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Holiday Superfood Survival Guide! December 18, 2011 |
Superfood Evolution Ezine -- Issue #023
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Hello friends, Welcome again to Superfood Evolution! A big thank you to all my Superfoods-for-Superhealth site visitors for your attention and support! Here we go with my monthly newsletter #23. Many of you expressed great interest in learning more about superfoods, superhealth and achieving optimal states of aliveness! So, here it is by popular demand! It is my intent to uplift and empower your true health potential to create the best life ever for you and your family. "You are what you eat" is the first rule of thumb here, the rest just falls into place!
Holiday Superfood Survival Guide
'Tis the season for more of a reason to take care of your health! For many of us superfood adventurists the holiday festivities can be a challenging time of year. FOOD is often the centerpiece of celebration, especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas time here in the U.S. But, if others you gather with (often family members) are not on the same "health path" regarding diet, things could get a little shaky on the home front. Some of us choose to just give in and go along with mom's Xmas dinner, but others want to maintain their commitment to superhealth no matter the occasion. After many years I feel like I have finally found some successful ways to integrate my diet and lifestyle choices with family gatherings or events that are more "traditional" in nature. So, I wanted to share these simple tidbits of insight that you may overlook as the rush of Xmas approaches.
Superfood Survival Guide TIPS: Here are my top tips for making festive gatherings and celebrations less stressful and more enjoyable for you and those you care about. Because, many times, we are spending usually 2-7 days with relatives, I have included a few travel tips when away from home and your own kitchen. The important thing to remember is to love, respect and find the beauty in and with everyone you interact with whether a Xmas party or sit down dinner. Set your intentions. I am a firm believer in setting your goals for the day, evening or many days of social family time.
1) Prepare snacks, drinks and treats in advance. This is especially important when on an extended holiday visit. The more of your own healthier treats and snack options you have the less likely you will want to give in to eggnog, candy canes or other temptations from your childhood. Let's face it, we all like to indulge during this time of year and often being with family brings up old emotions and food cravings we may not expect. It is good to BE PREPARED. This way you can reach for a superfood version rather than the non-vegan, baked and processed one.
2) Always bring your blender! When you are away from your own kitchen it is important to bring part of it with you. Having your own high speed blender to whip up a morning smoothie or superfood drink is so important. Depending on the situation it is sometimes best to set up your own little kitchen space in a separate area or part of the house. This often makes it less of a big deal to those who might be sensitive to your dietary choices. I usually bring a chopping board and knife too.
3) Pack your juicing veggies. So, the other advantage to bringing your blender with you is that you can now make fresh juice without the complexities of a juicer. See my green juice recipe while on the road for more info on how to juice via a blender. You can make fun Xmas colored juices using red and green veggies! One survival tactic I have learned to make it through the holidays is to super juice and eat fairly light for most of the day which may include mono-meals of fruit only. I like to save indulgences for those times of food based celebrations. 4) Exercise, sun and fresh air is some of the best superfood around. Make sure to get outside and take in a brisk walk or hike during some part of the day. This resets your body and clears the way for your own light to continue to shine and be strong.
6) Nuts and seeds instead of meat. There are so many great, tasty alternatives to eating turkey or ham by using nuts and seeds. Now is the time to make that raw nut loaf and gravy. We save this time of year for our dehydrated "turkey" nut loaf dish using similar spices of the common turkey dinner. I make this in advance so it's all ready to go. 8) Take your digestive enzymes and ferments If you do eat some cooked food, balance it out with an enzyme supplement that will help to digestive it. Also, now is a good time to drink rejuvelac before meal time or include some sauerkraut with your dinner. 9) Never force your own philosophy on relatives, be an example of health and they will come to you for advice.
ASK A Question Section!
If you have a question about superfoods, super nutrition, diet or superfood recipes.... ask it HERE. In the next issue of Superfood Evolution Ezine I will select four and answer them directly. 1) Rebecca asks.... I am new to sprouting and was wondering if I can jar sprout seeds any time of year. It is cold where I live, but warm indoors. I really love your website. Thanks for all the great information!
Shira's ANSWER: Yes, you can sprout in the winter, especially jar sprouts. Often times indoor temps around 65-75 are perfect for growing and sprouting seeds. This mimicks spring time weather when all the seedlings start to pop up from the ground. You will need to find a sunny window to "green" them in. So, you do need some sunshine, but not much.
2) Joseph asks.... I have been recently introduced to the world of medicinal mushrooms and found your website with great info on the major varieties used for medicine. I was curious as to how much you need to take to feel their effects?
Shira's ANSWER: I consider medicinal mushrooms, because of their adapogenic and tonic effects on the body, to be highly effective in large doses. It depends if there is an issue at hand or if it is just to maintain good health. On average I generally take between 5-10 capsules of powdered mycellium several times daily. To ensure medicinal benefits it is best to take them over an extended period of time.
3) Susan asks.... I am starting to drink more tonic herbal teas this winter and was wondering if I just use the whole root herbs (they mostly seem to be thick roots) in simmering water or do I need to break them up into smaller pieces?
Shira's ANSWER: You can decoct (simmer) the tonic herbs/roots in their whole state, but increase your brewing time by 10-15 minutes. You can break them up by hand, although some Chinese tonic herbs are a bit hard to do this. The best way is if you have a high speed blender, powder them up and store ready for use. A couple tablespoons brews for about 20 minutes.
4) Stefanie asks.... Hi, Today I found your recipe for making Rejuvelac, and I was glad I did because until now I always made it completely wrong. Namely I never sprouted the seeds before, didn't know that. So I would like to try your recipe and see how it works out. But I was wondering how many days you sprout your seeds before using them for the Rejuvelac recipe. Or different asked, what needs to be visual to see if they are ready for this purpose. Is it just the first baby sprout head that comes out of the seed, or do I have to let it grow a bit further.. Thanks for your time and your wonderful website, very very educational!
Shira's ANSWER: You can use the sprouted seeds for rejuvelac right when you see the first white sprouts popping out or you can go longer. You are not totally wrong about "not sprouting the seeds" because that is originally how it was done by Wigmore and Victorus. But later they began sprouting them first because it was discovered to provide more benefits. Most people these days sprout the grain first. Hope that helps. Recipe Ideas for the Holidays
Now is the time to juice and clean out a bit before heavier, dense foods that are often the centerpiece of holiday occasions. See our juicing recipes for some simple and tasty fresh juices. And while your juicing away, why not save some of your juicing pulp to make our crouton recipe. It's great to have a batch of raw dehydrated croutons ready to make a raw stuffing! Also, now is a great time to make a batch of holiday kombucha. We like to spice it up with some chai tea instead of using straight black tea. See our kombucha recipe for
I always like to make a big kale salad when attending potlucks or family gatherings. I usually double or triple the recipe because
The last thing you don't, of course, want to forget is a nice raw dessert. Try some of our superfood desserts like our carob coconut cream pie or go for straight up raw chocolate with some of our cacao recipes. You can't go wrong with our raw cheesecake recipe, it's always a sure fire hit with family and friends! Recipe of the Month:Nutnog Recipe
This is my favorite non-alcoholic "nutnog" recipe (as oppose to an "eggnog" recipe). There are no raw eggs in this one just two of our favorite nut and seed combo's. It is rich and creamy, packed with yummy tonics and superfood goodness to boost your holiday spirit in a real and long term way. I usually make this recipe in bulk every year by making 4 quarts instead of one. That's one gallon to enjoy with family and friends. It sure hits the spot if you are at all an eggnog lover. It stores in the fridge for up to 5 days, so it is good to make ahead of time.
Herbal Tea Base:
Decoct the above in a little more than one quart of water and then infuse with 3T of nettle. Blend quart of herbal tea with: Strain through a nut milk bag and then blend with the following:
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:
BOOK of the Month:Healthy Holidays: A Survival Guide
Healthy Holidays: A Survival Guide - by Heather Haxo Chef Heather Haxo Phillips, founder of Raw Bay Area, presents this new book featuring 35 delicious recipes to keep your holiday season fresh and healthy. It is a colorful collaboration of pictures and living foods to help keep you "alive" during the holidays. This book is specifically for raw foodies seeking to transform their holiday celebrations. It is packed with helpful articles to inspire and make your Thanksgiving or Xmas the best ever! I also love it because it's spiral bound and easy to flip through. A must to have in your recipe book collection! Thanks for joining me on my twenty-third edition of Superfood Evolution! If you would like to subscribe or tell a friend click here.
Until next month... Here's to your Superhealth! Much love, Shira
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5) Bring your own food. Bring an appetizer, a raw food dish and a dessert to family potlucks. This is the best way to ensure you have something to eat that you will totally love and enjoy without having to compromise. It is a great way to share with others as well.
7) Eat your raw chocolate! I try to save my chocolate indulgences for special occasions like this. Cacao is a natural mood elevator and perfect for parties when you need a little pick me up. You can make a chocolate nutnog using the recipe below or make raw chocolate fudge as a treat to share with others, no-one says "no" to chocolate!
details on how to make it. It is a nice substitute for alcohol and you can drink it in wine glasses!
I have found that other people LOVE kale salad. You wouldn't think that Aunt May would go for it, but I am surprised every time... I have never gone home with left overs.
