After three weeks of traveling, plane trips, train rides, taxis, cars, buses and walking on the streets, along with sleeping in foreign beds, eating foreign food and being in different time zones, my body is taxed.  We all love going on vacation, and like my daddy said, “the best thing about going on vacation is coming home”.  HOME SWEET HOME, routine, balance, rest, and comfort. And for someone like me who thrives on a clean diet, environment, and rest, home is the ultimate place for health.  In order to get rid of the travel hangover, I knew I was going to re-alkalize fast.  And the quickest way to do that is go GREEN, and integrate plenty of super-foods.

So upon my re-entry, jet lag abound, I quickly concocted a water, juice blend with Earth and Sea Greens, Ancient Mineral Blend and Sacred Clay. Guzzled it and went straight to bed.

DAY ONE:

I woke up and noticed that my skin had deteriorated over the three weeks, and a break out was all over my face.  I always wake up to a big glass of water (appx 16oz), but this morning, I made sure to squeeze a lemon in my water.  Nothing is more alkalizing than fresh lemon.  Then I made another of my Earth and Sea Greens concoctions.

As I was getting hungry. I created an Almond Milk smoothie with ground Fiber Blend, fresh blueberries, a tablespoon of Spirulina, a bit of stevia and a half of a frozen banana.  At this point my energy was soaring and I went for a brisk walk in the mountains.  Being in nature exposes us to negative ions that increase a youthful vitality and help to alkalize the body.  Nature is very balancing.

My body was loving this Superfood smoothie, so I made it again,but this time with Almond Milk, coconut water, blueberries, raspberries, stevia and a heaping tablespoon of Earth and Sea Greens . I threw some other goodies in their as well, like vitamin C powder, and Zeolites, but I made sure in the end that I took every smoothie with my digestive bitters, as they aid in assimilation and elimination of old waste. And off to bed went.

I woke up this morning, fresh and new, my skin was sparkly and my body was lean, I felt nourished and back to normal.  When our body becomes overly acidic due to elements that are out of our control, it is possible to take a day and Get Alkalized Fast.

Experience true “earned hunger” for the first time!

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye… And YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

Awareness is a key element  when pursuing any lifestyle changes!  I know you have probably seen this before.  But, it never fails to fascinate me and i wanted to share!   Nature is perfect!

In health and Love,

Diana

Dehydrated cauliflower popcorn

Part of summertime fun is seeing lots of blockbuster movies, having friends over for a swim and then relaxing in front of the television for a comedy or action packed flick.  Well, I don’t know about you, but when we were little my mother would pop fresh popcorn, place it in a huge bowl in the middle of the room, and we would lay on the floor and munch away with friends and family while we were enjoying our show. Little has changed in my house since I was a kid, and the summertime fun still looks much the same, but with a raw twist:  Now I make Cauliflower popcorn, and we are all the better for it.

Promise me that  you aren’t still making microwave popcorn…   It’s not that I’m passing judgment, I mean,  I used to buy the large cases of microwave popcorn from my discount warehouse store, and pop a few bags in a week.  I mean, how convenient was that, a minute and 30 seconds away from munchy fun.

However…

Microwaving anything, even water (especially water) is an extremely toxic and overall damaging process to your body, mind and the world.  But microwave popcorn takes the danger to an even more serious degree.  The chemical coating used in microwave popcorn bags is so toxic, as it breaks down when heated, it turns into a substance called perfluorooctanoic (PFOA),  a major carcinogen.  The butter flavoring that we all love, even causes more damage. The fake butter flavor is actually an FDA approved chemical called diacetyl that causes debilitating respiratory disease, affectionately known as “popcorn workers lungs”.  The medical name for this condition is “bronchiolitis obliterans”, suffered by those who work in the factory which packages microwave popcorn.  Although since discovering the butter flavored disease, many companies have discontinued  the product.  But, many have not.  So if you want to make popcorn, air pop it or jostle it over a hot kettle and enjoy it the old fashioned way.

If you want to try something new and RAW, adding great health benefits as well as a cheesy delight, try making cauliflower popcorn.  I promise you won’t be dissapointed.

Live cauliflower popcorn

Chipotle Cheese Popcorn

I always make a few batches at a time, as they are gobbled up so fast.

Ingredients

• 1 heads of cauliflower, broken into 1 “ florets
• 1-2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1/4  cup walnuts, or sunflower seeds
• 1/4  cup nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

Place cauliflower florets into a large ziplock bag and coat with olive oil. In food processor, blender or nut and spice grinder, add nuts or seeds, nutritional yeast and sea salt and process until finely ground. Pour over florets and close top.  Shake bag until cauliflower is well coated. Cauliflower may be eaten RAW, or place on dehydrator rack on a grid and paraflexx sheet.

Dehydrate at 110 degrees for 2 hours or moist, 6 hours for slightly crunchy, and 10 hours plus for harder consistency. If fully dehydrated, it will have a week shelf life!

Fruits and Vegetables come in a rainbow of colors.  And, like the the Crayola Crayon box, kids can  have a blast playing and creating with color.  For optimal health, eat a variety of fruits and vegetables everyday- Red, yellow/orange, white, green and blue/purple.  Here’s an example of how each color represents a health benefit unique to it’s color group.

Eat Your Colors

MELONS  May Provide

• An excellent source of Vitamin C  (cantaloupe, casaba and honeydew)
• An excellent source of Vitamin A (e.g., cantaloupe).
• A source of potassium (e.g., cantaloupe, casaba, honeydew, watermelon).
• A source of Vitamin B6, folate and niacin (e.g., cantaloupe, casaba, honeydew).
• A  source of lycopene (e.g., watermelon).

Frozen Melon Pops

Delicious frozen natural treats that all kids love.

Melon Pops

Ingredients

• 1 baby seedless watermelon
• 1 Tuscan melon or cantaloupe
• 1 honeydew melon
• Popsicle sticks

Directions

Cut melons in half, and scoop out seeds. Using a small ice cream scoop, spoon out melon balls, trying to get as much of the meat of the fruit as possible. Insert a popsicle stick on the flat part of the ball, and place on a covered plate in freezer for two hours.  Serve immediately or keep in an airtight container in freezer for up to a month.

In health and Love,

Diana

I added them to my Green Cleanse Juice (pg.38 of GNF) for a delicate taste along with a ‘power punch’ of Vitamin A which is also called retinol.  It helps keep your eyes and skin moist. Vitamin A also has antioxidant properties that neutralize free radicals in the body that cause tissue and cellular damage.

I’ve also been adding the beet leaves to smoothies, soups and salads.  Beets belong to the same family as chard and spinach.and is rich in chlorophyll.  What I have discovered about these lovely “chard like” greens is that they are as mild and delicious and can be used in place of fresh spinach in nearly every recipe.  With only  21 calories per a 2.5 cup serving,  beet greens contain  4grams of  dietary Fiber and 2grams of Protein. It also provides 120% Vitamin A, 48% Vitamin C , 11% calcium, and 14% Iron.  Beet Greens also contain vitamins B-complex as well as notable amounts of magnesium and phosphorus.

I will be adding a few new beet green recipes this summer, so keep your eyes open, and “Just Beet It”.

In health and Love,

Are you stressed?

I had a reflexology session a couple days ago, and the therapist said that my adrenals were taxed. He said, “you are stressed”, as if I should feel some great big change in my life that I am aware of.  Nope, nothing, life is as usual. I searched deep into my being to find the source of stress, but I felt pretty normal. He pointed out how hard I have been working, and again, I thought, life as usual.  I shrugged my shoulders with an attitude of dismissal, I mean, if I were stressed, wouldn’t I know it?   The therapist then suggested I take Adaptogenic herbs to help my adrenals. Well, I sell such herbs, why have I not been taking them? I quickly re-introduced them into my daily routine, and proceed to research why I feel more grounded today then I did a few days ago.

What does stress look like?

If I am walking around in a constant state of stress, how do I recognize it, and how do I know to deal with it?  The feelings of irritability, anxiety, and impatience are all signs of stress that can cause distinct behavioral patterns in people. Stress can be caused by environmental or mental assaults, chemical toxins, lack of sleep, poor diet, or a mere survival technique that is embedded in our DNA.

Our bodies are at a constant state of readiness, this is due to our ancestry of once being regularly attacked by wild animals or hostile people. Although we have since evolved, our bodies still respond to threats by secreting hormones that change our physiology and enhance our ability to run and defend ourselves. This is called a “flight or fight” response that causes intense stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal glands. Signs of such responses are high blood pressure, increase in blood sugar levels, increased heart rate, and slowed digestive secretions. Cortisol is released and our lymphatic system swells to protect our organs from the poisons streaming in our body. At this point, illness and disease are eminent.

The calming of the nerves, can be as simple as adding adaptogenic herbs to our diets to reduce the impacts of stress on the body mind and spirit.

Adaptogenic herbs:

The term adaptogen is used by herbalists to refer to natural herb product that is proposed to increase the body’s resistance to stress, trauma, anxiety and fatigue.

The concept of adaptogens dates back thousands of years to ancient India and China, but modern study did not begin until the late 1940s. In 1947, Nikolai Lazarev defined an adaptogen as an agent that allows the body to counter adverse physical, chemical, or biological stressors by raising nonspecific resistance toward such stress, allowing the organism to “adapt” to the stressful circumstances.

Adaptogenic herbs demonstrate a nonspecific enhancement of the body’s ability to resist stress, by normalizing the over-stimulation that inhibits normal, or natural bodily functions. Adaptogenic herbs have a tonifying effect on such uphevels of stress related effects.

At the core of an adaptogen’s scope of actions is the ability to help the body cope more effectively with stress. Specifically, adaptogens recharge the adrenal glands, which are the body’s nominal mechanism for responding to stress and emotional changes. The adrenals, which cover the upper surface of each kidney, synthesize and store dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine. These compounds are responsible for the changes that occur during the fight-or-flight reaction. The question is, if adaptogens normalize the body and enable energy to be used more productively when stressors are not physical threats, can they be used to enhance general health and performance? Several studies indicate they can.

The list of plants with Adaptogenic properties is large due to it’s broad definition (to name of few):

• Codonopsis is one of the most widely used Chinese tonic herbs. It is very mild yet it invigorates the spleen and lung function so that chi is replenished and it promotes the production of bodily fluids. It is also an excellent blood tonic and major immune system tonic
• Astragalus is said to tonify the blood and spleen and aid defensive chi. It is added in formulations to strengthen weak constitutions. It is used to enhance recovery following illness or prolonged stress and to boost vitality
• Licorice root is said to tonify the spleen and strengthen chi. Licorice is the only herb claimed to benefit 12 meridians.
• Ormalite opens the heart and nourishes the soul. It is a remarkable clay, straight from nature and is a secret to a calm state of well being. It contains a broad spectrum of macro minerals, trace minerals resulting in an overall balanced influence on the body
• Ashwaganda is often called Indian Ginseng, though unrelated, shares many of ginsengs properties. It is considered a tonic, an alterative, an astringent, a nervine and a sedative. It is an aid to soothe anxiety and psychological complaints
• Suma is relatively new to western medicine. Suma contains vitamins A, E, B1 and B12: 19 amino acids, including lysine, histidine, arginine, and glycine: along with small amounts of calcium, iron, potassium and sodium
• Eleuthero Root, formerly known as Siberian Ginseng, it helps the body prevent “adrenal burnout”. It boosts concentration and focus along with immunity.
• Reishi Mushroom regulates the immunological responses, calms the mind and soothes nerves

Vitality Herbs and Clay is an exclusive product on my site that I am very proud to be carrying. I began taking the Adaptogen and Mushroom Blend herbal capsules the minute I arrived home from my reflexology appointment, and I am astounded at the balanced state of being that has overtaken me. I am able to cope with the demands of my life with calm and ease. Nothing has changed in my daily routine but the incorporation of these herbs.

i heart berries!

Don’t you just love fresh berries? There is a burst of flavor and nutrition in every mouth popping treat.  Whether you purchase them in the markets, farmers markets or grow them yourself, they are packed with antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals.  I am having a thrilling spring as I just planted my edible garden, and fruits and vegetables are popping up everywhere.  I hope you don’t mind this little tribute to the happenings of my garden.

Strawberries are in peak season right now I usually buy 6 baskets of fragrantly sweet strawberries at farmers market on Sunday so my kids and I can eat them all day long.  I place half of whatever is left over in the freezer for smoothies that week and the other half … well, they never had a chance – mmm!

Blueberries are just starting to really roll in, farmers market just started selling them this week.  My youngest son eats so many of these, I think someday his skin may start to turn blue.  Farmers market always has the freshest, most plump and juiciest of all.  Unless of course you are growing them at home.  Which, by the way is easy to do.  Blueberries thrive in acidic soil, and with different varieties are available most of the year.  I am now the proud mother of 8 blueberry bushes  that are ready to fruit in the next few weeks, so we will be eating right them out of our garden.  I get so excited about the small stuff.

Blueberry Fun Facts

• Blueberries are one of the only natural foods that are truly BLUE in color
• Blueberries contain more antioxidants than most other fruits or vegetables- fighting cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
• Fresh blueberries are available for nearly eight months of the year

Raspberries… ahh yes, delicious red raspberries … This is the one fruit that my daughter requests, she loves them best.  You can get fresh organic raspberries in the markets most of the year, but they are not in season yet, unless you live in a very warm climate.  (Most store bought fruit comes from far away, unless otherwise noted.)  Come raspberry season, early summer to fall, you can find them at their peak flavor.  Since berries do not ripen after they are picked, if plucked from their bushes pre-maturely, they will not be sweet.   I have 6 brand new raspberry plants in my garden a, 3 red and 3 gold, (they were transplanted from my mothers garden in Oregon) and they are already flowering.  They will be ready to eat in a about a month or longer if it doesn’t warm up around here .  Growing your own food, is such a treat.

Raspberry Fun Facts

• Raspberries can be red, purple, gold or black in color.  Golden berries are the sweetest.
• Raspberries are high in trace mineral, manganese which helps body convert protein and fat to energy
• Raspberries should be dry, firm, and well shaped.

Blackberries — These dark and mysterious berries can be very small and tart or very plump and sweet.  I have seen blackberries so fat and juicy that eating just 3 of them fills me up.  Those are usually the ones that are coming straight from the garden.   One of the differences between a raspberry and a blackberry is that raspberries are hollow, and blackberries have a juicy thick core.  I have hesitated planting blackberries in my yard, as they are known for taking over the whole yard.  However, I found a variety of Blackberries that do not grow as large, and can be cut back and tamed.  Although there is nothing better than WILD Blackberries, these domesticated ones, still make me happy.

Blackberry Fun Facts

• Commercially grown blackberries are thorn-less.  Wild Blackberries are “thorny”
• Blackberries are high in anthocyanins, which is where they get their color- a specific antioxidant that fights aging.
• Choose Blackberries that are plump with a deep color

Amelia making the cereal

Amelia making maple cream for Apple Muesli

Yummy breakfast!

“As is the mother, so is her daughter”

- Ezekiel 16:4

It’s almost Mothers day, and it reminds me of times when I was little and my mom and I would play in the kitchen, baking and preparing meals. Growing up, we ate a lot of soups, big salads, casseroles (my mom is a good ol’ American Baby Boomer) and tons of fresh fruit.  My mother and I found our time together in the kitchen to be the most joyful bonding experience ever. As I grew up and life had it’s wonderful twists and turns, my greatest memories of my childhood was going to produce stands, farmers markets, and creating around food. Who knew that years later, the simple joy of being a kid would transcend into my greatest joy in life- going to markets and preparing lovingly nutritious meals.

“The mother’s heart is the child’s schoolroom”.

-Henry Ward Beecher, US Congressional clergyman

It is no secret that children learn through imitating behavior from their parents. ” Incidental learning at home also influences how a child performs at school”, Dr. Spock had noted.  For example, if you want a child to love reading, then read with them.  If you want them to enjoy playing outdoors, then spend quality time with them in the great outdoors. If you want them to learn to prepare and enjoy eating healthy food, then spend time having fun in the kitchen and load your counters with fresh produce.

This week a lovely woman from Tacoma ,Washington sent me photos of her beautiful daughter in the kitchen lovingly preparing recipes from my book Get Naked Fast.  I shed a little nostalgic tear as I remembered the sweet tenderness of my own childhood.

“Anyone who doesn’t miss the past never had a mother”.

- Gregory Nunn

The role of the mother is paramount in the child’s emotional development.  The forming of a bond, or attachment with the mother/primary caregiver is of extreme importance for later development.  Meal time can be an opportunity to build and brighten the bond. Time in the kitchen may create a stronger, happier family environment.

“Children of all ages can learn to plan meals. If they help choose and plan some of the family’s meals, it will foster a healthy sense of pride and accomplishment for them. It also gives parents a chance to incorporate nutrition advice and to witness their child’s intriguing thought processes.”

- Dianna Griffis

Shopping together is an excellent time to talk about the day.  Casual conversation flows through children when they are in a comfortable environment, usually performing some activity.  Making a list together and then strategizing your game plan through the market’s grocery isles can become a playful and joyful experience to share. This not only strengthens the mother/child connection, but teaches the child that domestic chores are a joyful part of life.

Smells are closely related to memories. In a July 5th 2001 ABC Science article, “Smells and Memory 2,” Karl S. Kruszelnicki reports that smells make great triggers for memories. Many people can smell a food and instantly be taken back to their childhood. Cooking with children can help form these memories that will be a comfort later in life.

“When I stopped seeing my mother with the eyes of a child, I saw the woman who helped me give birth to myself”

-Nancy Friday

My mom and I on her land in Oregon.

My mother is still an inspiration to me, she is a woman of strength and substance.  She plays in nature, with her hands in the dirt,  creates love and life in her beautiful garden and amazing orchard.  She is a master in her craft and lives her dream atop a 5 acre hillside she created.  She bears fruits, and berries and vegetables all year long, and has become the woman I aspire too.   Happy Mothers Day , MOM!  I Love you!

“The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has set the daily Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) of protein for males, 19 years old and older, at 56 grams and for females, 14 years old and older, at 46 grams.  Pregnant and lactating women require an additional 25 grams of protein per day for a total of 71 grams.  Though not proven, athletes who are doing strenuous aerobic exercises may need extra protein. If you’re doing regular, strenuous resistant or weight-lifting exercises, your body is actually producing more of its own protein so you don’t really need to be eating an extra amount.”

However, this is mostly disregarded as a standard because the theory is that you need a a certain amount of protein in direct relation to your body weight.  Of course this number varies depending on who you are talking too   The basic formula is the number of grams of protein you need is your body weight (in pounds) multiplied by 0.37.   So, if you weigh in at 170 pounds, you need to eat 63 grams of protein a day (170 x 0.37 = 62.9).  Here is a handy chart to help you get the gist of how to plan your next meal:

Body Weight Proteins (Grams)

My Big Fat Greek Salad

• 110            41
• 120            44
• 130            48
• 140            52
• 150            55
• 160            59
• 170            63
• 180            67
• 190            70
• 200            74
• 210            78
• 220            81
• 230            85
• 240            89

But, what is a gram of protein and how do we measure that in pounds?

There are 454 grams in a pound.

The average cut of beef (T-Bone, Filet, Porterhouse, etc.) is about 25% protein.  So, if you require 70 grams of protein a day, a 10-ounce steak will take care of all of this. (454/16=28 x 10 = 280 x 0.25 = 70)  The fact is, anyone who eats meat, chicken or fish on a daily basis is probably getting enough protein when you add all the other sources and there are many.

A 10 ounce cut Top Sirloin has approximately 575 calories, 39.4grams of saturated fat, 191 mg of cholesterol, not to mention the addictive qualities, the difficulty in digesting, the inability to digest the proteins completely for lack of enzymatic activity, unless of course it is rare and all natural, then you may still have some live activity in the beef.  But our discussion is solely on Protein, so let’s focus!

Now, if you were to rely solely on spinach, which has 49 % bio-available protein,  you’d need to eat 12 cups of spinach to get your 70 gram requirement.  That would only be about 84 calories, no fat, with the added benefit of about 800mg of potassium. Many vegetables contain protein, but just eating a variety of them as your only source will probably not add up to the minimum requirement.  Add in some beans, lentils, nuts, and whole grains though, and things start adding up.  Here’s a list of protein rich foods not including meat, chicken or fish, I also excluded dairy products, to stay true to my discussion:

Spicy Lentil Tostadas

• Food                            Serving Size        Amount Protein
• Avocado                           1                                5 grams
• Spirulina                         1 Tbsp                   10 grams
• Soybeans                         1 cup cooked         29 grams
• Shitake mushrooms      8 ounces                  5 grams
• Sesame seeds                  1 ounce                     5 grams
• Black beans                     1 cup                      15 grams
• Lima beans                      1 cup                      14 grams
• Lentils                               1 cup                      17 grams
• Kidney beans                   1 cup                      15 grams
• Pinto beans                      1 cup                      14 grams
• Navy beans                      1 cup                      15 grams
• Tempeh                            4 ounces                 20 grams
• Tofu                                   4 ounces                   9 grams
• Oats cooked                    1 cup                        6 grams
• Tomato                              1                            1.5 grams
• Pumpkin seeds               ¼ cup                     8.5 grams
• Peanuts                            ¼ cup                    9.5 grams
• Almonds                           ¼ cup                      7 grams
• Kale                                    1 cup                       2.2 grams
• Mustard greens               1 cup                        3 grams
• Spinach                             1 cup                        5 grams
• Romaine lettuce              2 cups                       2 grams
• Mushrooms                     5 ounces                  4 grams
• Asparagus                        1 cup                    4.5 grams
• Broccoli                            1 cup                    4.5 grams
• Swiss chard                      1 cup                       3 grams
• Collard greens                 1 cup                       4 grams
• Cauliflower                       1 cup                       2 grams
• Brussel sprouts                1 cup                       4 grams
• Miso                                   1 ounce                   4 grams
• Turnip greens                  1 cup                    1.5 grams
• Green beans                     1 cup                    2.5 grams
• Cabbage                            1 cup                   1.5 grams
• Squash                              1 cup                    1.5 grams
• Garlic                               1 ounce                 1.5 grams

Fresh Almond Milk

If you’re a vegan,or just getting Naked  it’s fairly easy to get enough protein listed on the chart above—2 cup spinach (Popeyes passion-12 grams), 1 cup lentils, tomato, avocado (Lentil tostadas in Get Naked Fast -26 grams), 1 quart green juice (18 grams), ¼ cup almonds (almond Milk-7 grams) 1 cup romaine lettuce, 1 oz sesame seeds (My Big fat greek Salad- Get Naked Fast-7 grams), and of course in these recipes are other sources of protein as well.

This being said,  it is all more complicated than you may think.  Protein is a complex molecule comprised of a combination of different amino acids, and not all proteins contain all of the amino acids.  Eight of these are refered to as “essential” because your body cannot manufacture them on its own.  The others are “nonessential” for the opposite reason. The menu that I have comprised above contains most if not all essential amino acids, based on the variety of vegetables, grains , seeds and nuts.  These plant-based proteins are bio-available for your body and easily digestible.

Now, we just ate a menu for a full grown man of 190 pounds, based on suggested protein- if the chart above feels accurate to you, modify for your body size.  Most important is quality of protein grams over quantity, for losing weight, maintaining healthy tissue, and keeping metabolism functioning at full potential.  If you are really interested in the most usable source of a complete protein, add fresh sprouts to every meal you eat.  Nothing promotes health and healing or contains more life force energy than fresh live sprouts!

And Bon appetite-  nothing tastes better than healthy food!