Rawpower

Do you achieve your goals?

Tue, 01 May 2012 13:29:00 GMT

I know that many of you, like me, made New Years resolutions. Maybe to eat more raw food, maybe to lose weight, maybe you took on one of our cleanse and detox programs.

My husband made a resolution on New Years Eve that I wasn't sure he was going to achieve. He said that he would abstain from drinking until he reduced his golf handicap to 20. Like many Australian men, he enjoys a social drink or two but had started to talk about significantly reducing (or removing it altogether) from his life.

He used to play squash competitively and is still young enough to play it well but that is a sport that is so hard on the joints and can lead to serious problems in the long run. He has been eating well for the past few years and has been getting more and more raw foods into his diet so he wasn't looking for a high energy sport to lose weight. But, he is quite competitive and since he feels he never really played golf much better than the casual social player, he picked this as a target as part of his abstinence.

He started going to the driving range a few times a week and came home in January generally very happy with his progress. He was improving quickly and won a couple of competitions as he would play considerably better than his 30+ handicap.

By March his handicap had come down but not as quickly as he was expecting. The handicap is just an average so you have to play a lot better than it at least half the time. He started to plateau and then even started playing worse. He would come home a bit morose and consider those lonely beers in the fridge. But, he didn't waiver. He did realise, however, that his goal was probably not very achievable and he also realised that he didn't give himself a timeframe to achieve it in.

The main objective of the resolution was the abstention from alcohol rather than the achievement of the golf handicap. So, he revised his goal to being around how long he could abstain for. But, what was a meaningful target: 75 days, 85, 100? On day 83 we went out to dinner for my birthday and, whereas I enjoyed a single glass of champagne, he stayed on mineral water all night and we had one of the best evenings of conversation we'd ever had. "Day 83 just doesn't sound right as a target," he said. He also said that it seemed to be easier to go one more day than to break the run. So, he finally settled on 100 days.

That turned out to be Easter Monday. But, during the Easter weekend he started playing very well again. Instead of enjoying a beer on day 100, he decided to re-instate his original target: or a slightly more attainable variation of it. He would abstain until he played to a 20-handicap. How long was this going to take I wondered?

It didn't take long in the end: on day 106 he hit the magic target.

Apart from being very proud of my husband for abstaining for so long, I was wondering why he succeeded this time whereas I've known him (and myself, and everyone I know) to frequently set targets that we don't or can't meet.

By his own admittance, he probably hadn't gone without an alcoholic beverage for more than a week in the 20 years or so since he turned 18.

I started reading about goal-setting and how to make goals that you can actually achieve. It turns out that they need to be SMART!

SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound

There is a simple mnemonic you can use to help you set goals that you can achieve. The first criterion is that it should be:

Specific: An achievable target needs to be clearly defined. What are you going to achieve. My husband's goal wasn't just to play golf better but to achieve a specific handicap and that he wouldn't drink at all until then.

Measurable: How will you know when you've accomplished your goal? It has to be something you can measure. In this case, his goal was a specific number: 20 handicap.

Attainable: A meaningful goal is not too easy but it also shouldn't be out of reach - otherwise you set yourself up for failure. In this case, my husband did realise that his original goal wasn't very attainable in the time that he was expecting. At that point, he adjusted the target. This is by no means a failure because it ensured that he it kept going for something that was meaningful to him.

Relevant: Most importantly, the goal needs to have some relevance to you and your life and be meaningful or there will be no compulsion to achieve it. For my husband, this was two-fold: yes, the desire to improve his golf, but probably more importantly the abstention from alcohol which he knew would help him break some bad habits.

Time-bound: A goal should have a realistic time frame to achieve it in. If not, it loses its relevance and can quickly be pushed aside. Originally, my husband didn't have a time frame. He then revised the target to be measured by time (100 days). In the end he revised it again because he felt he could achieve a new target in a realistic timeframe: something he ultimately succeeded.

So, what did he do after he achieved his goal? He drank a single mid-strengthed beer, declined the next one and set a new target. This time he made it a SMART one from the get-go. One that was realistic in a time-frame he knew he could abstain for. He wouldn't drink until he played to 15!

MOTHER'S DAY GIFT VOUCHER

Next Sunday May 13th is Mother's Day. Tell Mum you love and care about her by giving her a Raw Power Gift Voucher to buy from our range of living foods products.

Click here to buy Gift Vouchers >>>

Apple Crumble with Raisin infused Yacon Syrup Cacao Nib Sauce by Omid Jaffari

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:01:00 GMT

Breakfast Recipe

Apple Crumble with Raisin infused Yacon Syrup Cacao Nib Sauce

by Omid Jaffari, BotanicalCuisine.com

[Omid needs 8,000 Facebook friends by the end of the year.
Click here to visit and join his Facebook group]

Healthy, crunchy, fruity - a great vegan breakfast.

Serves about 4 people

You Need

For the crumble

1 cup cashew flour *
2 tbsp lucuma powder
2 tbsp agave nectar

For the apples & raisins

½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
2 apples, pitted & cut into wedges
2 tbsp grape seed oil
¼ cup raisins soaked in 2 tbsp rose water
1 vanilla bean, scraped
¼ tsp sea salt

For the infused yacon syrup cacao nib sauce

½ cup cacao nibs
¼ cup yacon syrup
2 tbsp mesquite powder
½ tsp sea salt

Method

For the crumble

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it reaches a doughy consistency.
Press into four mini tartlet pans with removable bottoms.
Place bases onto a mesh dehydrator sheet and dehydrate at 115 degrees F (46C) for six hours. They should now be firm enough to remove from the tart cases so you can continue to dehydrate them for a further eight hours.
Place the tartlets on a cooling rack for three minutes before serving.

* Tart cases should be approx 11-cm wide and no more than about 1-cm.

* To make cashew flour, process the correct amount of cashews blender slowly until flour-like. Please do not overblend as the oil from the cashews will turn it to dough.

For the apples & raisins

Mix the apples and grape seed oil together and dehydrate for six hours.
Mix all other ingredients in a bowl with the apples and place them in the dehydrator for another two hours before serving.

For the infused yacon syrup cacao nib sauce

Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into a glass jar.
Place the bottle on top of the dehydrator for two hours to warm it up before service.

Assemble

Crumble the tarts by hand followed by a spoonful of apples & raisins and drizzle infused yacon syrup cacao nib sauce.

Like this recipe? Visit and join Omid's Facebook here for more.

Mid-month Specials

Cacao Powder
Organic 1kg
was $35 now $29

Spirulina Powder
1kg was $79 now $72
500g was $44 now $41

Honey Active
Jellybush 500g
was $40 now $33.50

A Fat Lot of Good + Easter Recipe

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:36:00 GMT

There is a lot of research coming out showing that the recent ideas about the dangers of saturated fats and the need for low-fat diets have actually contributed to the prevalence of obesity, diabetes and other diet-related health problems. An article on NaturalNews.com the other day talks about a heart surgeon openly admitting that low-fat diets recommended for years by mainstream medicine actually cause heart disease and that consuming healthy fats (including saturated fats) is vital for good health.

Mike Adams from Natural News has written many articles about this over the past few years. In "The Great Fat Debate - Why Virgin Coconut Oil is best" (2009) he talks about the origin of much of the confusion over fats and that coconut oil - being made up of two-thirds medium-chain fatty acids - helps us lose weight, reduce cholesterol, improve diabetic conditions and lower the risk of heart disease.

In another article, he compiles a list of expert research findings on the role of the essential fatty acid Omega-3 in preventing diseases of inflammation.

Essential fatty acids are those fats that the body cannot produce on its own. Your body gets these fatty acids directly from food. There are only two EFAs: alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid, and linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid.

Almost all the polyunsaturated fat in the human diet is from EFA. Some of the food sources of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are fish and shellfish, flaxseed (linseed), hemp oil, hemp nuts, soya oil, canola (rapeseed) oil, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, leafy vegetables, and walnuts.

Omega-3 fatty acids, such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are important for enzymatic pathways required to metabolize long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Low plasma concentrations of DHA is associated with depression and suicide.

To Optimise your omega 3 essential fatty acid levels on a vegetarian diet -

Have a daily intake of nuts, seeds and their omega 3 6 9 oils.
Include an algae / alga (AFA, spirulina or chlorella) drink 4 times a week.
Include good sources of the nutrients which aid essential fat conversion – zinc, magnesium, calcium, biotin and vitamins B6, B3 and C.
Avoid things that inhibit conversion; alcohol, trans fats (from animal foods and processed foods), smoking, caffeine, viral infections, stress and excess intake of vitamin A and copper.
Balance your intake of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. Due to the widespread use of sunflower oil in food manufacturing and grain fed livestock we tend to have a much greater intake of omega 6 to 3 fats in our diets. This imbalance can lead to the conversion enzymes getting used up for omega 6, restricting omega 3 conversion. The ideal balance is around 3 to 4 parts omega 6 to one of omega 3.
Buy your seed oils cold-pressed and from the fridge in your health shop. Also buy in small quantities so it remains fresh. At home store them in the fridge and use them cold. If heating oils use butter, ghee or even better coconut oil.
Some people may have less of the conversion enzymes and may need to be strict with the above nutrient supporters and inhibitors. These people include those with atopic allergies (asthma, eczema and hay fever which run in the family) and those with diabetics.
Increase your algae intake when planning a pregnancy, pregnant or breast-feeding.
Have an essential fatty acid test to determine your specific needs and if your diet is meeting these.

Do you need oily fish?

If you optimise your intake of essential fats, and their conversion, the majority of people can achieve good health without fish. Oily fish also has a number of drawbacks in addition to the ethical considerations such as the overfishing of our oceans. The seas are increasingly polluted and unacceptable levels of toxicity such as dioxins and PCP’s as well as mercury have often been found in fish destined for the food chain. Farmed fish is also not the answer as this unnatural method of rearing fish not only relies on a processed diet which may not convert to the same nutrients in the fish, but also requires the uses of antibiotics and other harmful agents to prevent the spread of disease.

Algae sourced DHA supplementation is however recommended in pregnancy as studies have shown lower levels in babies born to vegan mothers. Finally if you have a health condition such as diabetes or atopic allergies or even if you are mildy stressed you may be limited in your ability to convert your own fats so you'll need to consider an algae based DHA EPA supplement such as Klamath Lake blue green algae.

EASTER RECIPE

Chocolate Nests with Eggs

by Pamela Vinten

Nest Ingredients

1/2 cup cacao butter
1/2 cup cacao powder
1/4 cup agave syrup
1/3 cup shredded (long strand) coconut

Method

Melt cacao butter in a basin over very warm water. (You can use coconut oil instead of cacao butter however your nests may melt if it is warm weather)
Combine with cacao powder and agave and mix well.
Add coconut and mix to combine
Line small bowls with cling wrap and place in freezer for half an hour to chill down
Create nests in the bowls with the chocolate mixture
Place in fridge to set.
Turn out nests and remove cling wrap

Multi Colour Eggs Ingredients

½ cup cacao butter
½ cup agave nectar
½ cup ground cashews
½ cup desiccated coconut food dyes (optional – not raw)

Method

Combine all ingredients except food dyes until smooth.
Divide the mixture into 3 bowls and add a few drops of food dye to each bowl to give pink, green and yellow eggs. Start off with a little dye and gradually build up until you reach the desired color. If desired add a little peppermint essence to the green egg mixture for a mint flavoured egg.
Place in fridge to set but still pliable Roll into egg shapes and place back in fridge

To Assemble

Arrange eggs in nests
Store in an airtight container in the fridge

Yours in wonderful health,

Valerie & the team at Raw Power

Your express path to health and peace of mind

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 11:16:00 GMT

In our last newsletter I mentioned some recent research that showed that fasting only intermittently (just one or two days per week) demonstrated significant protection against brain-related diseases. My husband has been putting it to the test for the past three weeks by fasting on Tuesdays and Thursdays and found that by week three the ability to go a day without food becomes easier and easier (he feels he can actually go consecutive days fairly easily but isn't depriving himself on the days off). Actually, he starts the day with a protein smoothie and just ensures it (and anything else he may nibble on during the day included) stays under 500 Calories in total. He's only three weeks in so we can't report on the state of his brain *laugh* but he definitely feels more alert, is thinking with more clarity and is also much more patient and calm - which is nice for the whole family :-)

A nice side benefit is the savings! Imagine if you cut out food two out of seven days a week and didn't go overboard on the other days. You would be saving almost 30% of your weekly food budget! The average Australian household spent $204 per week on food and non-alcoholic beverages in 2010 (Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics). 30% of that would equate to almost $3,200 per year!

Here is a piece that Anand wrote on fasting a little while ago.

The Buddha did it, so did Jesus, Socrates and Hippocrates - your express path to health and peace of mind

- By Anand Wells, Live Food Education

I was never that keen on fasting - in fact I avoided it as it sounded too much like some ascetic torture. Eventually as I read more and more about fasting's regenerative effects on the body, mind and spirit I decided to give it a go. I have to admit I did not enjoy my first few experiences, however, the benefits were undeniable - my skin glowed, eyes shined, wounds healed in express time and I experienced a deep connection to my source, despite being physically very uncomfortable during even a short 3 day fast. Since then I have found fasting has become much easier and more enjoyable and at the first sign of any cold or digestive trouble I just stop eating and sure enough within a day or 2 all symptoms are gone.

Simply put, digesting food is energy intensive and when we stop eating that energy becomes available for cleaning and repairing tissues, organs and cells throughout our body. The mind and heart also seem to become more attuned to the non-physical spiritual aspects of oneself.

Fasting is highly effective for treating a wide variety of conditions including:

• high blood pressure,

• asthma,

• allergies,

• chronic headaches,

• inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease),

• irritable bowel syndrome,

• adult onset diabetes,

• heart disease,

• degenerative arthritis,

• rheumatoid arthritis,

• psoriasis,

• eczema,

• acne,

• uterine fibroids,

• benign tumours, and

• systemic lupus erythematosus.

But don't wait until you have one of these conditions! We recommend fasting for maintenance and rejuvenation 2 to 4 times a year even if you are in peak health.

Finding Balance

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 14:11:00 GMT

We have a jam-packed newsletter to start the month. We've gone a bit crazy with March specials - call it March Madness if you will :-) We continue to receive new products that you'll see on the right - including a scrumptious Raw macaroons; my husband polished off a whole pack in quick fashion!

Finding Balance

Some research came out last week indicating that fasting one or two times a week can protect against brain-related diseases. It's been known for quite some time now that calorie-restriction can significantly enhance longevity and there are many adherents to a calorie-restricted diet. Typically, the diet calls for severe food restrictions on a daily basis which for many people is just not sustainable. This study is the first to show that just cutting food intake intermittently rather than continuously can help your protect your health dramatically.

My great grandfather lived to 100 and 2 months old. 5 generations of the family got together to celebrate his centennial in 2002 (see the photo of him here with my niece - his great-great-grand-daughter). He lived through two World Wars and worked hard in the fields of the Loire Valley. But he kept a cheeky sense of humour and, in fine French tradition, didn't deny himself a small drink or a cigar from time to time. In the final years of his life he would like nothing more than to receive gifts of liqueur chocolates that he rationed to one a day. Yes, he probably had some lucky genes, but he ate fresh, organic produce from the land and was physically active and his vices were always in moderation. Rest in peace Papy Lucien.

For those with extreme ailments such as cancer, type-2 diabetes, hepatitis and so forth, extreme action is advocated and a predominantly raw food diet has been seen to do wonders.

For the majority of us though do we need to be concerned if we can't achieve a 100% raw food diet? Or, even 75%, 50%? The research from Dr. Paul Kouchakoff demonstrating that cooking food introduces some damaging elements is compelling. But the reality for many people in our modern world is that we are fighting for balance: to find an equilibrium for our health by introducing positives amongst a lot of hard-to-avoid negatives. There is research that indicates that our bodies need some level of toxins to build a strong immune system. And, finding that balance is often more about the journey than the destination. That means that any improvement towards a healthier lifestyle by getting more nutrition through superfoods and raw foods into your diet will only help your quality of life and longevity.

Here was a little piece that Anand wrote a couple of years back in one of his newsletters that I think sums it up well:

How do you know a superfood is raw?

The answer is you often can't.

The only way you will know for sure is if you personally supervise from picking to processing and packaging. Unlike certified organic food there are no authorities governing or monitoring foods labelled as "raw". Therefore retailers need to go on the word of their suppliers which as you will see is not always accurate.

For instance it has recently come to light that ALL "raw" cacao powder and butter have been heated at temperatures significantly higher than 45C in their processing (our supplier has been unable to give us exact temperatures as no-one has actually measured it). Despite being heated at higher than accepted temperatures (above 45C) raw cacao powder has not been roasted like conventional cocoa and according to studies has up to 15 times more antioxidants than conventional cocoa powder. Nearly all spirulina has been been briefly heated between 65C and 80C in a spray drying process and is technically not raw. (We have only recently sourced some spirulina which the makers claim has been sun-dried at no more than 41C.)

Does this mean these products which are heated at more than 45C are harmful or cooked products? Not to me. My interest is in leading a balanced happy, healthy life and I am not concerned if I use a condiment or a superfood which has been heated beyond 45C. This isn't some competition to see how raw I can be, is it? :-). I know that a vast percentage of the food and drink that enters my body is raw - all of the fresh fruit and vegetables which make up most of my diet are certainly raw. With nuts, seeds, seaweeds and dried fruit it is much harder to know for sure if they are authentically raw. At the end of the day I am the healthiest and happiest I have ever been in my entire life and that is enough for me.

SHIPPING CHANGES

We've decided to make some improvements to our shipping structure. For all shipping excluding the Raw Food Kitchen catalogs of appliances, dehydrators, juicers and water purifiers: the great news is that shipping will be cheaper for the majority of you! When you check out, you'll now have options to choose your location. If you live in South-East Queensland, shipping will be as low as $7.95 (a $2 saving) while those in metro & coastal NSW, ACT, QLD, VIC, SA and TAS will pay only $9.50. Better still if you live these coloured shipping zones, spend over $300 and PAY NOTHING for shipping at all!

For the Raw Food Kitchen catalogs: we have separated shipping into an option that you select on the product page and is then added to the price of the item. This will allow us to set our prices even lower for these catalogs.

LAYBY CLARIFICATION

We need to adjust our Layby to only offer for non-perishable non-food items; e.g. appliances, juicers, etc. We are offering a layby service for any purchase of $500 or more. Just place your order using our Direct Deposit (EFT) payment option and clearly specify "LAYBY ORDER" in the Shipping Instructions field. A minimum $100 initial payment for the layby items is required to secure the shopping basket (any food items in the same basket will need to paid in full). Final payment of the balance is required 10 weeks after placing the order. Cancellations will incur a $50 re-stocking fee. Please indicate the invoice number clearly in all bank transfers.

CUSTOMER SURVEY

We really want to continue to improve our site, product offering, pricing, shipping and customer service and we need to hear from you to do this. Can you spare 3-5 minutes to answer 10 easy questions about our web site? Click here to take the survey. Thank you so much.

EVENT - March 11 - SYDNEY - HEALTHY LUNCH BOX BLISS WORKSHOP

Tania from Energy and More Yoga is holding a motivating workshop that will have you feeling inspired and delighted at making healthy lunches for your kids. This will be held in Sydney on March 11 at 2-5pm. Bring the kids or come with a friend. $25 per person or $30 per adult & child. For more information visit www.energy-and-more.com or email tania@energy-and-more.com

Yours in wonderful health,

Valerie & the team at Raw Power

New Products Test & Review

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:05:00 GMT

by Anand Wells, Live Food Education

One of the things that I missed most about running Raw Power was the process of discovering great new products and then testing them out before offering them to our loyal customers. Well I am happy to say that this has now changed. Valerie has kindly agreed to send me new products to test and review for Raw Power. (Please note I am not being paid to write these reviews, though Valerie is kindly linking to our Live Food Education website)

I received my first box of goodies to review on Tuesday and have been munching my way through them since then. Included were five Righteously Raw cacao bars, the Berry Power Trail Mix and the Mild Baby Wash and Shampoo (which Bodhi our 6 month old baby will be trialing)

Lets begin with the Righteously Raw Cacao Bars. I have noticed that up until now the raw chocolates being offered in Australia were pretty straightforward and nothing too fancy. They were delicious, but not really gourmet. I wondered when a more sophisticated, soft centered raw chocolate would appear on the market. I even considered making them myself, but I am way too busy! The Righteously Raw Cacao Bars fill this niche perfectly.

I first tried the Lucuma Caramel Cacao Bar and was immediately impressed by the smooth texture of the chocolate and the soft lucuma/caramel centre. If you are expecting the sickly sweet taste of conventional caramel chocolates, this bar is not for you. The caramel/lucuma flavor is subtle and not at all too sweet which I prefer.

Next I opened the Maca Cacao Bar. Like all the Righteously Raw Cacao Bars it has a soft centre. This time filled with maca powder, mesquite and date. When I took a bite the predominant flavour (apart from the cacao) was delicious maca powder with a hint of salt. Yum! I really enjoyed this one.

The Acai Cacao Bar was next. The subtle flavour of Acai berry enhanced the taste of the creamy smooth rich cacao. Again a very good bar, packed full of antioxidants.

The Goji Caco Bar did not disappoint. The creamy centre has crunchy Goji seeds through it and this was my second favourite of the 5 bars.

My #1 favourite, however, was the Rose Maqui Cacao Bar. With Rose hips, Maqui Berry Powder, Red beet powder to name a few, it tasted exotically and delicious and is packed with great medicinal plants. You can have your chocolate and eat it too!

If you are looking for a different raw chocolate experience I recommend giving the Righteously Raw Bars a go. Try one of each and decide for yourself.

I also enjoyed the new Berry Trail Mix. I always thought Raw Power should offer a trail mix but I didn’t get around to making it when I was running the show. The mix Valerie has developed has an excellent balance of raw cashews and pepitas (pumpkin seeds) providing energy, good fats, zinc and tryptophan and the Inca Berries and Goji Berries giving it an antioxidant zing. A perfect healthy addition for kids lunches, hiking trips or a quick healthy snack.

One other product I found particularly good was the 600ml Shaker Bottle with ball whisk. Runi was using the blender and I wanted to make a quick Sunwarrior protein shake so I grabbed the Shaker Bottle put in 2 scoops of Sunwarrior with some coconut water and gave it a good shake. To may amazement the result was a very smooth and drinkable shake. Now when I am making shakes using just powders i.e. Sunwarrior, spirulina, maca etc., I more often than not choose the Shaker Bottle as it is so quick to make a shake and easy to clean. It would be ideal for travelling too.

I will let you know how Bodhi goes with the Mild Baby Wash and Shampoo in another newsletter.

Stay well

Anand

LAYBY CONTINUED

We are offering a layby service for any purchase of $500 or more. Just place your order using our Direct Deposit (EFT) payment option and clearly specify "LAYBY ORDER" in the Shipping Instructions field. A minimum $100 initial payment is required to secure the shopping basket. Final payment of the balance is required 10 weeks after placing the order. Cancellations will incur a $50 re-stocking fee. Please indicate the invoice number clearly in all bank transfers.

CHEMICAL FREE LIVING GROUP - BRISBANE

Recently formed, the Chemical Free Living Group is a meetup group in Brisbane for anyone who:

wants to talk about what toxic chemical free living means to them
would like to improve their health and that of their families
for anyone who is sensitive to toxic chemicals to learn about safe alternatives
has products they know about that can help others
has experiences to share that can help others
is aware of groups that can support others
understands organic foods and other chemical free products
is a natural therapies practitioner
is a speaker and trainer in this area
has upcoming programs and events in regards to the subject
articles that can be posted to the site.

Find out more about this group here >>>

Valentine's Day Recipe

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:36:00 GMT

It's Valentine's Day on Tuesday and we have a wonderful recipe from Pamela Vinton for all you lovers, and especially, the chocolate lovers :-)

We've been busy in the warehouse stocking a lot of new product arrivals that you'll find here. Unactivated Almonds, Carob Powder, Incaberries, Manuka Honey and a new Righteously Raw chocolate are all pure, raw and fantastically fresh. Check out also the Vitamix Total Nutrition Center that we have added to our range of Blenders.

RECIPE

To celebrate Valentine's Day, Pamela Vinton has given us a beautiful Lovers Blush Tart recipe that you'll find below from her ebook available "Amazing Fat Burning Chocolate against Obesity".

You can buy the ebook here >>>.

Lovers Blush Tart

by Pamela Vinton

This is a delicious frozen fruit pie with a chocolaty base.

Tools

Food Processor

Base Ingredients

1 cup almonds
1 cup coconut
½ cup pitted and soaked dates
½ cup cacao powder
4 Tbsp coconut oil
½ tsp cinnamon

Method

Grind nuts and coconut to a powder. Leave a bit of crunch
Add rest of ingredients and process until the mixture comes together
Press into base of one large spring form pan heart shape if possible (with removable base)
Place in freezer while preparing the filling

Blush Filling Ingredients

2 cups sliced frozen bananas
2 cups frozen raspberries
1 Tbsp coconut oil

Method

Process the frozen fruits until you have a soft serve consistency. It is a good idea to let the fruit thaw a little before processing as it will whip more effectively.
Add agave and oil and process until combined
Fill the tin with the Blush Filling and return to freezer
Freeze overnight
Carefully remove the sides of the pan to release the tart
Decorate and serve

VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT VOUCHER

What better way to tell someone you love and care about them by giving them a Raw Power Gift Voucher to buy from our range of living foods products.

Click here to buy Gift Vouchers >>>

LAYBY CONTINUED

RAW FOOD CLASSES - MELBOURNE

There will be a series of Raw Living Food Classes in Melbourne starting Feb 25th. If you would love to learn from a passionate teacher who has trained with some of the very best Raw Food Chefs and Raw Food Scientists in the world, then this is the place to be!

Foundations of Raw Living Foods is a series of three classes designed for beginners that will introduce you to the fundamental principles of the Living Food lifestyle. Classes are hosted by Certified Raw Living Food Educator and Instructor Ace Rosengarten. In this series you will be introduced to the Science of Raw, then have the opportunity to learn how to practically prepare a wide range of delicious, nutritious recipes that will kick-start your journey towards vibrant health. You will also learn some of the secrets to reverse aging, rebuild health, and increase longevity. Find out more here >>>

Yours in wonderful health,

Valerie & the team at Raw Power

What you can’t see, smell, feel or taste can hurt you

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:22:00 GMT

by Anand Wells, Live Food Education

Sometime ago I was amazed to discover that most chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, fertilisers) used in modern day agriculture have a sinister history. Compounds such as organophosphates were first produced in huge quantities as chemical weapons during World Wars I and II. Once the wars had ended these huge chemical corporations, who had literally “made a killing” manufacturing these substances for governments, needed a way to continue to profit from their leftover stockpiles. Instead of producing their chemicals to kill humans, they came up with the idea of using them to kill insects and weeds and to make fertilisers. Using their considerable influence companies such as Bayer, BASF, DuPont, Dow and Monsanto changed the face of farming to what it has become today.

Agrochemicals along with a whole host of other man-made chemicals found in personal care products and cleaning products to name a few are insidious in that they cannot be seen, smelled or tasted and yet they are there. They may not kill us immediately as chemicals of warfare would, instead they bio-accumulate in our body tissues and organs like a time bomb waiting to go off.

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers from two major laboratories looked for the presence of toxic chemicals in umbilical cord blood of 10 newborn babies born in U.S. hospitals in August and September 2004. A collaboration of the Environmental Working Group and Commonweal brought about the study. (Full report here.)

Of the more than 400 chemicals tested for, 287 were detected in umbilical cord blood. Of these, 180 cause cancer in humans or animals, 217 are toxic to the brain or nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects or abnormal development in animals. Scientists refer to the presence of such toxins in the newborn as “body burden.”

According to the study’s authors, the scope of testing was limited because chemical companies are not required to divulge methods for detecting the presence of their chemicals in the human body. “Had we tested for a broader array of chemicals,” they wrote, “we would almost certainly have detected far more than 287.”

Among those substances found to be polluting the blood supply for the newborn babies were eight perfluorochemicals used as stain and oil repellants in fast-food packaging, clothes and textiles, including the Teflon chemical PFQA, a carcinogen; dozens of widely used bromated flame retardants and their toxic byproducts; and many pesticides.

In addition to poisoning our bodies, when used in agriculture and industry these chemicals destroy beneficial microorganisms in the soils, poison wildlife and pollute the waterways and environment in general.

So what can we do to protect ourselves from this onslaught of dangerous chemicals? Here are just a few suggestions:

Eat organic whenever possible
Buy organic bed sheets and clothing
Use natural cleaning agents
Use organic or non-toxic personal care products (Shampoo, soap, toothpaste, skin lotions, sun cream etc)
Avoid non-stick and aluminium cookware
Obviously use no chemicals like Roundup in the garden
Use non-toxic paint

It is important to know that the words “Natural” and “Organic” can be very deceiving when written on the side a bottle. Get to know you ingredients. Just because a skincare product may say an ingredient is “Derived from coconut” does not mean they is safe. For instance Cocamide DEA or Sodium Hydroxysultaine are followed by the term "derived from coconut oil" which leads the unsuspecting consumer to believe that these synthetic chemicals must be natural.

Products labeled “Certified Organic” are the most trustworthy and safest way to go.

For more sobering reading I recommend The GreenPeace article “Human Impacts of Man-made Chemicals"

Stay well!

Anand

Good Mood Foods

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 04:27:00 GMT

We hope you had a great Australia Day and that 2012 has started nicely for you. Are you familiar with the latin quotation: Mens sana in corpore sano (A healthy mind in a healthy body)? You know, it's so true that what we eat is so important, not only to our physical health, but also to our mental well-being. One Raw Food blogger that we really like is Lori Clayton who is a regular contributor to the We Like it Raw site. Here's a great article by her titled "Healing Mood Disorders with Food". In it, she lists some Good Mood foods:

Almonds: High in B6, magnesium
Walnuts: High in minerals and omega 3
Chia: High in essential fatty acids
Sesame Seeds: High in calcium, magnesium, tryptophan
Kelp: High in calcium, omega 3, protein, zinc, magnesium
Cashews: High in tryptophan, which is a precursor to serotonin
Greens: High in calcium and folic acid
Guava: High in vitamin C, tryptophan
Figs: High in calcium, magnesium, fiber
Cacao: High in magnesium, also makes opioids that make you happy!
Avocados: High in essential fatty acids, tryptophan, folic acid

Foods and beverages to avoid are the usual suspects: artificial sweeteners (much better to substitute our low-GI sweeteners), foods high in saturated fat, sugar, caffeine and wheat. Lifestyle is also an important factor with exercise increasing endorphin levels, meditation helping to keep you relaxed, and being in the sunshine increasing serotonin and helping your body generate Vitamin D which has been proven to help with depression. You can also supplement Vitamin D.

Speaking of Vitamin D, a new meta-analysis study published shows that adequate circulating Vitamin D reduces the risk of all-cause mortality by 29%. Furthermore, it lowers colorectal cancer risk by 40%! Read more here >>>

END OF MONTH SPECIALS

Versatile noodle for your raw recipes

Kelp Noodles 340g
was $10.50 now $9.95
or $8.95 for 6 or more

21 Delicious 10-minute Recipes

Quick, Delicious & Raw DVD
was $39.95 now $32

Low GI Sweetener with amazing properties

Yacon Syrup 250ml
was $29 now $24

From the Amazon
River floodplains

Acai Berry Powder
Organic Dried 100g
was $34.95 now $25

Maintain your smile chemical-free est

Tooth Powder Organic Mint 45g
was $11.95 now $8.95

Natural care for mother & baby

Baby & Skin Care Products
10% off with promo code*:
10babycare

*Note: Enter code into shopping cart. Expires 1-Feb-2012.

Yours in wonderful health,

Valerie & the team at Raw Power

Do childhood vaccines create healthier or sicker children? 7 ways to naturally immunise your family.

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:12:00 GMT

by Anand Wells, Live Food Education

Whether children should be immunised (with pharmaceutical concoctions) is a hotly debated subject. Recently a family member was so upset with our decision to not traditionally immunise Bodhi (our 5 month old baby boy) that they won't speak to me anymore. They believe that we are being very irresponsible and are putting his life at risk. The divide between pro-immunisation and anti-immunisation camps can run deep.

While I don't doubt that vaccinations can reduce certain diseases in the population, Runi and I have serious concerns about their safety and effectiveness and have chosen build Bodhi's immunity naturally.

An enlightened doctor I know said that governments are only interested in vaccinating the "herd" to be seen to be preventing outbreaks of polio, measles etc, however, they are not interested in reporting many of the documented and suspected side effects of immunisations including autism, narcolepsy, seizures, brain inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction to name but a few.

In addition to this, an uncontrolled survey in Germany of 10,598 participants showed that unvaccinated children are far less affected by common diseases (including allergies, hay fever, asthma/chronic bronchitis, neurodermatitis (itchy skin), Otitis media (middle ear infections), Sinusitis, Herpes, Warts, Polyps and fungal infections) than vaccinated children. http://www.vaccineinjury.info/vaccinations-in-general/health-unvaccinated-children/survey-results-illnesses.html

Is it possible that vaccines are disrupting and compromising our children's delicate immune systems and are causing a whole host of other health problems and is there another way to protect children from potentially dangerous childhood diseases?

Runi and I have chosen to boost Bodhi's immune system naturally. My personal experience is that a properly functioning immune system can ward off most disease or lessen the intensity and duration of disease when it strikes.

So how can you immunise your children and yourself naturally? Here is what we are doing:

1/ When pregnant eat an excellent organic whole food, high raw diet. (Please note that I am not advocating a vegan or even a vegetarian diet unless that works for you). Make sure you are getting enough folic acid (B9) vitamin B12, iron, calcium, zinc, vitamin D and essential fatty acids in particular. We chose to supplement all of these key nutrients just to be on the safe side.

2/ Breast milk - Once baby is born, breastfeed him/her to full-term. Ideally three years or more. This is undoubtedly the safest immunisation available, especially if your diet is alive and high in the important nutrients.

3/ Homeopathic immunisation - We chose to immunise Bodhi homeopathically. It is non-toxic and safe and according to an Australian study effective.

4/ Whole Food - Once eating only offer children fresh whole organic foods with a high percentage (70% or more) raw. Food can be medicine or poison: steer clear of all refined products including sugar, wheat, pasta, most bread, commercial pasteurised dairy and oils. Include LOTS of leafy greens, green juices and green smoothies. Leafy greens are perhaps the most medicinal foods on the planet. I highly recommend getting in a good juicer like an Oscar and a good blender like the Semak Vitacrush. This is not an expense; it is an investment in your family's health.

If you are lucky enough to start your child early you will be creating a very positive food imprint for them. Studies have shown that when stressed, adults often revert back to types of food they were fed when upset as an infant. Imagine going for greens when you feel stressed instead of cake, bread, chips, "bad" chocolate or other common comfort foods!

We have already mixed green juice and green smoothie with breast milk and given Bodhi a taste of what is coming and he seems to like it.

5/ Superfoods and supplements - Here are key the nutrients your child will require. We will be supplementing Bodhi with the following:

- Vitamin B12 for healthy red blood cells, a good nervous system and good growth and development (especially important for vegans)

- Vitamin D (in winter or sunless conditions only) - Very important for the immune system and bone development

- The essential fatty acids DHA and EPA for brain and eye development. If you are not vegetarian Krill Oil is one of the best sources. One of the best plant based sources of DHA and EPA is marine phytoplankton such as Oceans Alive. Another source of non-animal DHA is micro algae including spirulina, chlorella and AFA algae such as E3. Chia seeds and hemp nuts are high in other essential fatty acids but not DHA or EPA . The great news is that most of these ingredients can be put into a child's smoothie or juice without them even noticing.

6/ Sunshine - we take Bodhi out in the sun (often naked) most days to make sure he is getting enough vitamin D. Breast milk is very low in Vitamin D and most breast fed babies are deficient in this very important vitamin. Obviously we take him out when it is not too hot so he doesn't get burnt!

7/ Earthing - for the Earths negatively charged electrons (which help reduce inflammation and free radical damage) and electro-magnetic radiation protection. Bodhi gets plenty of Earthing when I carry him for morning and evening barefoot walks as well as dips in the river and ocean. In the evening he sleeps on an Earthing Bed Pad which we have wrapped around his cot mattress.

As you can see from these photos, Bodhi is a picture of health and I am confident in our decision, to not vaccinate and build his immune system naturally.

Having said that, I am in no way offering this information as prescription or medical advice. It is simply what Runi and I are choosing to do. I also didn’t vaccinate my first two children who are both grown up now. I recommend that you do your own research and make your own decisions.

If you are interested in finding out why vaccines are potentially dangerous and what the government and doctors are not telling you, Dr Mercola's website is a good place to begin)

Also I highly recommend the documentary ‘The Greater Good” You can watch the trailer here.

Stay well!

Anand

Is our modern lifestyle bringing back old diseases?

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:33:00 GMT

I've just been reading a fascinating article on New Scientist about the resurgence of a disease more common during Dickensian times in children. Rickets is caused by a shortage of Vitamin D and makes their bones abnormally weak and susceptible to damage. This disease flourished in the 19th Century during the industrial revolution when smog blocked sunlight and children were forced to work all day in factories.

The article also notes that rickets is just the start: that a lack of Vitamin D during pregnancy and early childhood may also increase the likelihood of food allergies, asthma and even multiple sclerosis. Some other research just published indicates a possible link to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease).

Read the New Scientist article here >>>

Our society has progressed much in 200 years but we've recently been so scared by the incidence of skin cancer - something especially prevalent in our country - that our bodies aren't able to process enough Vitamin D. And, it isn't just in pregnant women and young children that we need to worry about these deficiencies as a Vitamin D deficiency can lead to health issues in adults as well. We highlighted this and other common vitamin deficiencies recently on our blog.

Read the Blog article here >>>

NEW BERRY POWER TRAIL MIX

We've just blended a brand new Trail Mix with Goji Berries, Raw Cashews, Pumpkin Seeds and Incaberries. It's our yummiest trail mix yet and we call it our Berry Power Trail Mix which you can buy it in 250g, 500g and 1kg bags.

What are Incaberries?

Incaberries are a nutrient-rich dried berry from Ecuador with unique sweet and sour flavour. I'm absolutely addicted to them! :-) They have been seen as the latest, must-have addition to breakfast buffets at leading European hotels. They are a potent source of antioxidants and especially high in dietary fibre: dried Incaberries have double the fibre of most dried fruits and they contain both insoluble and soluble fibre. Insoluble fibre is vital for healthy bowel function while soluble fibre can help control hunger and reduce cholesterol re-absorption.

Detox & Cleanse for the New Year

Order Ejuva

Body Cleanse

RIGHTEOUSLY RAW CHOCOLATES - EXCLUSIVE TO RAW POWER

Here's some yummy chocolate bars that won't have you breaking your New Years resolutions.

We are delighted to announce the arrival of the range of Righteously Raw Chocolates. These amazing snack bars are made up of 100% raw silky chocolate covering an exotic superfood truffle.

Available in Acai, Caramel, Goji, Maca and Maqui truffle flavours, these bars are also made with other ingredients such as Himalayan Pink Salt, Raw Agave Nectar, Raw Bahri Dates and Rose Hips Powder to name a few. Winner of the NaturalNews.com Editor's Choice Award for Best Chocolate Bar.

Learn more about Righteously Raw Chocolates here >>>

That was 2011! Welcome 2012

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 01:46:00 GMT

It's the last day of 2011 and it certainly was a memorable year. We were delighted to take over the reigns of Raw Power from Anand and Runi in July and we intend on continuing to provide you with the best value living foods products you can find in 2012.

The New Year often brings resolutions. We have an article from the archives on detoxing. If you're thinking of a cleanse then take a look at our Ejuva range - we think it's the best raw body cleanse on the market today.

We always think that resolutions endure the most when you are able to balance them with rewards. We are delighted to announce the arrival of the Righteously Raw Chocolate Bar range. These are the first 100% raw chocolate bars with a delicious superfood truffle centre and they are absolutely scrumptious. Being 100% raw organic, vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free and dairy-free you can enjoy these amazing bars as a guilt-free reward for your resolution achievements.

ARTICLE - FROM THE ARCHIVES

"Are Toxins Depleting your Health"

by Anand Wells, Live Food Education

In today’s world we are all at risk of toxic stress– our bodies naturally create toxins as a by-product of metabolism. When you add to this stress, contaminants in our food and water, poor exercise habits and exposure to industrial pollutants our hardworking organ of detoxification, the liver is under a tremendous load. If you are feeling tired, lethargic, depressed have aches and pains or are having digestive problems your liver may be having trouble keeping up waste elimination.

The idea that many health problems are caused by accumulated toxicity is not new. Nearly all ancient healthcare systems including traditional Chinese and Ayuvedic medicine were based on simple cleansing and detoxifying rituals which were used to enhance the natural processes of the body, give energy and clarity of thought.

Cleansing or detoxifying is about resting, cleaning and nourishing the body from the inside out. By removing and eliminating toxins, then feeding your body with healthy nutrients, cleansing can help protect you from disease and renew your ability to maintain optimum health and well-being.

Since the end of World War II we have been exposed to an ever-increasing amount of toxic man-made chemicals. Of the 85,000-plus industrial chemicals now registered with the US federal government, most are completely unstudied and literally hundreds end up in our body.

While the ancients understood the importance of cleansing while living in a relatively unpolluted world, in today’s polluted world it has become critical that we cleanse to maintain our health.

How Does Cleansing Work?
Simply put, cleansing is primarily about cleaning the blood. It does this mainly by removing impurities from the blood in the liver, where toxins are processed for elimination. The body also eliminates toxins through the kidneys, intestines, lungs, lymph and skin. However, when our inner ecosystem is compromised and toxins aren't properly filtered and every cell in the body can be adversely affected.

A cleansing program can assist the body's natural cleaning process by:
- Resting the organs through fasting;
- Stimulating the liver to drive toxins from the body;
- Promoting elimination through the intestines, kidneys and skin;
- Improving circulation of the blood; and
- Refuelling the body with healthy nutrients.

Cleansing works because it addresses the needs of individual cells, which are the smallest units of human life. Just as we need to change the oil in our cars to keep them running smoothly our bodies need to be cleansed to eliminate accumulated toxins and rebalance biochemical processes.

Read the full article here >>>

Order Ejuva

Body Cleanse

RIGHTEOUSLY RAW CHOCOLATES - EXCLUSIVE TO RAW POWER

Here's some yummy chocolate bars that won't have you breaking your New Years resolutions.

We are delighted to announce the arrival of the range of Righteously Raw Chocolates. These amazing snack bars are made up of 100% raw silky chocolate covering an exotic superfood truffle.

Learn more about Righteously Raw Chocolates here >>>

MELBOURNE NEW YEARS EVE AD SPOT

If you are celebrating New Years Eve by the river in Melbourne CBD then you may spot our ad on the big screens. We think it's pretty awesome, albeit quick :-) Take a peak here >>>

Yours in wonderful health,

Valerie & the team at Raw Power

Guilt Free Chocolate Recipes + Gift Ideas

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:55:00 GMT

Being a French girl, the main celebration and gift sharing in my family is held on the 24th eve. The Yule log is another European tradition which we enjoy every year. This year we have a beautiful raw Yule log recipe in our newsletter by Pamela Vinton. You can order Pamela's amazing chocolate recipe books below.

GUILT FREE CHOCOLATE RECIPES - IT IS THE SEASON :-)

Pamela Vinton is a retired Home Economics teacher living on the Gold Coast and majored in nutrition, food science and biochemistry. Through her research she has found astonishing ways that her chocolate recipes can actually improve your health.

She has written three recipes books with over 70 healthy chocolate recipes. You can get all three for just $29.95.

The books are titled: "Chocolate Recipe Guilt Free", "Kids Chocolate Kitchen" and "Dreamy Chocolate Christmas".

They are all original, rich, raw, delicious & unbelievably healthy and so easy to make.

Below is one of her amazing recipes.

To find out more or order her books click here >>>

XMAS RECIPE

YULE LOG

Equipment:

Food processor

Ingredients:

2 cups almonds
1 cup raisins
1 cup sultanas
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pepitas
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/3 cup cacao powder
2 1/2 cups pitted and soaked dates
1/2 cup white chocolate
- 1/2 cup cacao butter [December special]
- 1/2 cup agave
- 1/2 cup ground cashews
- Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. This chocolate does not set as hard as the recipes previously listed so is not suitable to place in moulds to make small chocolates or to make as bases for pies.
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chocolate recipe no. 3
- 1/2 cup cacao butter
- 1/2 cup cacao powder
- 1/4 cup agave
- Melt cacao butter in a basin over very warm water. Combine with cacao powder and agave and mix well. Taste and adjust the sweetness if necessary. Place in fridge to set.

Method:

Process nuts, seeds and dried fruit, until finely ground. Place in a bowl.
Process dates to form a paste. Add to bowl with cacao powder and mix well.
On a piece of greased paper flatten out mixture into a square about 1.5cm (1/2in) thick. Place another piece of greased paper on top
Place in fridge overnight to firm up
Melt the white chocolate in a basin over very warm water and spread a thin layer over base. Sprinkle with chopped cranberries Put back in fridge to set chocolate
Very carefully roll up like a swiss roll and return to fridge for a few hours
Melt the chocolate recipe no. 3. Place roll on a wire rack and coat in chocolate. The log also looks effective if you just drizzle chocolate over the top and let it run down the sides
Set in the fridge
Decorate and cut into thin slices to serve

Enjoy with your loved ones!

GIFT IDEAS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Eco-bottle
350, 750, 1000ml

Spirooli 3-in-1
Vegetable Slicer

Barefoot Earthing
Starter Kit

Summer in Tuscany
Organic Soy Candle

Ejuva

Body Cleanse

Semak Vitacrush
Blender VCE1500

View more ideas with our Xmas Holiday Gift Ideas catalog >>>

Barefoot Earthing Demo Videos

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 04:58:00 GMT

BAREFOOT EARTHING DEMONSTRATION VIDEOS

We have just uploaded a bunch of great demonstration videos produced by Anand of the Barefoot Earthing product range. We get a lot of enquiries about how these products work and what their benefits are and a picture (or movie :-) does tell a thousand words!

We recommend that you start at our About Earthing page which has two videos with dramatic experiments that you can even replicate yourself as a perfect introduction to who these products will do for you.

Then, we've now created a number of product catalogs for easier browsing of the product range; each for different time of your day where you may need to get grounded:

Finally, we've added product demonstrations to almost every product page so you can see clearly how each product works and the benefit you'll get.

OTHER READING/WATCHING

[Blog] "How much 'dirty' electricity and radiation are you absorbing in your home and workplace and what are the consequences" by Anand Wells
[Research] Earthing Institute
[Recipe] Persimmon Gelee, The Bee's Knees Kitchen, 2-Nov-11

Boysenberry and Blueberry Icecream PLUS What's more valuable than gold in an economic meltdown

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 04:59:00 GMT

We're only getting the newsletter out tonight due to a concern over one of the products we've been stocking that we've been monitoring. Read below for more details. On a more happy note, we've got a beautiful Icecream recipe by Omid and an interesting article by Anand.

In this Newsletter:
- Boysenberry and Blueberry Icecream by Omid Jaffari
- "What's more valuable than gold in an economic meltdown" by Anand Wells
- Ejuva temporarily out of stock; indicate your interest now
- Raw Food Kitchen price commitment
- Layby for Christmas

WEEKEND RECIPE

Boysenberry and Blueberry Icecream

by Omid Jaffari, Botanical Cuisine

The weather is getting warmer finally and isn't it time to indulge in some yummy, healthy icecream?

Serves about 4

Equipment:

Semak Vitacrush or Powermill Blender
Icecream Maker

You need:

2 cups raw cashews, soaked 2-4 hours
1 1/2 cups purified water
2 dates, pitted
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp light agave nectar
1 banana, peeled
1 cup boysenberries
1 cup blueberries
3 cardomom pods, slightly crushed
1 vanilla bean, scraped

Method:

Place all the ingredients, except for the cardomom pods, in the Blender and blend until smooth.
Transfer to a bowl, stir in the cardomom pods and place it in the refridgerator. After about 20 minutes, take the bowl out, remove the pods and pour the mixture into an ice cream maker.
Turn it on and let it churn for about 15 minutes.
When the ice cream is half frozen, add the cardomom pods, and leave for another 20 minutes (or until you get your ideal consistency). But after that, remove all the visible pods before scooping it out.

Enjoy!

THIS WEEK'S READING

What is more valuable than gold in an economic meltdown?

by Anand Wells, Live Food Education

While many people buy gold as security in times of economic turmoil, my number one priority is to have access to high quality food and water. You can’t eat your gold! For that reason we are members of a very exciting project called Organic Farm Share http://www.organicfarmshare.com/

At this time Organic Farm Share is only open to members from Northern NSW and Southern QLD, however, there is still plenty of other things you can do to begin taking charge of your food supply.

In many ways we have lost connection with our food. How it is grown, where it comes from are often a mystery to many people. Up until now we have had the luxury of being able to go to the supermarket and fill up our trolley with cheap food that, according to a study done by Ceres in Melbourne, has travelled on average 70,000 kilometres! I was amazed to discover that 60 cents in the dollar of food we buy is paying for its transportation. Clearly this is not a sustainable practice and unless we change what we are doing we are going to run into some serious trouble in the not to distant future.

Why?

According to the 2008 Living Planet Report humankind first exceeded the world’s capacity to regenerate itself in the 1980s. Within one generation (30 years) from that point, our human activities have outpaced the world’s capacity to regenerate itself by 30%. This means that if we continue at our current pace, within just one more generation, we will exceed what our planet can provide by 100% requiring the equivalent of two planets to maintain our lives. An impossible equation.

To most of us living in the western world the idea of a food shortage is very hard to imagine, however, according to many scientists and leading authorities it is a very real concern.

Australian journalist and science writer Julian Cribb states in his book "The Coming Famine - The global food crisis and what we can do to avoid it" that “Experts predict the crisis will peak by the middle of the twenty-first century; it is arriving even faster than climate change.

Not just peak oil, but peak land, and even peak people, have and will continue to create vast pressures on the food chain, with humanity running through every available resource - nutrients, fish stocks, arable land, usable water, fertilisers - without regard for the future. Yet there is still time to forestall catastrophe,” says Cribb in his introduction.

I know that much of this may sound doomsdayish, however, it is based on good science and I agree with Cribb that we can avoid this disaster through taking action on a personal level.

While I am not advocating that everyone leaves the cities and moves back to the land to grow food, I believe we do need to take action now by learning to grow at least some of our own food and harvest wild edibles for our own food security and for the future of human life on Earth. In addition to this homegrown food and wild edibles are more often than not higher in nutrients that bought food and they are always fresh.

So where does one begin?

The easiest and quickest way to grow your own food is by sprouting. This can be done whether you live on the 100th floor of a skyscraper or in a cave. All you need is seeds, water and some form of container for sprouting.

One of the most affordable and simple options is use 2 litre glass jars with muslin or plastic fly screen and rubber bands. Or if you want to go high tech you can buy self watering sprouting systems live the Easygreen Sprouter for around $350. If you haven’t tried growing sprouts before I would recommend you begin with jars.

Once you have got the hang of it you may like to graduate to an automatic sprouting machine. The main advantage of these automatic sprouters is that there is no manual soaking or rinsing necessary: just fill the sprouter up with water and seeds and you will have sprouts in 3-4 days. This can be very convenient if you are too busy or forgetful to rinse your seeds on a regular basis.

Not only are sprouts incredibly easy to grow they are also some of the most nutrient dense food on the planet and are a truly living food, right up until the moment you eat them.

Our friend Koa the bush food medicine man, carries a sprouting bag (made from muslin) when he goes bush. He harvests wild seeds, soaks them in his sprouting bag and hangs them off his backpack while hiking or from a tree at night. This is an ingenious way to grow sprouts even while on the run!

What is even easier than growing sprouts?

Harvesting wild edibles some of which are also known as weeds. That’s right; we are often surrounded by food and don’t even know it! For a start there are over 400 varieties of grass all of which are edible. While the fibre in grass is difficult for humans to digest we can still chew grass or even better, juice it. I often let the grass in my back yard grow long so I can harvest it and add it to juices. Grass is highly nutritious packed full of chlorophyll and phytonutrients. It also has the ability to draw more minerals from the earth than any other plant. So you don’t have to go to the trouble of growing trays of wheatgrass when you can juice your back lawn. If you do harvest grass or any other wild edible, make sure it is clean and not sprayed with pesticides of any other toxic chemicals. For this reason it is never a good idea to harvest wild edibles close to any roads.

Apart from grass there are an enormous amount of highly nutritious wild edible weeds bushes and trees from dandelions to farmers friends, from Hibiscus flowers to bulrush roots. There is no need to ever starve to death if you are stranded in the wilderness and know how to identify wild edible plants.

Education is a key to successfully harvesting wild edibles because some plants are highly toxic. In Australia I recommend Tim Low's book, "Wild food Plants Of Australia" and Isabel Shippard's “How can I use herbs in my daily life?” If you are based in North America you can’t go past "The Encyclopedia of Edible Wild Plants of North America", by Steve Brill.

In addition to reading books, I have found it very helpful to have someone help me identify wild edibles. See if you can find someone locally who can take you on a wild edible walk. In Byron Bay you can go on a walk with wild edible expert Cockatoo Paul.

Koa Windsong also offers workshops when he is living in Northern NSW. And Sergei Boutenko holds regular wild edible walks in the USA and in also in the countries he tours. Members of the Live Food Challenge have access to Sergei Boutenko’s video presentation on greens and wild edibles – he lists some of the more common wild edible plants and offers some great advice on foraging and plant identification. Members also have access an amazing interview with Koa. Koa can go bush and survive without a bought supplies indefinitely when he chooses to and is an inspirational character.

Another more traditional way to improve your food security is to grow your own veggie or permaculture patch. This can be done even if you live on a suburban block. It is truly amazing to see how much food can be grown in a small space. If you don’t have time there are now businesses who will come to your house and convert your garden to an edible permaculture food forest! In some areas they will even look after it for you for a fee.

Live Food Challenge members also have access to the video Home Grown Revolution. It is a short documentary about how a family grows over 6,000 pounds (2,720kg) of food per year on a small suburban block (1 tenth of an acre) in Pasadena USA, just 3 minutes from LA. Very Inspiring!

It is time to ditch the lawn and begin growing food producing plants.

There are so many different ways to grow your own food – if interested I recommend doing a permaculture course and getting your hands dirty. Permaculture is about creating natural habitat and ecosystems which more or less maintain themselves. It is a much more natural and lower maintenance method than growing veggies traditionally in rows.

So now you have some great strategies for maximising the quality and security of your food.

By taking responsibility for your food supply, instead of relying on multinational organisations to feed your family, not only will you have created food security; you will have become a part of the solution needed for the very survival of our over-taxed planet.

Grow for it!

Anand

P.S. If you are interested in seeing how one country survived and then thrived a “Peak Oil” experience I highly recommend the wonderful documentary - Power Of Community - How Cuba Survived Peak Oil, it is a very inspiring example of what can be done when the traditional food supply goes down.

EJUVA TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK - Please indicate interest

We sold out of our limited Ejuva Body Cleansing Program stock in three days ... that's how popular it was. We have some more on the way and if you are interested in purchasing it, please email us indicating your interest so we can place a more accurate order with the manufacturer. We wouldn't want you to miss out.

RAW FOOD KITCHEN PRICE COMMITMENT UNTIL XMAS

If you can find any product in our Raw Food Kitchen catalogs (Appliances, Dehydrators,Juicers, Water Purifiers) cheaper (including GST & shipping) at any other legitimate online store then we will match that price up until Xmas as long as we're not losing money on the deal. Just call us on 07 3715 7620 to place your order. Laybys do not apply.

LAYBY FOR CHRISTMAS

We are offering a layby service for any purchase of $500 or more. Just place your order using our Direct Deposit (EFT) payment option and clearly specify "LAYBY ORDER" in the Shipping Instructions field. A minimum $100 initial payment is required to secure the shopping basket. Final payment of the balance is required by December 16, 2011. Cancellations will incur a $50 re-stocking fee. Please indicate the invoice number clearly in all bank transfers.

Yours in love, peace and deliciously good health,

Valerie & the team at Raw Power