lives.

Activity: Values

Value: Optimum Health

I live simply and whole, where my priorities are set through personal care, moments of daily gratitude,
honoring of all relationships, daily experiencing grace from the heavenly divine.

Value: Creativity

I am a creative thinker, creating opportunity and dynamic expression with a variety of chosen tasks. My creativity and unstoppable spirit create beauty, compassion and abundance in all four corners of my world.

Value: Gratitude

I live a blessed life, grateful for all life's experience; acknowledging my most difficult trials as the ones having taught me the greatest lessons.

Values: Holism

I surrender my will, acknowledging my life's expression is one of body, mind and spirit. In every act and moment of surrender I acknowledge the divine in action.

Value: Integrity

I am nothing without honoring and being my word, gossip is not my friend. My integrity is the glue that holds my values in place.

Value: Forgiveness

I acknowledge without forgiveness there is no wisdom. I acknowledge those who have hurt me, look for the lesson and move on.