Raw Chocolate Donuts

Do you eat vegan/raw/clean but crave decadent holiday treats? Me too!

This time of year doesn't have to be a challenge. I found a recipe over at Plant Powered Living's website that solves all our problems and tastes as naughty as those little chocolate Hostess Donettes, while still being raw, clean, vegan AND gluten free!!!

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Here is the link to the recipe:  Amazing Raw Chocolate Cinnamon Donuts

 * A couple of notes:
     -I left out 1/2 of the cinnamon in the recipe and subbed nutmeg instead. To me, nutmeg is the essential flavor in donut-making.
     -Have a good rubber scraper on hand. The mixture gets really sticky in the food processor.
     -To make a clean glaze, add cinnamon to a little water mixed with agave or syrup.
     -The recipe calls for cashews OR almonds. I used cashews that had been soaked only an hour and they worked fine! Almonds will need more time.

I met some of the guys from Plant Powered Living at VegFest in San Diego and having been loving the recipes on their website. Check 'em out.

My Banana Island: Days 1 and 2

For an explanation of the Banana Island cleanse and the health benefits of bananas and raw food in general, see my previous post:
My Banana Island, Day 0: Why Bananas? and Preparations

*Disclaimer: I am not a doctor nor a nutritionist.What I write here is based on my opinions and research and my experience will not be universal to all people.

Day 1:

On day 1 I had approximately 18 bananas ( I lost exact count at lunch). I felt very full and honestly quite sick of bananas by midday, but soldiered on in the spirit of banana island. Physically I was feeling quite good, probably from how healthy I'd been eating prior to the cleanse, but by the time I got home from work I had an  headache of the magnitude I associate with caffeine withdrawl. This was mysterious to me given that I'd given up caffeine weeks ago. Trying to cure it with icy liquid, I put some frozen raspberries in my water bottle and went to kickboxing class, where I felt very energized despite the headache. I was able to do all the moves, plus sprinting and a sadistic amount of squats. No problems there.
I decided to jazz up my banana dinner with a raw sauce made of blended carrot, banana, plum, water, and pumpkin pie spices. I arranged my banana into a sort of pie and heaped it generously with sauce to photograph for Instagram. The rest I ate together with more bananas out of a bowl:

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As a rule I have not been eating after 8, so it was a rush to get it down after kickboxing. After that, my stomach was definitely full but I was craving something warm. I made honeybush tea, which is lovely and contains no actual honey

At the end of day one my observations were:
-I had plenty of energy and felt calm, and light on my feet
-My skin was looking better daily
-My digestion was slower than usual until nighttime, then started working great
-I didn't think I'd last another day on B.I., as I was tired of bananas.

Day 2:

On day 2 I only pulled off maybe 9 bananas. As I mentioned in my Day 0 post, a flaw in my planning was not going to the store days beforehand to get bananas and ripen them on my porch. I ended up having to eat a lot of not-too-ripe bananas that hadn't grown spots yet. On day 2 I think they hit my system hard. The calm feeling of Day 1 was replaced by irritability and a lack of focus at work, and I ended up eating 2 grapefruits and 2 apples for lunch and only 1 banana. By the time I got home I felt a new resolve to get my banana on, but I did add cacao powder to the 4-banana and water smoothie I made. It tasted great. On a cleanse you really appreciate any variety in taste and texture, so I was loving my smoothie!
However, my energy levels had run low and I fell asleep til evening. I had a last banana, then caved when my roommate presented me with a homemade vegan energy bar. It ok but actually felt too heavy on my taste buds. I also spotted a zucchini in the fridge, and as I was beginning to deeply crave some veggies, it went down the hatch too. More tea and sleep.

Observations from Day 2:
-skin continues looking better/brighter daily
-energy and emotional levels very low
-hard to resist the temptation of other foods
-digestion working awesome

I just finished living Day 3 but haven't had time to write it all down yet. I can say from this side of it, though, that things felt much better on Day 3 and for the first time I could see results on my body. Stay tuned ;)

My Banana Island, Day 0: Why Bananas? and Preparations

Hello!
I wanted to document my experience with Banana Island, which is essentially a cleanse where you eat as many bananas as you want. I know it may sound fruity! I recommend skeptics head over to http://thebananagirl.com/ and check out Freelee's videos. She is a wonderful inspiration for anyone looking into raw foodism, and helped me when I was making the transition to veganism. Also, her videos and research could explain why I would do this much better than I can put into words, but here are the results of some research I've done*:

1. WHY RAW?
Raw foods are full of enzymes, and so aid in their own digestion. Food that is cooked or pasteurized does not contain these enzymes and thus requires a much greater effort from our bodies to digest. Digestion typically requires more energy than any other body function. This is why our energy levels plummet after large, cooked meals (aka the "food coma," you KNOW what that feels like). People who eat large meals of raw vegetables, fruit, nuts, and seeds, however, usually report an increase in energy levels. This is because they have set their bodies free to perform other functions such as repair and rejuvenation. This is the reason I juice almost daily, because I get so much nutrition for very little effort!

2. WHY BANANAS?
Out of all the reasons I could list, I'd like to focus on one: potasssium. Now, most of us are aware by adulthood that potassium is a buzzword for health. Like, it has a lot to do with something important to our health, and bananas have it. Right? That was the extent of my knowledge until I put in some research.
As it turns out, our potassium-to-sodium levels are a critical key to vibrant health. High sodium, low potassium diets are directly linked to all the major health problems in our country (and leading causes of death) like heart disease, cancer, and strokes. Potassium deficiency has the lesser effects of mental confusion, irritability, weakness, as well as heart, nerve, and muscle problems.The reverse, high-potassium and low-sodium intakes, are preventative to these health problems and are key to lowering high blood pressure. It isn't enough just to restrict sodium, the high potassium intake is also essential.
Most people have a potassium to sodium ratio of less than 1:2, which means they ingest twice as much sodium as potassium. However, researchers have recommended at least a 5:1 ratio, and a diet high in fruits and vegetables can achieve a ratio greater than 100:1! This douses your body in the electrolytes that aide in so many of its most important functions. Without enough potassium, cells will burst their sodium-potassium pump, fatigue sets in and muscles grow weak.

There are some of my answers to WHY. On to the HOW of Banana Island!

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Some things to note:

-Even though my sources are, I myself am not a doctor or a nutritionist. The things I write are my opinion and experience, and the things that work (or don't) for me are not for everyone.

-I am not pressuring myself to stick entirely to bananas and am allowing some other raw fruits and veggies. For one, when I went to stock up in the store most of the bananas were still green, a problem I'll explain later. Also, I do not have a specific goal like detox or an expectation of weight loss. If I really wanted those results I would be following Freelee's advice to the letter, but I am doing this mostly to cleanse my digestive tract, maximize my potassium intake, and for the adventure!

-I prepared for this, and even then, I've already discovered that I didn't prepare enough. I urge anyone considering a cleanse to get their body, mind, and pantry in the right place before embarking on one. More on that, coming up...

BANANA ISLAND, DAY 0:
That's right! Day Zero. This was the day I really prepared myself for cleansing, although I have been eating mostly raw for weeks and eliminated caffeine from my diet, which was a cleanse in and of itself. I will make a post soon about how I did it and why. The point is, after eating so well for so long, I knew I was ready for a cleanse and that it wouldn't be a shock to my system, or my mind. I think a lot of healthy detox and cleanse ideas have a bad rap because people try them without preparing themselves, and as soon as the pangs begin or the fruit basket is empty, failure creeps in along with disgust for the process.

For the mental aspect, I watched some videos on Youtube, including the skeptics. I wanted to be aware of potential set-backs, but usually watching any kind of vegan videos gets me fired up and these just reaffirmed my purpose. There are some really beautiful raw foodists who put their whole selves into their Youtube accounts, and I love them for spreading that around. Anyway, it helped motivate me and get my mind in gear, and it was reassuring to hear from others that they had eaten other things besides bananas too.

Foodwise, that day I ate... mostly bananas! That's right. If you're going on a cleanse, you should work your cleansing foods into your diet gradually, and I had already been eating a ton of bananas. I won't call it Day 1 only because I enjoyed other fruits for breakfast and made a massive spiralized raw zucchini noodle dish for dinner (pictured above).

I also prepped by buying a cart-full of bananas at the store, but this is where I hit my first potential snag: most of the bananas in the store were not ripe. They were still bright yellow or even had a greenish tinge at the stem. A good, ripe banana shows itself by having brown spots (not bruises, mind you, but those freckles of brown that most people think looks unappetizing, but the fruit under the peel is perfect!) and is easier to digest and much healthier. Really, looking back, I should have bought my bananas days ahead of time and ripened them at home. More on this later.

Check out my next post, Banana Island Days 1-2, coming up!

*I got a lot of information from the wonderful book The Complete Book of Juicing. Aside from great recipes, it is a powerhouse of information on raw food and nutrition, and I highly recommend it. I am in no way compensated for this recommendation, I honestly love this book.

Recipe: Raw Bourbon Vanilla Almond Milk

Fresh almond milk has got to be one of my all-time favorite vegan discoveries. The first few times I tried making it, though, I was ready to write it off as more trouble than it was worth. Now that I have access to better appliances I am back on the homemade almond milk train. What a difference a good blender makes!

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Raw Almond Milk
Appliances needed:

• a fine mesh strainer
• a bowl
• a good blender or food processor (I much prefer my blender for liquid recipes, the processor is better for solids)
• cheesecloth(available packaged in most grocery stores, I use 1 pkg per batch)

Ingredients:

• whole, raw almonds, covered and soaked a few days in fresh water or at least overnight
• fresh water to add, 4 cups to every one cup of almonds
• vanilla bean (optional)
• agave to taste
• Other great options: cinnamon, dates, or cacao powder for chocolate almond milk!!

1.  Soak: Make sure to soak your almonds and rinse them well afterward. Not only does this rid impurities and make them easier to blend, but check out this amazing fact from the Livestrong website regarding digestion:

~"Almonds contain an enzyme inhibitor in their brown skin that protects the nut until the proper levels of sunlight and moisture allow it to germinate. Since the nut does not release its enzymes until those conditions have been reached, eating almonds without removing the inhibitor limits the nutrients your body can absorb and makes the almond difficult to digest. By soaking almonds, you provide the moisture that makes the almond shed its skin and release its enzymes. The process works with most nuts and seeds." 

I will always soak my almonds before eating them, after learning that!

2.  Blend: 4 parts water to every 1 part almond. So, if you have a cup of almonds, add about 4 of water. Blend very well, and add agave or dates at this point. Hold off on using a vanilla bean or powders though, that one comes later.

3. Strain:  Fit a strainer over a bowl or large cup, then line the strainer with cheesecloth. Use large pieces, you don't wait any almond pulp slipping through the sides or up out of the top when you squeeze. Fill the cloth just full enough that you can still gather all the ends into one hand. Now, SQUEEZE! The milk should run out of the cloth, drip through the strainer for good measure, and reach your bowl pulp-free. Strain as many times as it takes, and restrain if pulp slips out (this is a fairly messy undertaking, so don't feel inadequate if you have to re-strain a bit ;)

4. Taste & Presentation: Pour your milk into a seal-able container (you can find attractive ones very cheap at most any store that sells kitchenware, for mine I re-purposed a water kefir bottle from the market. Mason jars work well, too). If you are using a vanilla bean, cut a slit up the side and stick the whole bean in before refridgerating. The flavors will seep out and mingle. This is also where you might want to stir in powders or spices, or add them by the glass with a blender as you go. Don't blend the bean though. 

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Your milk should keep refridgerated for about 3-5 days, though mine never lasts that long. I love using it in my overnight oats! Also, you can use all the leftover almond pulp to make delicious cookies, bread, smoothies, dips... or dehydrate it for almond flour.

Simple 2 Ingredient Juices, Part 1: Cancer Fighters

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Energizing Ratio: 2 carrots to 1/2 cup fresh parsley. Push the parsley through your juicer with a carrot. It's wicked delicious.

Why carrots? Everyone's heard the expression about an apple a day, but did you know a carrot a day would cut the rate of lung cancer in half???* Or that our beloved orange carrots are a cultivated mutation, and were originally almost exclusively purple or black in color?  
Tip: When juicing carrots, avoid the greens, which can lead to rash or heighten chances of sunburn.

Why parsley? Parsley is dismissed as a garnish when it is actually a nutrient powerhouse. Eating or juicing parsley after ingesting fried foods inhibits their dangerous cancer-causing properties, so instead of ignoring that sprig on your plate, ask for more! You'll be doing your health a huge favor. Parsley is a natural nerve stimulant and a great source of energy, so much so that many people use the recipes like the one above to replace coffee.
Tip: Revive wilting parsley in some cold H20.

Next!

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Delicious Ratio: 2 oranges per 1/2 grapefruit. Do peel your citrus, but leave as much of the white spongy part as possible.

Why grapefruit? This has been a long-time weight-loss favorite, as it is low cal while also lowering cholesterol and demonstrating anti-cancer effects. A cool and kind of magical thing about grapefruit is that it normalizes your hematocrit levels (the volume of red blood cells): too low hematocrit = anemia, while too high = heart disease. Grapefruit balances both of these, depending on what your body requires.
Tip: Avoid grapefruit that feels too soft or has green-colored skin.

Why oranges? Well, the memo on oranges containing Vitamin C probably won't surprise anyone. But it's actually the combination of Vitamin C with an orange's abundant flavonoids that really strengthen immunity and support connective tissue in the body. Oranges are another winner in preventing and fighting cancer.
Tip: Many people like to prove the prowess of their juicer by chucking in the whole orange, peel and all. Please don't! Even though citrus peels contain beneficial oils, those same oils will antagonize bodily functions and even inhibit the uptake of the fruits' other precious nutrients.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of "Simple 2 Ingredient Juices!"

*Much of the information in this post comes from the book The Complete Book of Juicing, which I own and love, and highly recommend for anyone interested in the recipes, health benefits, and nutritional information of juices. Here's the Amazon link:
The Complete Book of Juicing
I am in no way compensated for recommending this book, or anything else I post.

(Raw) Vegan Ice Cream & PBJ Sundae

This is a not-so-well-kept vegan secret that many of you may know already. My roomie, who does Crossfit and is not a vegan, had a similar recipe up on our fridge before I moved in. Everyone seems to have their own version, but they all have one thing in common-
YOU CAN HAVE CLEAN, EVEN RAW, TOTALLY DELICIOUS VEGAN ICE CREAM, AND IT'S GOOD FOR YOU.
If you didn't know that, Merry Christmas, Happy Birthday, here you go:

Basic Vegan Ice Cream, 2 Ways

1. Raw Ice Cream:

• As many bananas as you want
• A bit of water or homemade nut milk of your choice

2. Non-Raw Version:

• As many bananas as you want
• Store-bought nut milk of your choice (almond, sunflower, etc etc)

Both recipes essentially work the same. First, cut your bananas into smaller pieces and put them in a tupperware in the freezer. Don't just stick whole bananas in there, it will be very difficult and gross getting the frozen peel off later (and yes, I know because I did it wrong the first time!). After a few hours when they are good and frozen, put them in a blender. They may need help getting out of the container, a zap in the microwave if your container is safe, or carefully use a utensil to coax them out. This is another reason you cut them up.
Blend 'em up with a teeny bit of liquid, just enough to get your blender to mix it all, because the liquid will take away from the ice cream consistency if you add very much.
Enjoy on the spot or store it in the tupperware for later use. I'm not sure how long it lasts but since you are using a fresh ingredient it won't be hard to tell if its gone bad!!**

And now!:

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Raw Vegan Banana Peanut Butter and Jelly Sundae:
Follow recipes 1 or 2 as written above, but add peanut butter to the blender step. Dish into a bowl with a cookie scoop.
Meanwhile, blend up your favorite fresh berries, on their own or with a touch of agave. Drizzle it over your ice cream and add some fresh fruit to top!

**If you are storing your ice cream, I recommend adding an ingredient like the peanut butter because if the bananas start to oxidize and turn a darker color it is more appetizing to think of it as being peanut butter-colored than "bad banana color."

Yes, this is good for you! GET on the train to loving your beautiful fruit carbs and you'll never want for regular ice cream again! MMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmm!