RECAP OF 2009

I thought I'd revisit and share with you guys some of my favorite posts of 2009 here on the Raw Radiance blog. I've had so much fun sharing my thoughts on healthy, radiant living over this past year. If you missed any of these be sure to check them out. And definitely stay tuned as there's more to come in 2010!

WHAT'S WITH THE BUZZ ON ENZYMES

COINCIDENCE? I THINK NOT

MY APPROACH TO RAW FOODS

GREEN JUICE FOR WEIGHT LOSS!

MY NEW BEGINNING!

OVERCOMING EMOTIONAL EATING

AFFIRMATIONS FOR EMOTIONAL EATING

GARY NULL, PH.D. (LIVE)

GOT SUNSHINE IN YOUR DIET?

CELEBRATING MY 29TH

A DAY ON LIQUIDS

GREEN SMOOTHIE OR GREEN JUICE?

MANIFESTING A DREAM

TO BE A 100% RAW, OR NOT TO BE?

JUICE FAST HAWAII STYLE

EATING FOR PLEASURE

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

There is so much love in my heart this holiday season! I've been play'n in the snow having so much fun over the past few days... there's much to be grateful for!

This is truly the season to give, and to cherish those we love! I am grateful to have so many wonderful and kind people in my life :-)

And I'm amazed to see all the beautiful things unfolding in my life, right before my eyes! Love is the magic that fuels synchronicity and flow in our lives.

Cherish your loved ones, cherish your health, step into love and stay in the flow! Wishing everyone a beautiful holiday season and a magical New Year!

With love,
Mila ♥

BEST OF RAW 2009

I am so honored to announce that Raw Radiance was nominated this year for the Best of Raw 2009! Raw Radiance made the category for Favorite Raw Blog.

I really appreciate those of you who nominated me, it's truly heart warming! And now that the nominees have officially been announced, voting has begun! You can now cast your vote for Raw Radiance as your favorite raw blog of 2009 at bestofraw.net

Thanks again! With love,
Mila ♥

EATING FOR PLEASURE

I am happy to announce that Raw Radiance is an official contributor to the Raw Epicurean blog. The lovely Ingrid of Raw Epicurean has kindly featured my article Eating for Pleasure. It's such a treat to be among her other contributors including Ani Phyo and Matthew Kenney.

Raw Epicurean recently made Sarma's list of the Top 10 Raw Food and Raw-Related Blogs, so you know it's a worthwhile read. Be sure to check out the blog at RawEpicurean.net

Eating for Pleasure

We know that eating a raw diet is healthy with all its nutritional and healing benefits, but how often do we actually take the time to enjoy eating our veggies? Ever think to yourself, “If only I could just get used to the taste of greens”? Luckily, there are many wonderful ways to delight our senses and satisfy the palate eating a healthy raw diet!

Adding a dose of love and pleasure to the foods we eat can really complete the experience! Here are a few ways to start enjoying healthy eating. Read more...

LISA PARIS - The Original Raw Gangsta

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Lisa Paris of RawBeets.com. Lisa is taking the raw movement by storm with some original freestyle beets on raw living. If you have yet to read up on the raw beet, you’re in for a sizzle! Check out this one of a kind exclusive interview as Lisa throws down some raw vegan love...


How did you first get turned on to raw foods?

I’d love to say during a high-speed police chase… Just as I was about to flip my car, I pounded my first green smoothie and KAPOW! My body surged with energy, my vision improved, my reflexes: catlike. It was that green smoothie that got me down to the Tijuana border unscathed to then have the power of raw foods turn my crime laden life around, opening a raw foods shelter for beguiled orphans and legless puppies alike…

In reality, I just wanted to get rid of my ghetto booty. Once I learned that was possible in conjunction with raw tiramisus and chocolate, I was hooked.

What does a day in the life of the raw beet look like?

I challenged myself to 30 days of mile running recently and then fell in love with the act. I usually kick my morning off by playing 80’s jogger set to LOUD music.

Monotony drives me nuts so I change up how I grub on the daily. In the mornings I’m either making green juice, munching on fruit or quite possibly dabbling in the green smoothie.

I enjoy freestyle wrappin’ in the kitch so lunch and dinner usually consist of some sort of funkadelic collard wrap or massive green salad. Much of my time is also spent picking fresh veggies in the garden while trying to dodge our toe-pecking chicken. One day I will learn how to properly exorcise the demons out of that bird.

In terms of business “I’m a hustler baaaby”. I dropped RawBeets.com two months ago and am working to make about 1.5 million different things happen with it. The response has been phenomenal and I am pumped to get to work all day on what I love: Raw Vegan Shenanigans.

Where do you draw your inspiration?

Biggie Smalls and Osho. Puff Daddy and Louise Hay. Tribe Called Quest and Natalia Rose. Zach Galifianakis and David Lynch.

When it comes to the Beet’s muses it’s a mixed bag…

How has living the way of the raw beet changed you?

Going raw has seriously united me with mother earth. Previously uninterested in the great outdoors, I grew up under the mantra “my idea of ‘roughing it’ is a hotel without room service”.

All of this changed after becoming a raw vegan super gangsta. I love being outside now, something totally unheard of for the Lisa Paris of my past. I feel like I see things more clearly now. I see beauty in the earth, I get down with the green.

Another paramount change has been the courage to rock who I really am. It can seem cohesive to fully embrace a new lifestyle by taking on the general identity of its members. Yeah, I’ve gotten all kinds of barefoot at the raw food festivals, and have loved it, but I’ve chosen to remain my gangsta self at the same time.

What message is the raw beet bringing to the streets?

Being a raw vegan is hardcore and many deem raw veganism an extreme lifestyle. It’s intimidating. Not everyone is ready to take the leap into full-throttle raw, but everyone can benefit from eating more raw foods.

My aim is to make this lifestyle accessible to all through humor. Everybody loves the funny and the “funner” (I love using that non-word), you make raw foods the more interested and willing people become in attempting to better their diets.

There is a gangsta within us all, trying to emerge. Feed her some cacao and see what happens.

REAL N' RAW

Real N' Raw is a fun look into the simple steps towards a healthy, vibrant life – Disease is NOT a mystery! Do you want to live with abundant energy, more than enough to get through the day with ease? You know the age old saying “You Are What You Eat”? Well, it is real and it works.

Hear the testimonies of celebrities, doctors, leading nutritionists, chefs and common folk who have healed all manner of disease through simple methods without medical intervention. Share in the delight of fresh whole raw living foods and how something we all do three times a day can transform all aspects of our life. Its not a miracle, it is not a magic pill, it doesn’t cost the earth, it’s simple, it’s easy and it’s fun.

For more information visit www.realnraw.com

A NEW LOOK ON THE HORIZON

As some of you may already know, Raw Radiance is getting ready to launch a new look! I am taking Raw Radiance in a slightly new direction with a modern vibe for a mainstream audience.

Why? It seems that many young adults are put off by raw foods when the lifestyle is presented as something that's too extreme or "out there". Many of the 20 and 30-somethings I know resist the idea of all or nothing, not to mention the fact that a raw lifestyle is often associated with a "hippie" movement.

I truly think that getting raw foods out into the mainstream means getting people to relate to healthy living in a way that's not foreign to them. We've got to speak to them in a language they can relate to.

So I'd love to bring a fresh new perspective on what raw foods is all about... with the message that you don't have to seclude yourself from the modern world to embrace this lifestyle. I'd love to see young professionals take on raw foods as something fresh and contemporary, and dare I say sexy! So stay tuned in the weeks to come as Raw Radiance will have undergone a makeover!

Additionally, I am working on releasing my first ebook called SpaFusion Cleanse Program, with super easy recipes for a seasonal cleanse.  More details to come!

JUICE FAST HAWAII STYLE

A year ago in late September, a friend and I took off to Oahu Island in Hawaii for a 7 day juice fast. I can't begin to express just how magical the experience was.

The ocean has the most beautiful energy, washing away false negativity from all levels of our being. It was there that I fully connected to the deeper essence of who I am, and all that is real.

When you allow yourself the space and time to walk away from the illusions of day to day life, you see the clarity of what is truly authentic.

Breathing in vital life-force energy from the mineral-rich water while fasting gives the mind and body an opportunity to rest and rejuvenate on a deeper level, opening you up to a greater vision of what is real and what is possible.

You start to see yourself in a completely different light, and you see those around you for who they really are. Despite your natural desire to love and embrace the world, those who are not of a genuine heart inevitably begin to leave your life.

Connecting to the beauty of all that is, is such a profound experience it can forever shift us into a different frame of mind. We begin to live with genuine kindness, rather than from an ego driven mindset. That is our lesson! And that's how I have come to know spirituality.

If you ever get the chance to experience a juice fast in the midst of natural waters, you are in for a real treat!

Daily Juice Fast Menu:

Upon Waking - 20 oz pure, clean water
Mid Morning - 16 oz low-glycemic green juice
Early Afternoon - 8 oz coconut water
Mid Afternoon - 20 oz pure, clean water
Late Afternoon - 16 oz low-glycemic green juice
Evening - 8 oz coconut water

MANIFESTING A DREAM

Although I am passionate about the art of raw food cuisine, my first love is the art of healthy living and the science of natural healing. In fact, one of my dreams is to become a Hippocrates Health Educator, teaching the Hippocrates lifestyle and philosophy on health care and well-being.

"The Hippocrates philosophy is dedicated to the belief that a pure enzyme-rich diet, complemented by positive thinking and non-invasive therapies, are essential elements on the path to optimal health."

Dr. Brian Clement, director of the Hippocrates Health Institute, is one of the most respected voices leading the raw food movement today. It would be an absolute dream to complete his educator program. So I am manifesting an opportunity to make it out there and receive this invaluable education.

The Hippocrates Health Institute has been the preeminent leader in the field of natural and complementary health care and education since 1956. If you have not yet heard of the Hippocrates Health Institute, the video below will introduce you to their amazing work of healing. Be sure to check them out at www.HippocratesInst.org

RAW RADIANCE IS ON FLICKR

I am sharing my love of raw cuisine on Flickr! Check it out...

www.flickr.com

GO RAW CAFE (LAS VEGAS)

Passing through Vegas I met up with a friend over a delicious raw lunch at the Go Raw Cafe (Living Cuisine & Juice Bar).

They have a beautiful menu and a full service salad bar, so you can imagine we had ourselves a gorgeous raw feast.

We got their raw enchiladas, zucchini pasta marinara, a banana smoothie, coconut water, and a raw chocolate cheesecake. I even managed to sneak out a green juice on our way out.

The cafe has a lovely atmosphere with lots of raw food products, books, videos, supplements, and various raw food snacks. I must say, you raw foodies out in Vegas have it pretty good!

There are two Go Raw Cafe locations in the Las Vegas area. So next time you're passing through, this is definitely your one stop cafe for all your raw food needs and cravings!

I most definitely give the Go Raw Cafe two rawlicious thumbs up! Be sure to check them out at www.GoRawCafe.com

JUST A FEW THINGS I LOVE

Purely Delicious
Magazine
Teachings of the
Science of Mind
Collard Greens

Gnosis Chocolate
Raw Cacao & Superfoods
Persimmons
YOGA
2 Moms in the Raw
Granola
My Hugh ♥

COMPULSIVE EMOTIONAL EATING

I recently picked up a copy of Raw Emotions by Angela Stokes-Monarch during a talk she gave in Boulder. I am truly amazed at how many of us resonate with the struggle of compulsive emotional eating.

And to say that I've completely overcome emotional eating myself wouldn't hold true, because I realize that food will always play a comforting role in my life. I try to see it as an ongoing journey of progress. But as I read this book, I am confronted with the realization that I have yet to find true serenity in my own relationship with food.

My journey of moving beyond emotional eating has been a long one, and I still find myself struggling with portion control. But I have learned to love myself knowing how much progress I have made overall. I truly believe it goes back to loving and honoring my body, rather than allowing the emotion to get its addictive fix.

So as I continue to seek serenity within myself, I have found that aiming for an 80% raw food lifestyle is ideal for my long term success. But let truth be known, my diet is not always perfect. And honestly, at this point on my path I don’t want that responsibility, nor do I want others to hold that expectation of me. (Interesting insight I picked up on so far into the book.) My weight still fluctuates but that's where portion control and lots of self-love comes in for me.

I think what's important is learning to have patience and understanding that the process takes a while. We are trying to reprogram years of habitually allowing food to be the answer to our fears and anxiety. So it's only natural that reversing that psychological and emotional attachment will take some time.

For those of you who are just starting out on a path to overcoming emotional eating, be kind and loving to yourself as you move forward… and definitely get yourself a copy of this book!

As I make my way through these pages I'm somewhat overwhelmed, as it hits too close to home, yet I truly feel hopeful. I can hardly anticipate what further insight may be revealed in the pages that follow.

Award-winning author Angela Stokes-Monarch lost an amazing 160lbs by adopting a raw food lifestyle. For more information and to order your copy of Raw Emotions visit RawReform.com

GREEN SMOOTHIE OR GREEN JUICE?

It's the latest debate... which are you better off with, green smoothies or green juice? The way I see it, why not get best of both worlds? They are both absolutely wonderful and both play an important role in our diet.

If you ask me, green juices are great for quick nutrient absorption, whether it's first thing in the morning or as an aid to fasting and detoxification. Green smoothies are a great and convenient meal replacement, full of nutrients and hardy fiber.

In my own experience, I have found that incorporating both into my diet is most effective. I'll usually start my morning off with a low-glycemic green juice (see my Juice of Radiance recipe) followed by a green smoothie. This way I've hydrated and energized my body with a green juice, and then satiated my appetite with a green smoothie!

But I will say that my personal preference is definitely green juice! So much so, that I'll typically have another green juice later in the day... after my evening workout.

I love how refreshing and energizing green juice makes me feel, not to mention how hydrating it is for the skin. I would even go as far as to say that green juice is truly nature's fountain of youth and secret to a natural, radiant glow!

But again, both are wonderful and definitely worth incorporating into your diet! So play around to find your balance, and enjoy them both!

A DAY ON LIQUIDS

One of the most beautiful gifts we can give our body is an occasional day of rest and rejuvenation!

About once a month I like to take a day off from eating to hydrate my body on a deeper level with a liquid fast. It's a lovely way to recharge and reconnect back to healthy living!



















On my Liquid Day menu:

Pure clean water with lemon juice. Medicinal organic nettle & horsetail herb tea. Fresh coconut water (from young Thai coconuts). Raw organic nut & seed mylk (unsweetened, no added salt). And lots of organic low-glycemic GREEN JUICE! Here is my typical liquid day's breakdown...

MORNING

Glass of water w/squirt lemon juice
12 oz green juice (Juice of Radiance recipe w/wheatgrass, broccoli, parsley)

MID-AFTERNOON

Juice of 1 young Thai coconut
Glass of nut/seed mylk (almonds and pumpkin seeds soaked overnight, sesame seeds, water)

LATE AFTERNOON

Glass of water w/squirt lemon juice
12 oz green juice (Juice of Radiance recipe w/wheatgrass, broccoli, parsley)

EVENING

Cup of nettle & horsetail tea
Juice of 1 young Thai coconut
12 oz green juice (Juice of Radiance recipe w/wheatgrass, broccoli, parsley)

AL FRESCO SUMMER RAW CLASS TOUR

One of the world's most talented raw chefs, Omid Jaffari of Tried.Tasted.Served, is making his way to U.S. & Canada for his first Al Fresco Summer Raw Class Tour!

An accomplished Gourmet Raw Food Chef, Omid masterfully creates gourmet yet simple raw cuisine. Exquisitely elegant and sophisticated are only a few words to describe what Omid exemplifies in today’s raw food movement.

His mission is simple, to bring raw and living foods and sustainable living to the world with simplicity and accessibility for a more beautiful, peaceful, healthy and happy planet.


Omid embraces the art of raw foods and natural sustainable living as something fresh, modern, even sophisticated... and yet with a certain level of ease and simplicity.

If you are in the Los Angeles, New York City, Toronto, or Montreal area you've got to check out this one of a kind event! For more information please visit his personal blog ShiitakeBlog.com


Omid Jaffari is the co-founder of Tried.Tasted.Served (TTS)
Tried.Tasted.Served
Raw, the Art of Living Blog

KEVIN GIANNI SAID IT BEST

"For those of you in the know, there is a split in camps when it comes to raw foods...

Some people take a superfood approach. Others a higher fruit approach. And, yes, others take a green approach.

The three camps bicker between each other from time to time, creating an interesting dynamic to say the least. I think all these camps are valuable.

The green camp can get us more grounded. The fruit camp will remind us to be simple and stay athletic. The superfood camp will give us potent foods and concoctions that can deliver nutrients fast.

We have to take a little from each camp and build our own structure for optimum health. I've taken green juice from the green camp. I've taken the athletics and need for calories from the fruit camp. I've taken marine phytoplankton, goji and medicinal herbs from the superfood camp.

They all have been tools to get me in shape or bring me back to center when I needed it. So consider the options. Play with them. It's up to you to be your own health advocate and decide what works for you!"

Live Awesome!
Kev

Kevin Gianni is a health advocate, author, interviewer, and film consultant. Kevin is the founder and host of The Renegade Health Show, one of the fastest growing internet health shows available. For more info visit RenegadeHealth.com/blog

I'M ON RAW FOOD NATION

I am so honored and happy to announce that Raw Food Nation is featuring my story on their site! Check it out...

www.RawFoodNation.org

What is Raw Food Nation?

Raw Food Nation, an extraordinary, get healthy, eat your fruits and veggies movement sweeping across border lines and bodies of water. We hope you'll stay a while and feast on the fun articles and resources we have to offer. Thank you for joining us and sharing in our positive energy and love of all things green.


Raw Food Nation™ intends to be your one stop for the resources you need to change your life for the better. We feature:

• New articles with expert sources
• New recipes for you to try and comment on
• Links to great online networks for newbies and seasoned raw food enthusiasts where you can learn and ask questions
• Delicious and super easy raw recipes you can try
• Rawsome gear to help you spread the word!

Attempting to go raw is not something that happens over night, but with the information we provide, we can make the transition easy and smooth, so that you can reap the benefits of your new, healthy lifestyle choices.

CELEBRATING MY 29TH

My first year of many celebrating 29

Not that there is anything wrong with aging! On the contrary, with so-called age comes experience and wisdom. Believe me, I wouldn't give up the hard lessons of my twenties for anything. 

In fact, it is truly a beautiful thing when we live into the many seasons of our life. And if we hope to age gracefully and live a full life, how we choose to live and experience each of those seasons is key.

I don't know about you, but I plan on living a long and healthy life! We know that biologically we should be living well into our 100's with strong, vibrant health and sharp mental acuity. But why aren't we?

Let's be honest, it's not like most of us don't already know what a healthy lifestyle should look like. (Hint, lots of fresh fruits and veggies, exercise, stress management, etc.) Yet we pretend that healthy living is so complicated. Why? I honesty think it is because we don't honor ourselves enough to do what we know is beneficial for our health.

One of my greatest and dearest lessons thus far has been learning to really love myself. In my journey to overcoming compulsive emotional eating and weight control, I have often asked myself why I sabotage my health even though I know better. For me, it had to do with self-sabotage and self-punishment. But learning to love myself enough to honor my health has been by far my hardest and most rewarding lesson.

Although I really do believe that age is just a number, where you're only as young as you feel... if we're not taking time to honor ourselves and prioritize healthy living, how can we possibly feel young and vibrant?

When we truly honor our health, we lovingly nourish our body with only the purest foods nature has provided us. We take time to care for ourselves with diet, fitness, and time for reflection.

Yes diet and exercise are important, but if we don't start with self love and appreciation we will find it hard to follow through.

So as I live into another year and season of my life, I've decided to renew my commitment to a healthy lifestyle. Not so much because I feel the need to hold on to my youth, but because I want the quality of my life to reflect my truth and values.

RAW FOOD MAGAZINES GALORE!

www.rawfu.com

www.livingraw.com.au

www.fresh-network.com
www.funkyraw.com

www.detoxyourworld.com
www.hippocratesinst.org

www.purelydelicious.net

GOT SUNSHINE IN YOUR DIET?

In connecting back to nature and natural living, one has to acknowledge a simple truth... that life on earth is fed by the sun! Sunlight is the love that nourishes the living essence of life.

Yet as I sit and write this under florescent lights, I can't help but ask myself, how often in our busy modern culture do we feel the healing warmth of sunlight on our bare skin? And how can we take in more of this essential light, this living essence?

A wonderful way to experience more of nature's love and sunshine is simply to add more of it into your diet. Fruits are full of living sunshine nutrients in the form of phytonutrients and antioxidants. They are a wonderful source of natural, healing sunlight! Why? Because fruit trees soak up more hours of sunlight than any one of us do in a year's time.

Think about it...

At an average of 10 hours of daylight each day, oranges can take up to 10 months to grow and fully ripen, absorbing nearly 3000 hours of direct sunlight per fruit. That is a lot of sunshine!

This is nature's gift to us in it's purest form, so colorful and sweet. Fruits are truly nature's candy, full of living nutrients and sunlight. This also holds true for sun kissed leafy greens that use chlorophyll to take in the energies of the sun via photosynthesis.

So have yourself a tropical fruit picnic on a sunny afternoon, add a few greens and indulge in your bowl of sunshine!

RAW MOM SUMMIT

Mark your calendars! Starting Monday, June 22nd you are invited to join in on a one of a kind discussion about raising healthy children with raw foods!

What if you could gather some of the world's most inspirational health leaders together for a FREE 9-day discussion on the subjects of nutrition, pregnancy, childbirth, parenting and other family health related issues?

Get your concerns addressed about how to succeed on a healthy raw food diet, and how to feed your children the best and healthiest foods!

Register Now! It’s FREE!
www.RawMomSummit.com

Learn from top experts…

• What to do about fertility, ovulation and conscious conception?
• How to prepare for a healthy pregnancy, labor and childbirth?
• What is attachment parenting?
• Which natural remedies to use when your children are sick?
• How to feed a meat-eating partner if you are vegetarian or vegan?
• What should you feed yourself when you're overwhelmed with cravings?
• How to get kids excited and involved in their own food-prep?
• What to do when our kids rebel against our healthy diet?
• What is going on with the bees and why is it so important?
• How to shrink our carbon footprint?
• What is sustainability and permaculture?
• What superfoods are best for kids?
• Exactly what is the healthiest diet?
• What are the best ways to raise children naturally?
• What are the lesser-known common pit-falls of a raw food diet?
• Which foods help or hinder our hormones?
• What are the issues around veganism, B-12 and protein?
• What do raw children eat?
• How to get picky eaters to crave their veggies?
• Which foods help kids transition and stick to a healthier diet?
• What are the other top lifestyle factors besides diet for longevity?

With this many of the world's top health and wellness experts gathered together in a mom-friendly format, can you afford to miss out?

Register Now! It’s FREE!
www.RawMomSummit.com

"It's time to bring together the Leaders in our community and inspire women as the heartbeat of their homes, to be the change we NEED to see in the world. It's time that we tell the world that the Evolution of Motherhood has arrived!"

Tera Warner,
founder of www.RawMom.com

GARY NULL, PH.D. (LIVE)

Gary Null, Ph.D. is an international expert in nutrition & health sciences. Time magazine called him "The New Mr. Natural." My Generation magazine dubbed him one of the top health gurus in the United States. For over three decades, Gary Null has been one of the foremost advocates of alternative medicine and natural healing.

A multi award-winning journalist and New York Times best-selling author, Dr. Null has written over 70 books on nutrition, self-empowerment and public health issues. His syndicated public radio show, Natural Living with Gary Null, earned 21 Silver Microphone Awards and is the longest-running, continuously aired health program in America (27 years). Currently, The Gary Null Show can be heard on the internet at www.PRNcomm.net

Gary conducted more than 100 major investigations into issues such as AIDS, chronic fatigue, heart disease, cancer, diet and exercise, stress management, arthritis, vaccines, and allergies. Television programs such as 20/20 and 60 Minutes have used his material.


Gary Null holds a Ph.D. in Human Nutrition and Public Health Science. He has been a consistent voice on how to live a longer, more vital life through work that embraces the body, mind and spirit.

As a documentary filmmaker, Gary has achieved critical acclaim. He's produced over 20 films and videos on health and nutrition topics, some of which are award-winning productions.

Gary Null was a founder and director of health and nutrition certificate programs at Pratt Institute and The School of Visual Arts. He was also the founder of the National Health Resources Council and the Nutrition Institute of America, where he has also served as a Director of Nutrition.

As an athlete, Gary has trained thousands of marathon runners. He is a TAC Master Champion athlete and twice MAC Track and Field Masters Athlete of the Year.

Gary Null has been featured in numerous publications, including The Daily News, Time, People, Fitness, Time Out, and Vegetarian Times. Throughout the years, he has garnered much recognition for his dedication, advocacy and in-depth coverage of vital health issues, receiving the Truth in Journalism Award for Investigative Reporting and The Human Rights Award from the Citizens Commission on Human Rights.

His scholarly and academic papers have been published in such journals as The Townsend Letter for Doctors, The Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, and The Journal of Applied Nutrition.

DURIAN ADVENTURES

The first time I ever heard of the durian fruit was back at the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute in 2007. They had brought one out for us to try. Sure the aroma was less than fragrant, but the taste was somewhat pleasant I thought. It was probably the soft custard-like texture that I enjoyed more than anything else.

It was a memorable experience to say the least. My partner who LOVED durian insisted on making a durian tiramisu cake during a dessert class... um? How in the world can you recreate the distinct flavors of tiramisu using a durian base I wondered, but she wouldn't take no for an answer! So we attempted the durian tiramisu cake! I regret to inform you the cake didn't turn out so well, although a select few found it to be what they described as an "interesting fusion" ...good laughs!

And with all the craze lately about durian, I thought I'd get my hands on one and play around with it a bit more. So I made a trip to a local Asian grocery store and picked one up for $18. Yes, the seven pound durian fruit was not cheap!

It was quite the adventure, and I have to say my conclusion on the whole durian buzz... well for $18 a durian, I think I can take it or leave it! Lol.

EARTH DAY!

One Meal a Month for Mother Earth

By Susan Belknap, Press-Tribune Editor
For many of us, saving energy and going green means recycling our cans and bottles and using florescent light bulbs. For Roseville resident Gopal Kapur, it’s much more.

Kapur, a Sun City resident originally from India, has recently developed Family Green Survival, a program of personal practices he designed to help people develop knowledge and empathy for the world’s low-income and poor population by eating like they do one day each month.

“My wife and I came up with the idea,” Kapur said. “We’ve been practicing it for about five months now. It came about through caring about waste of food, abuse of food and disrespect of food.”

Kapur said he’s noticed after living in the United States for more than 40 years that many people have an abundance of food, much of which is wasted.

“I’m not promoting Family Green Survival because I want people to be guilty of their abundance,” he said. “Instead this program is designed out of a respect for that abundance. Many people in the United States work very hard for all that they have. I just think we need to be thankful for that abundance.”

Kapur said there are two components to Family Green Survival, which include Eating Green and Survival Eating.

According to Kapur, Eating Green is based on the adage, “think globally, act locally” and involves a pledge to eat one day a month only raw foods that have been minimally processed after harvesting. Food such as vegetables, nuts, fruits, seeds, honey and water from the tap are allowed on an Eating Green day. Items such as wood or charcoal fires, gas burners, barbecues, electrical appliances including blenders, food processors, coffee makers, stoves or ovens are not permitted. In addition, no disposable plates, cups, paper towels or plastic utensils should be used on an Eating Green day. Read more...

REVERSING DIABETES NATURALLY

Mark your calendar for Reversing Diabetes Action Day on April 25th 2009!

If you have a loved one who is a diabetic please share this wonderful information with them. There is a natural cure for diabetes!

Over 50 experts have joined The Movement To Reverse Diabetes Naturally (www.rdnmovement.com), and they want to give you $359 worth of bonuses for FREE when you purchase your copy of the film Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 days for ONLY $29.95!

To see a list of the FREE Bonuses included with this offer please visit www.rawfor30days.com (Offer valid through April 30th only)

SEE "SIMPLY RAW" TRAILER

Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days is an independent documentary film that chronicles six Americans with diabetes who switch to a diet consisting entirely of vegan, organic, uncooked food in order to reverse disease without pharmaceutical medication. The six are challenged to give up meat, dairy, sugar, alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, soda, junk food, fast food, processed food, packaged food, and even cooked food for 30 days.

We get to see each participant's remarkable journey and the medical, physical, and emotional transformations brought on by this diet and lifestyle change. We witness moments of struggle, support, and hope. What is revealed, with startling clarity, is that diet can reverse disease and change lives.

Additional wisdom is provided throughout the film by Morgan Spurlock, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Robbins, Rev. Michael Beckwith, and Doctors Fred Bisci, Joel Furman, and Gabriel Cousens.

SEE "SIMPLY RAW" TRAILER

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