March Update

OMG, I'm a terrible blogger. I can't believe it's been two and half months since I last posted. And how is it possible that it's almost April 2012?! I've been completely immersed in book writing. My deadline is fast approaching and I am only half way done. It's going very well, though, and I'm completely thrilled with the new recipes and the ease of the directions. Everyone's been waiting for a new, easy raw food book and I believe it'll be much appreciated when it comes out next spring. Very fresh recipes with no dehydration. Who's excited??!!

Aside from book writing, I have also been busy with commercial auditions and print jobs. I've had to go to castings almost every day this month which cuts into my time in the kitchen and can be an exhausting commute some days. I also had some personal things go down which I will write about down the road. Major girl talk that I think will be really beneficial to a lot of the readers. It's gonna be one juicey blog post that is going to take me days to write. Days of which I do not have right now to spare. 

One of my rad readers asked if I was still on the Body Ecology Diet. Because of the recipe writing, I'm not following it. I have to test a lot of sugary foods like desserts and fruit smoothies but I still drink coconut kefir and take probiotics to keep things in check. My skin has had some breakouts but it's not that bad. I am looking forward to finishing up the book and getting back to my regular low sugar routine. FYI I'm addressing the sugar problem in the new book and many recipes are BED friendly.

Before I head back to the kitchen, I wanted to tell you about my Saturday night. I had an opportunity to make a raw dinner with Matthew Kenney for supermodel Gisele Bundchen and her husband, New England Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady. Gisele is totally down with raw and is very passionate about health. We got to talk for a while about food and health and she really knows her stuff. Both of them loved the food and asked me to become the family chef. I, unfortunately, can't commit to a long term chef position, but am so flattered to have been asked. They are my dream clients and I hope they continue following a mostly plant based diet. There couldn't be two more beautiful people to exemplify the benefits of raw foods.

Alright, back to the kitchen I go. My next post will most likely be June 1st when I deliver my manuscript. There's going to be some major celebrating!!

Till then....xoxo

Raw Judita's New Year Giveaway!

I'm giving away a bag of raw food fun to kick off 2012 which includes a signed copy of my book plus some tasty Navitas Naturals superfoods. There are many ways to enter including tweeting the giveaway every day to gain more chances to win. Winner will be chosen at random Jan. 2nd.

Click below and good luck!

P.S. Open to US residents 18 and over only.

Body Ecology Diet Results

After I did my 3 week detox back in October I transitioned into the Body Ecology Diet, a book from Donna Gates I read almost 2 years ago on rebuilding gut health for optimal wellness. I regret I didn't try this sooner because my results were phenomenal. First let me give you the overview of what the diet entails:

1. Cut out all sugar. This means fruit, dates, goji berries, agave, coconut water and pretty much all the fun things that raw foodists love. It also means no foods that turn into sugar like: rice, potatoes, bread, alcohol, you know, the "bad" carbs. Sugar feeds bacteria/yeast/candida so you want to starve them out.

2. Eat an alkaline diet.  Land and sea vegetables are alkaline so if you're a veggie lover like myself, you will enjoy this. Gates recommends 80% alkaline foods, 20% acidic foods which can be animal protein, tempeh, natto, beans and buckwheat. Alkaline seed grains are allowed like quinoa, millet and amarynth.

3. Eat probiotic rich foods. This can be cultured vegetables like sauerkraut and kimchi or fermented coconut water or milk kefir. Probiotics are okay but best taken with fermented foods. Eat/drink these foods soon as you wake up, with each meal and before bed. This will replenish your gut with good bacteria, help you to assimilate nutrients better and improve your overall immune system.

There's a lot more to it but that's the diet in a nutshell. It's a bit challenging to follow it perfectly, so I recommend taking one step at a time. Read the book, plan a strategy and go for it. There's a quiz to see if you would benefit from the diet and I didn't even score that high on it. I never thought I had a candida problem but after trying the diet it really was a bigger deal than I realized.

The first few days were tough without sugar. I missed fruit the most. I sipped on tea with stevia and made chia pudding with stevia and xylitol (it's allowed). After a week, the cravings subsided and I was feeling great. I followed it for 3 weeks almost perfectly. I had a wedding to attend each weekend so I let myself have a cheat meal once a week (mind you, I said cheat meal, not cheat day) but I still had awesome results. My face, back and chest were almost flawless, I had the flattest tummy ever and my energy level was at eleven.  My husband was also amazed how great I looked in such a short amount of time. On top of that I had zero PMS and cramps that month. That's a first for me. The only problem was just at the peak of all of this we went to Costa Rica for 10 days. It was hot and I was craving my fruit smoothies. I figured what was the harm but by the end of the trip my skin was broken out again. So frustrating. We had Thanksgiving (four of them, actually) when we returned and then I had a quick NYC jaunt where some raw treats and coffee accidentally slipped into my mouth. I don't know how that happened. Seriously. Now it's back to square one.

What's great about the diet is that anyone can adapt to it. Whether you are raw, vegan or omnivore you can make it work. Some days I ate all raw but found it a bit heavy since I was getting most of my calories from fat. I started adding in cooked quinoa and baked and steamed vegetables and felt great. If you're an omnivore, you have many options and there are lots of great recipes listed in the back of the book. I found it all very satisfying.  My typical meals were:

Breakfast: 
chia pudding with cinnamon and chopped nuts (this is my dessert too)
puffed millet cereal with almond milk
quinoa porridge
green energy soup (from my book)
leftover veggies from night before

Lunch/Dinner:
a lot of the recipes in my book Going Raw were B.E.D. adaptable so I had soups, salads, and wraps. I ate tons of kale salads with avocado and dulse, tabbouli, zucchini hummus wraps
steamed/sauteed/baked veggies and squash
cooked quinoa and millet

Quinoa with roasted beets, butternut squash and Brussels sprouts

Raw kale salad with hemp seeds, roasted butternut squash and millet

With every savory meal I had a side of sauerkraut. In the mornings and evenings I sipped on fermented young Thai coconut kefir. My favorite brand is Inner Eco (plain). 100 billion colonizing probiotics per tablespoon! I use it as a starter to make my own coconut kefir (recipe in my book). Making my own helps save money as I drink about 1/2-1 cup per day.

For best results follow it for at least 3 months to a year. Yeah, that's a long time but Rome wasn't build in a day. It takes time to rebalance the body and gut. I did it for my acne but most people who go on it suffer from digestive problems, fatigue, headaches, depression, autism, cancer, food allergies, joint and muscle pain and menstrual irregularities. Even if you don't have any health issues, eating less sugar and more fermented foods is going to serve you better in the long run.

So now I'm back home for a while and back on the program. The problem I face is that I'm writing my next book and will have to  bend the rules as I develop some of my recipes, especially the desserts. The diet has really influenced the direction of my recipes. I'm going to be using way less sugar and address the candida issue in my book. I haven't seen anyone talk about the sugar problem in the raw diet except Gabriel Cousins and I think it's one of the reasons many people don't thrive on all raw. I spoke with a few people at the Longevity Now Conference and learned that many women were having skin, weight and hormonal issues because of the sugar overload. I know Elaina Love is also doing a lot of sugar free recipes these days. Visit her site as well as Body Ecology to get more info and recipes.

The Healthy Holiday Survival Guide

As the holidays quickly approach, you might be feeling anxious about what you will eat on the big day(s) of feasting, especially if you're trying to maintain a raw food diet. Well worry no more, the Healthy Holidays Survival Guide from Raw Bay Area has you covered from the stuffing to the pumpkin pie. It features 50 recipes from some of the best raw food chefs around *ahem* as well as tips on how to get healthy and avoid weight gain during the holidays. This is a must have for every raw foodie and makes a great gift too!

Pumpkin Pie

Cranberry Sauce

 

Stuffing

Available as a print copy or E-Book. Click here to view more details!

Product Review - Frank's Finest Spirulina Gamasio

I picked this up three weeks ago and have since been sprinkling it on just about everything savory. A lovely, emerald green mixture of hemp seeds, spirulina, Himalayan crystal salt and onion powder, it's a brilliant twist on a popular Japanese sesame seed condiment. Spirulina is an excellent source of protein, minerals and B vitamins and contains a full spectrum of free radical fighting carotenoids. It aids in removing toxins and promoting beneficial bacteria in the gut while hemp seeds are rich in essential fatty acids and protein. Try it on your salads, quinoa, eggs or whatever for a great boost of nutrition. It's absolutely delicious, vegan and gluten-free!

Shop Frank's Finest

21 Day Detox - Conclusion

Last Friday marked the end of my official detox so I just wanted to share my final results. All in all it was a great experience and I feel amazing. 14 days of juice is challenging but such a great reboot for the body. I'm lighter, more energized and my skin has improved considerably. In the end, I had a net weight loss of 5 pounds and my blemishes have improved 50%. My skin has been much less oily and congested and I'm nothing short of thrilled.

I'm glad I did the work necessary but won't be doing anything that radical for at least another 6 months, which will be the perfect time of year to do some 'spring cleaning.' I've officially switched over to the Body Ecology diet and so far I'm loving it. It's a bummer not having my fruit smoothies but I'm enjoying it and feel very grounded.

The premise of the B.E.D. diet is to cut out all forms of sugar and yeast and consume a highly alkaline diet of mostly vegetables, some seed grains (like quinoa and buckwheat) as well as eating cultured vegetables with each meal so you replenish the beneficial gut flora. I happen to love sauerkraut and kimchee so I'm eating it like it's going out of style. I'm also making my own coconut kefir to drink in the mornings and evenings. In addition, I'm also taking oregano oil capsules. Just an FYI the Oreganol brand capsules I recommended in my past post are NOT vegan. I've switched to Gaia Herbs brand instead which is in a vegetarian capsule but not quite as potent. Right now I'm taking 2 capsules 3 times a day. My typical meals so far have been:

chia pudding
green juice
kale salad
seaweed soup
green energy soup
cooked quinoa
some lightly cooked veggies
flax crackers
sunflower seed pate

I'm keeping it pretty simple and working on some sugar free desserts using stevia and xylitol instead of agave. A lot of the recipes from my book work well on this diet or can be adapted to be B.E.D. friendly. For fermented foods I have a whole chapter on making your own.

For those considering trying this diet I would like to mention that you do not need to do a 14 day juice fast as I did to start. The B.E.D. is a very cleansing diet on its own. I'll post more about it in a few weeks with my results and some photos of what I've been eating.

Detox Days 16-18

Day 16

My appetite is back and though I feel like I could eat a huge meal, I can't. I had fruit for breakfast, a couple small collard wraps for lunch and another two for dinner.

Today is my last day of fruit and sugar of any kind for several weeks. I'm transitioning to a Body Ecology Diet where no sugar, alcohol, yeast, vinegar or any other substance that feeds candida is allowed. It's going to be a challenge but I think it'll be fun to come up with some raw B.E.D. friendly recipes. I stocked up on flavored stevia, xylitol and Lakanto and I'm ready to get creative though I am certainly going to miss my fruit. I already know I'm going to slip up once persimmons are in season.

Day 17

Surprised to find I lost another pound. I like the way my clothes are fitting so I don't mind at all. I'm working out so I'm sure it will come right back in the form of muscle soon enough.

I went in for colon hydrotherapy this morning and kept my intake light all day. I had chia pudding for breakfast (sweetened with xylitol), 1 quart of green energy soup and some nuts and kale chips. I had a busy day of auditions and appointments so I had to keep it simple by preparing portable meals. Today was stressful and ended with a couple new zits by the end of the day. My husband says my legs are looking f.i.n.e so who cares about some pimples. :)

Day 18

I feel awesome and strong. Had more chia pudding for breakfast, salad with beets, avo and tomato for lunch. I was on the phone all day coaching clients so I missed dinner but I did sneak in some sauerkraut, coconut kefir and berry sorbet. According to the B.E.D. diet, berries, pomegranate, lemons and limes are allowed. Hallelujah!!

Detox Days 14-15

Day 14 Last day of juice fasting

I had 2 quarts of green veg, about 1 quart of fruit juice, two cups of herbal tea, 1 cup of miso soup and one cup of almond milk with protein powder. Had a 1 hour massage in the morning and kept busy around the house all day. I feel great and little anxious to end the fast. I wish I could go a little longer but it's time to get back to normal life.

Day 15 Now what?

One super important thing to remember about juice fasting is that you have to break it very gently. Your body hasn't digested food in a while so you need to go slow as not to shock it. Also, your metabolism has slowed way down.  You've lost some weight but you will gain it right back and then some if you jump right into your old diet. The rule of thumb for fasts is that however many days you fasted, divide by two and that's how long you should ease out of it. Some health leaders say 1 day for every 4 or 5 days but it depends on the individual. I find slower is better, especially for long fasts, but it's up to you. Listen to your body.

I fasted 14 days so I'll take the next 7 days to get my metabolism revving and fire up the digestive system. Many years ago, when I knew nothing about healthy juicing, I did the Master Cleanse for 7 days and broke it with a big Indian dinner. Do I even need to describe how horribly miserable my night was? I've come a long way since then.

First day of breaking the fast, I suggest starting off with some fruit. One type of fruit at a time not a fruit salad. Citrus or melon are great.  Next day, try some blended veggies like my Green Power Soup with little to no avocado. Then add a light salad. Slowly add your regular (healthy, clean) foods until you're feeling back to normal. Also, get back to the gym or whatever exercise floats your boat. This will stoke the metabolism so you can keep most of those shed pounds off (if weight loss was one of your goals).

Today went like this:

Lemon water with MSM, cayenne, noni powder, probiotics, fulvic acid and stevia
Niacin/rebounding/sauna 45 minutes
1 quart green juice
11am two oranges
 2pm small bowl of grapes
4pm 1 cup almond milk with SunWarrior protein
5:30pm two large heirloom tomatoes, sliced, with 1 teaspoon olive oil and small dash of sea salt

 It felt so good to chew food again!! The best part of it is I don't feel obsessed or attached to food. My cravings are in check and I feel balanced and in control.

This morning I weighed myself and lost another pound making total weight loss 5 lbs. Fasting puts you in a catabolic state where muscle break down rapidly. I worked hard for mine so I added protein powder to my daily regimen. Some would say it's wrong to do on a fast, but I found it energizing and made the fast much easier.

So how's my complexion you must be wondering? It's getting much better. The oiliness has subsided considerably and my blemishes are going away on my face, back and chest. I did so many different detoxifying things the past 2 weeks it's impossible to say if any one thing helped. I believe the probable cause for the improvement is that I've most likely eliminated food(s) that have been creating the inflammation. I won't know for a month what foods I will have to avoid but I will be very cautious as I start to reintroduce solid foods and return to a normal diet.

Detox Days 12-13

Day 12

I went in for acupuncture to balance out my hormones and support my kidneys and spleen. According to TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) I have "dampness" and a spleen deficiency. Don't worry, it's not deadly. It's about being balanced. My body needs more grounding, warming foods now and less sweet, cold raw food which I don't have a problem with. I don't think 100% raw is the only way to eat. Obviously, I am a strong advocate of eating densely nutritious food but that can be both cooked and raw. As the seasons change, warm food is important and if my body needs something, I'm not going to let silly rules or dogma interfere with my well being. We tackled 3 different things in the session and I felt like a human pincushion with needles around my ankles, knees, lower back, spine and arms. I was so drained afterwards, I went home and passed out on the couch. Next week might be easier since I'll be eating again.

Today I had two quarts of juice, 1 quart of herbal tea and 2 cups of miso soup. No supplements at all since I'm gearing up for my allergy test on Saturday.

Day 13

Today I went to the chiropractor to get my monthly adjustment. Unlike my acupuncture session, this actually energizes me. I wanted to do cartwheels out the door but the doctor would definitely have frowned upon it.

I also did another infrared sauna session. Last year, out of concern for the geo engineering (chemtrails) taking place across the world and my worsening airborne allergies, my husband and I decided to buy a sauna for the backyard. It was an investment but we felt we were worth it. It's made by Luxspa and it's Gabriel Cousins endorsed. It seats 3 adults and has a CD/radio that I use to listen to Coast to Coast AM with George Noory late at night or occasionally a meditation CD.

The infrared sauna is superior to ordinary saunas because the far infrared waves can penetrate deeper into the fatty tissue to get the toxins moving and since the temperature is lower (a dry heat) than a typical sauna you can stay inside much longer. I usually do about 45 minutes but you could go over an hour if you're a sauna warrior. AND you burn 300-600 calories per hour as your body tries to stay cool through sweating. It's a lazy person's weight loss dream.

I like to take my detox a step further by taking 1000-1500mg of niacin. Niacin is a B vitamin that creates lipolysis in the fat cells, i.e. breaks down fats. It's such a great detoxifier, that in Europe, high doses of niacin are given to drug addicts in rehab. Theraputic doses are 2500mg - 5000mg and up. I've done 2500mg once. Never. Again. It will make your entire body bright red, hot and itchy. Fun stuff. Start with 100-200mg and see how you do before venturing into megadoses or you will be very, very uncomfortable. After I take the niacin and feel it starting to kick in, I jump on my mini trampoline for 15 minutes. Rebounding, or cellercising as some people call it, helps move the lymphatic system (the metabolic garbage can of our body). Rebounding works every cell in your body and helps to make the niacin more efficient. I try to jump every day for 15-30 minutes, usually while watching Dr. Oz.

Here's Dr. Mercola speaking about the niacin/rebounding/sauna protocol at the Longevity Now Conference.

 

Saunas are one of the best things you can do for your health besides eating a clean diet. I think with the increasing amounts of pollution in our air, water, food, etc, and cancer cases and thyroid disease exploding we are experiencing toxic overload. I believe, one day, saunas are going to be standard issue in every household, like television sets. We need a way to get the toxins out easily and there is no faster way than by sweating it out. I understand not everyone has money or room for a sauna but you can find deals for sauna sessions in your area by checking out websites like Groupon, Living Social and Lifebooker. Lifebooker has a lot of health and beauty deals so I would try them first.

Detox Days 10-11

All in all it's been smooth sailing. I'm not that hungry but I do miss solid food. Today I hardly had any appetite and only had 2 quarts of juice. 1 quart was fruit, the other vegetable. I haven't exercised at all the past 11 days except for rebounding. I usually exercise every day for at least 45 minutes but I feel like I would run out of steam if I try to do anything too active. If my bike wasn't broken I would definitely have been able to do that but resistance training and elliptical, no way.

Today I filled out my allergy testing forms from Every Body Cleansing. I need to abstain from all supplements for 48 hours before I collect my saliva on the enclosed ziplock baggie. They check for 400 different food allergens and give you recommendations on what foods are ideal and what to avoid. I won't have results for 3-4 weeks but I'll let you know how it goes. Very excited to see the results but if they say I can't have avocados, I might have a complete meltdown.

Latest stats:
Energy: good
Sleep: excellent
Skin: improving
Total weight loss: 4 lbs