Raw Bay Area Newsletter
June 2010 |
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This month's
favorite links
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This short article overviews 10 tips for shopping organic on a budget and what are the health benefits of organic food And you thought staying raw was hard?An amazing email from one woman staying raw in the Alaska Wilderness Fill out my surveyPlease tell me how I could improve this newsletter by filling out this 5-question survey |
Variety in your green smoothies
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My top 5 favorite greens for green smoothies are:
- Parsley - flat leaf
- Spinach
- Fava greens - leaves from the fava bean plant. We are at the height of the fava season. Ask your gardener friends or farmers market vendors for their most tender greens.
- Wild weeds like dandelion and lambsquarter. As my friend Peggy Hong says, if you can't beat 'em then EAT THEM. Dandelions you will find in your own garden. Miners Lettuce you can find in Tilden and other less urban places. Lambsquarter tends to grow as a weed in gardens. If you don't see them in the farmer's market, ask your favorite vendor to bring you some that they may have. Full Belly Farm at the Berkeley Farmer's Market carries them whenever they can.
- Kale
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Heather with her green drink  | Are you inspired by what you eat?I am. Apparently others are inspired too. Today three different strangers approached me as I stood drinking green juice. Each person asked me what I was drinking. When I offered them a sip of my beautiful beverage, they were thrilled and wrote down the recipe. Who knew that raw food could make you the life of the party?Raw food has definitely gone mainstream. I just finished a fabulous 3-city teaching tour, helping to inspire folks about raw food throughout the Pacific Northwest. It is clear that we are no longer stuck in the produce aisles and salad bars. Prepared and packaged raw foods, raw food magazines, cookbooks and kitchen gadgets were prominently displayed in every health food store, grocery store and co-op that I visited from Ukiah, California to Vashon Island, Washington Seattle and back home to Oakland, California. Why is raw food so popular?Perhaps it is because approximately 2/3 of American adults are clinically overweight or obese. Many of us our ready to shed our weight and start eating real food. Maybe it is because raw, plant based foods provide powerful, demonstrated protection against cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening chronic diseases. Many of us are ready to feel better, and it is much cheaper to reach for a bottle of green smoothie than a bottle of prescription pills. Is it because raw foods are so yummy? Raw foods boost the flavor, beauty and enjoyment of our meals. People know that they can enjoy their favorites with raw versions of enchiladas, falafel and chocolate cakes. So why aren't you eating more raw food?This newsletter will look at that question. I will help you understand how you can bring more raw foods into your life starting today. Salud,
Heather Haxo Phillips
Raw Food Chef & Instructor
510-334-8424
PS: My "Why Raw" class includes the most up-to-date information in nutrition and raw food health. This newly updated class debuts tonight at 7 pm at Cafe Gratitude / Whole Foods in Oakland. Snacks will be served. And, it is free!
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5 Important Things to Know About How to Bring More Raw Foods Into Your Life
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- VARIETY: To develop excellent health, you should eat a wide assortment of foods. For maximum vitality, the core of what you eat should be a wide variety of different raw, plant based foods including leafy greens and other vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and other healthful fats.
- LEAFY GREENS: You should include leafy greens at most meals. It may sound crazy, but it is doable and important. Leafy greens are the #1 most nutritious foods you can eat. They reduce inflammation, boost vitality and stop cravings. Leafy greens can taste delicious if you use a great recipe. You can easily include some of the following: green smoothies for breakfast, green soups for lunch, reach for sprouts or E3live at snack time and enjoy kale and other salad entrees at dinner.
- RECIPES YOU LOVE: The only way to bring raw food into your diet is if it tastes awesome and is easy to make. The easiest way to change your typical every day dishes to something with more health is to find great recipes. If you don't already come to my cooking classes regularly, consider signing up today. In every class you will leave with important skills and at least 6 easy recipes. I also carry simple cookbooks so that you can easily have dozens of recipes to rotate through.
- SPROUTING: Sprouts have a vitality and will to live that is unparalleled. Studies show that soaking and sprouting increases the bio-availability of your food and makes digestion easier. Soak your nuts and seeds overnight before you eat them. If possible, sprout your legumes before you cook them. And try to eat a handful of leafy green sprouts regularly - even every day!
- STAY INSPIRED. Not everyone will be as excited as you about getting healthy. And not every day will be easy. Yet, don't let anyone steal your dreams. Do what it takes to stay inspired! Visit me on facebook by friending me: Raw Bayarea. Visit me on Twitter at Rawbayarea. You may need to create a community of raw food enthusiasts around you, or invest in resources like equipment, classes or cookbook. You will certainly want to organize your schedule so that you have 1 - 2 "food prep" days so that you have time to make your own food for yourself and others. To remain centered, you will certainly want to exercise regularly. Remember that science is behind you - our doctors want us to eat more fresh, plant based foods.
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Nutrition Spotlight
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| Phytochemicals: How Plants Protect Us
Plant
foods deliver nature's most powerful beneficial compounds. This include
phytochemicals, antioxidents, fiber and healthful fats. Conversely,
the compounds that are the most potentially damaging to our bodies are concentrated in
processed foods and animal products. When you shift
to a high raw diet the vast majority of harmful foods are left
behind. According to Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina in their incredible nutrition book "Becoming Raw" phytochemicals
do many things. Some give fruits and vegetables their beautiful colors. Others act as an
internal defense system that protects plants from pests, pathogens
and other hostile things. When we eat plants, these phytochemicals
continue their good work on our behalf.
It
is estimated that there may be as many as 100,000 different kinds of
phytochemicals with even 100 of them in a single plant.
We
know that phytochemicals do specific things to our bodies:
Enhance
the immune system. They increase the activity of cells that protect the
body from microorganisms that cause diseas. I used to get several
colds every winter. Since I went raw, three years ago, I have gotten
sick only one time.
Anticancer
activities. Phytochemicals block tumor formation and repair DNA
Anti-inflammatory
activities.
Anti-fungal,
antibacterial and antiviral activities.
These
phytochemicals have countless mechanisms. But we have to eat them in
order to receive their benefits. Whole colorful vegetables and fruits
are the champion phytochemicals. Other foods such as nuts, seeds,
herbs and spices have them too. Practical steps you can take: - Studies show that the benefits of phytochemicals are more pronounced
with whole foods - not supplements. Choosing a wide variety of
colorful, whole plant foods is the key to a phytochemical-rich diet.
That would be the dark greens - collards, kale and spinach, the
cruciferous veges like broccoli and cabbage and the blue fruits like
blueberries and blackberries. So start drinking green smoothies and eating fresh kale salads every day. (Free recipes here.) When you need your sweets, snack on a pint of fresh berries rather than ice cream.
- There
is much research that
confirms that sprouting increases phytochemical content. Include fresh
broccoli and other microgreen sprouts in your salads, raw soups and
smoothies. When you do want to cooked legumes and grains such as beans
and lentils, sprout them for a day or two
before you cook them.
Enjoy this article? You
can learn more about the nutritional benefits of Raw Foods through a
free "Why Raw" talk. I will be giving one tonight at 7 pm at Whole
Foods in Oakland. If you miss it, I will give the talk again on June 30th in San Francisco. |
Show your dad how much you love him
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My dad and I at my wedding  |
To honor father's day, bring your dad
- or a father figure in your life -
to any raw food cooking class this June for FREE
REGISTER HERE
The fine print:
You register and pay for the class and your Dad comes free.
Register early, because space is limited.
Your guest must be your father or a long-time father figure in your life.
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An Original Recipe by Chef Heather Haxo Phillips
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| I have spent much of the last decade traveling through the Middle East including Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Palestine. I love Arabic food - the smells, the colors and most of all the freshness of every dish. I also love Arabic culture. Afternoon meals are often multi-hour events with multiple courses, family conversation and lots of entertainment - whether it is the children playing or someone picking up a musical installment. What could be better at the start of summer than to build your own collection of raw flavors of the Mediterranean? It is the height of fava season here in the Bay Area, and the long days are unfolding in front of us. To learn more about Mediterranean food join us for a cooking class this Saturday at Cafe Gratitude in San Francisco. We will make hummous, falafel, tabouli, apple baklava and more. Pre-registration required. More details here.
Bissara
A fava bean hummous dip
Ingredients: - 3 1/4 fresh fava beans
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 medium sized garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon (raw) tahini
To make:
- Put all items together in the food processor. Blend until smooth.
- Serve in a flat bowl, with olive oil drizzled on top, with a side of vegetables and crackers for dipping.
Note:
- There is a rare disease called favisim which is caused by raw and cooked fava beans. If you have food sensitivities, start your research here before eating this dish regularly.
- Fresh fava is best for this dish. Simply take the fava bean out of the long shell. No need to shell or peel the fava further than this.
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Stay Connected
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Sign up for a raw food class today. Check out the complete schedule here.
 
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