SanDiegoHealthBuzz.com

A New Chapter?

Pamela Cook — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:57:04 +0000

I’ve had some interesting developments lately in my pursuit of health and feeling good, so I knew I needed to kick my perfectionism to the curb, and just jump on here and talk about it.

It has been a long 7 months since last posting ~ I sort of just fell off into oblivion due to life’s struggles. Since my last post, I’m still in sort of a holding pattern with my personal life, although moving slowly forward. I’m hoping things will be resolved by the end of 2011.

So far on this blog I’ve talked about my venturing into raw veganism, and my pursuit of disease prevention. Then I began to slightly mellow out on the raw aspects and incorporate some cooked veggies.

Biggest Health Complaint

My biggest health struggle/complaint has been chronic sinusitis. Over the past 6 months, I began developing a theory that maybe my problems are related to fungal issues (candida). After all, I had undergone massive antibiotic therapy in high school and college for acne. I have been out of balance ever since. After much research, everything pointed to that. So I began once again to pursue a zero sugar diet (very similar to the Rainbow Green Live Food Cuisine), plus anti-fungal supplements. I had great results, but the problem is, the results didn’t last! My sinus problems returned when I began eating anything containing sugar again.

Then I decided to implement a series of juice fasts, and a colonic. Unfortunately, I swung back to the opposite extreme, with intense sugar/chocolate/carb cravings, even though I replenished with high levels of probiotics. Obviously I didn’t know what I was doing!!

A Different Kind of Practitioner

Fast forward a few months to my very first visit to an herbalist/nutritionist, here in San Diego (Encinitas to be exact). I found someone that came highly recommended, with years of experience: Steve Marmor of Herbs and More. I felt that this type of practitioner might finally be what I’ve been looking for!

The visit was over an hour, and included going over my health history (including diet, sleep, exercise habits, bowel habits), live blood analysis, hands on Applied Kinesiology, Iridology, and blood type testing.

The whole experience blew me away! He is not even a trained naturopath, but this level of intense physical evaluation is unlike anything I’ve experienced from any medical doctor. Despite the fact that I have been eating a very high raw, mostly vegan diet, including lots of greens and green juices, my blood analysis showed oxidative damage to my cells, as well as dehydration.

Applied Kinesiology

The Applied Kinesiology diagnostic techniques were used in addition to the live blood analysis, as well as taking into account a subjective description of my symptoms. Applied Kisnesiology is questionable to many, and often seen as “quackery”. I feel it’s up to the individual to determine whether the practitioner is accurately assessing, using this method.

I felt that using it as a supportive diagnostic tool, rather than the only tool, was helpful. The results that he found were right in line with what I’ve been feeling. Ultimately, you know your own body, and how you feel. If you feel the results of such tests are way off, you could question the particular practitioner’s abilities. I could tell that Steve was very confident in his findings, and could see distinct differences from one area to the next.

Through AK, it was found that my stomach was out of alignment, which he re-positioned manually, while lying on a table. He found my energy was completely out of balance, and gave me the following diagnosis:

“You body battery is tired or exhausted, and your nervous system is depleted.”

That is exactly in line with how I’ve been feeling!

He recommended resting every day, get plenty of sleep, reduce or eliminate my exercise for the time being, and increase my water intake.

Also interesting to note, is that through the Applied Kinesiology, I was tested for internal fungal issues, and did not test positively for it. He said that it doesn’t necessarily mean I don’t have a problem with it, but it is not very prominent. So he is looking to heal, and bring into alignment, other issues that he feels are more prominent at this time.

Blood Type – A New Way of Thinking (For Me!)

The thing that had the greatest impact on my way of thinking was the testing of my blood type, and the discovery that the type O positive blood is the blood type that absolutely thrives on meat! Here I’ve been living as a vegan/raw vegan for so long, and while I have felt good, it hasn’t been the extent I would’ve hoped.

Another aspect of learning about blood type, is how to eat according to your blood type. I’ve heard about this, but never really believed it. But now I’m convinced to at least try it.

There has been lots of research in this area. Here is a quote from the mini guidebook to Blood Type O:

“Your blood type is the key to your body’s entire immune system, and as such is the essential defining factor in your health profile. Your blood type antigen serves as the guardian at the gate, creating antibodies to ward off dangerous interlopers.

When an antibody encounters the antigen of a microbial invader, a reaction called “agglutination” (literally, gluing) occurs. The antibody attached to the viral antigen and makes it very sticky. When cells, viruses, parasites, and bacteria are agglutinated, they stick together and clump up, which makes the job of their disposal all the easier.

But there is much more to the agglutination story. Scientists have learned that many foods agglutinate the cells of certain blood types, but not others, meaning that a food that may be harmful to the cells of one blood type may be beneficial to the cells of another.

A chemical reaction occurs between your blood and the foods you eat.”

So for me:

“The Type O diet is a way to restore the natural protective functions of your immune system, reset your metabolic clock, and clear your blood of dangerous agglutinating lectins” (proteins found in food that have agglutinating properties that affect your blood).

My Prescription for Health (For Now)

Overall, these are the recommendations I’ll be following over the next 5 weeks, until my followup appointment:

Eat according to my blood type, following the Blood Type O Booklet, which includes the addition of meat to my currently vegan diet (avoiding dairy).
Rest as much as possible, and avoid stressful situations.
Drink lots of water (I have always fallen short in this area)
See a chiropractor for a whole body adjustment, in particular, upper cervicals.
Take the following supplements: two types of herbal blends for sinuses and histamine blocking, bee pollen, and a daily fiber supplement.

The plan is to get me to a point where I am noticing marked improvement in the basic symptoms I came in complaining about. Then, the goal will be to attack underlying issues on a deeper level, such as liver/gallbladder strengthening, improved digestion, increasing my overall balance, and energy.

For the first time, in a very long time, I feel hope that I can attain the health and vitality I’ve been longing for!

I hope the very best for you too.

Thanks for stopping by!

Sprouted Essene Bread & Highlights of the Week

Pamela Cook — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 18:16:34 +0000

Hello everyone!

I hope your weekend is off to a great start.

Today is sort of a catch up post. My theme lately has been staying on track with health and fitness during times of stress. Things have calmed down a bit in my personal life, but we’re still working out the kinks in marriage counseling and don’t know where that will lead.

It’s so important not to let stress and worry drown us during these storms that inevitably come in life.

It’s been difficult to post as much as I’d like, but I’ve been sticking to my self-care commitments, and snapping pictures of the highlights throughout the week.

I recently talked about incorporating comfort foods into my existing raw vegan diet. Often this takes the form of cooked food, but it is super-healthy, and vegan.

I believe life is all about balance, not absolutes. I consider certain cooked veggie dishes healthier than a rich, high sugar 100% raw dessert. Just focusing on 100% raw is not always the best in terms of overall health.

One of my favorite comfort foods I discovered since switching to a raw vegan diet is Essene Bread. This is made by processing sprouted wheatberries into a dough, shaping into small loaves, and dehydrating.

I slice the small, flat-cake-type loaf in half, and toast it, “buttering” with coconut oil, and topping with maple syrup.

This was today’s breakfast (after my wheatgrass juice, of course)!

I’ve loved bread my whole life. It was amazing to be able to experience “toast” again!

Another creation this past week was a new experiment with the Essene dough:

Sprouted pizza!

Putting some pesto sauce on the raw dough:

Baked for about 20 min at 350 with onions and tomatoes on top

YUM!

Some other highlight photos of the week:

A vegan stuffed pepper I threw together for myself, alongside the meat & rice version for the family (it’s on a bed of sauteed peppers and onions)

One of my favorite dishes, spiralized zucchini “pasta,” with chopped heirloom tomatoes and avocado on top as a variation.

Spring rolls (recipe here)

One thing I hope to incorporate more into the blog in coming months is the process of transitioning my family to healthier eating.

To get them used to eating more veggies, I started making this veggie pizza with my homemade pesto. I use raw pizza dough from Trader Joe’s, the pesto, spinach, mozzarella, tomatoes, and sometimes add onions and olives. The possibilities are endless for the veggies that can be used. I will probably add more each time I make it.

Before going in the oven

After baking at 450 degrees for 15 minutes

I hope to come up with more and more healthy vegetarian and vegan recipes in the months to come!

Fitness update

I’m excited to report that P90X is amazing! It is difficult, but just what I’ve been looking for. After only a week on the program, I already notice a difference in my running (less aches and pains)! I’m so encouraged.

I’ve noticed a huge boost in my motivation to work out, too. It helps to be able to just pop in a DVD and follow along. I push way harder than I would strength training on my own. It is relentless, but I know I’ll see results I would’ve never thought possible.

Aaaaand, the wheatgrass has been fantastic as well! I recently tweeted “I think wheatgrass may have been the missing link in my diet.”

The biggest noticeable effect is curbing my hunger. After just one oz first thing in the morning, I could go an extra hour or more, even with working out, before eating. For anyone looking to lose weight, this could be a great appetite suppressant to use throughout the day.

I also notice greater mental clarity, and energy after drinking it first thing in the morning, with no coffee. Amazing!

I’ll be writing more about the benefits of wheatgrass juice soon. Also coming up next week – preparing to travel on a raw vegan diet.

I hope the rest of your Saturday is fabulous!

Vegan Pesto & Roasted Veggie Heaven

Pamela Cook — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 23:33:49 +0000

I hope everyone’s week is off to a great start. We’ve been making a pretty good dent in our wheatgrass for juicing. I also bought another basil plant to supplement the two in my garden.

Last night I wasted no time in getting busy with the comfort food. Now, my idea of comfort food and yours may be quite different. But after months of eating cold, raw vegan fare, some roasted vegetables seem absolutely decadent!

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I planned to try Roasted Balsamic Green Beans inspired by Oh She Glows.

I tossed the beans in 1 Tbsp of coconut oil, fresh minced garlic, a few dashes of balsamic vinegar, and salted them on the tray before baking.

I couldn’t resist another batch of Yam fries, too. This time I tossed them with 1 Tbsp coconut oil and 1 Tbsp of fresh pesto (recipe below), and salted on the baking tray.

After baking at 350 for about 35 minutes:

Wow. Roasted veggie heaven.

I ate the entire tray!

I also made a large batch of vegan pesto for the week. I never really use a recipe, and decided I’d write it down this time in case this is an extra good batch.

But after tasting the final result, I think it still needs some tweaking. I hope to eventually hit on the perfect pesto recipe. For some reason, the recipes I find online are never quite right, so I’m perpetually changing them up.

Vegan Pesto (and recommended changes)

5 cups of loosely packed fresh basil (this could be reduced – I think it was a bit too much)
1-1.5 cups of raw walnuts (I used 1.5 and it was a good amount)
5 cloves garlic (my cloves were HUGE, and it was too strong, so less cloves next time)
1 tsp sea salt
1/8 cup lemon juice
2/3 cup olive oil

Place the basil leaves, walnuts, and garlic in a food processor, and process until chopped fine. (I like to put the garlic through a press first, but that is a matter of preference). Add salt, lemon juice, and olive oil, and process to desired consistency.

Seems like the color should be a bit greener, hmmm…

Even though it was so strong, it tasted delicious on the yam fries. Tonight I’m going to try it on raw zucchini noodles, and warm it just a touch in a pan on the stove. That might soften the flavor of the garlic just a bit. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

Fitness update

As I mentioned yesterday, I’m starting the P90X program. Today was the first day! I had to modify quite a bit due to the level of difficulty.

I’m really enjoy following DVDs, instead of having to rely on myself to keep the momentum going. It may get old after awhile, but for now it’s a welcome change.

Before Pictures

I also took some before pics as recommended on the intro disc. The program recommends taking 6 different shots, 2 each of front, back, and side. I may not post them all until the end of the 90 days, but here is a little preview:

My original motivation for doing P90X was not at all related to body aesthetics. I don’t worry about weight, and don’t own a scale. But if I had to name a few problem areas, it would be my triceps noticeable from the back view), lower back (barely), and thighs, especially above my knees. Yes, this is being ultra nit-picky, but it’ll be fun to see the after pics and whether these areas are improved in 90 days.

My primary motivation is fitness. I’ve been working on distance running for quite some time, and haven’t made the gains I’d like. I realized I needed overall core strength to be able to run successfully for years to come. When my motivation lagged, P90X was something I thought might give me a boost.

Stay tuned for more P90X updates in the coming weeks and months.

Have a great evening!

Self-Care in Times of Stress

Pamela Cook — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 19:43:00 +0000

Happy Sunday!

This has been a fragile week for me (see last post), and things have been all about taking a day at a time, and keeping self-care high on the list.

This has meant spending some extra time with the kids (learning to play Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and sucking at it), purchasing a new juicer to begin a wheatgrass juice regimen, planning to work in some comfort foods for the coming week, and finally purchasing P90X!

Wheatgrass Juicing

I’m most excited about the new juicer!

Notice my and my daughter’s reflection in the juicer. We are so easily amused. I found this like-new Omega juicer on Craigslist for $220. The absolute cheapest I’ve seen this model (new) is on Amazon for $256 including shipping.

I’ve wanted to get into juicing since starting a raw vegan diet a year ago, but I guess it wasn’t a high enough priority. I never felt like I could justify spending the extra money. But recently, when mentioning my son’s acne to my gynecologist, she suggested wheatgrass, and gave me literature on it. I was astounded that a medical doctor was handing out information on wheatgrass juice!

Can you believe my 14 year old son actually agreed to drink 1 oz per day? He has read the literature as well, and is interested to learn more. He has even been searching for videos on youtube related to wheatgrass juice.

We picked up a few 1/2 flats of wheatgrass (easier to fit in the fridge) at Jimbo’s in Carlsbad for about $5 each. They should last a week.

I took my son Alex to his first dermatologist appt, and got into quite the back and forth debate about the standard treatment. I can’t believe they are still using antibiotics as a treatment method for acne. This never worked for me as a teenager. It is a waste of time! In my opinion, antibiotics should only be used as a last resort, when someone’s health is severely at risk. Antibiotics create an imbalance of healthy gut flora, and compromise the immune system. It is only a temporary fix as an acne treatment (if it works at all), and has to be taken continually for years! It doesn’t cure it. How ass-backwards is that!?! It is embarrassing that in this modern age, we still use treatments like this in the United States.

I’m allowing my son to use the prescribed topical medications, in addition to wheatgrass juice for internal healing.

I’m starting with 1 oz of wheatgrass juice per day, then upping to 2 oz once I adjust. It is really strong! The first day I felt a bit nauseous after 1 oz. Today is day three, and I felt no affects at all after 1 oz.

Keeping my diet easy, but satisfying

I’ve been really slacking in the planning dept lately. If you are new to my blog, I’m a raw vegan, but still cook the standard American fare for the family. I’m slowly attempting to incorporate healthier vegan dishes into their diet, but it is not easy. If I’m feeling stressed, or overwhelmed, combined with their whining, I tend to fall back on standard unhealthy meals (i.e. cheeseburgers), rather than put the effort into planning something healthy and tasty.

As for myself, I’ve been getting lazy when it comes to planning for my own diet. I haven’t planned much variety lately. I find myself reaching for handfuls of nuts when I need to pacify my hunger, and emotions.

This week I had myself write out what I’ve been craving, and planned to work in some healthy favorites.

I came up with the following:

For cooked vegan comfort food – baked yam fries, roasted green beans (inspired by a recent blog post from Oh She Glows), and sprouted Essene Bread, toasted with coconut oil.

I already made a batch of the yam fries, adapted from Brendan Brazier’s Thrive Vegan Nutrition Guide:

Garlic Oregano Yam Oven Fries (original recipe, with my changes)

2 medium yams
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp coarsely chopped pumpkin seeds (I substituted in some walnuts)
1 Tbsp oregano
1 1/2 Tbps coconut oil (I go heavy on the coconut oil)
1/2 Tbsp basil (omitted this time because I forgot)
sea salt to taste

Cut Yams into strips and combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl. (Melt the coconut oil if needed). Toss the yam pieces in the mixture and bake at 300 degrees for about 35 minutes.

I have also added in a few spoonfuls of pesto if I have it on hand, to replace the need to peel and chop garlic, and add basil.

This recipe is amazing!

Even though I consider myself “raw vegan”, I still eat a little bit of cooked food for comfort. I think being fanatical about “percentages” of raw is unhealthy for the spirit, and unrealistic. I believe that some fresh roasted veggies are healthier than many “100% raw” dense desserts, laden with sweeteners such as agave.

Oh – and I can’t forget my new vice, cappuccino. This is my healthiest version of coffee possible, and I enjoy it most mornings these days.

For my raw vegan dishes this week, I’ve planned spring rolls, and zucchini pasta with pesto sauce. I know it seems like very little planning for an entire week of meals! But I like to operate mostly on-the-fly. If I have a full-blown recipe to prepare each and every day, plus cook for the family, it’s too much.

One of my favorite sauces is pesto. I love to make a huge batch, and aside from pairing it with zucchini “pasta,” it goes great with impromtu meals such as roasted or marinated raw veggies, and salads.

Last but not least, my foray into P90X

During this unsettled time in my life, I’ve been having a difficult time staying motivated to work out. I decided it would be nice to have a program to follow. I like the idea of just popping in a dvd, and doing what it says. I don’t want to have to think about what I should be doing.

Furthermore, I love that this program has a specific formula and purpose for why it is put together the way it is. That means, every workout counts. This provides built-in motivation.

I just purchased a used version of the program on Craigslist, and plan to start week one tomorrow.

As for my “barefoot” running (transitioning to running only in Vibram Five Fingers), I plan to run 1 mile three times per week until comfortable, then gradually increase each run a few minutes at a time.

So that’s the plan for keeping my self-care on autopilot for the coming weeks and months.

More to come on all these topics in future blog posts. Plus, staying healthy while traveling in mid August.

I hope you all have a fantastic Sunday and upcoming week!

Minor Dessert Flop & Major Life Flop

Pamela Cook — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:19:04 +0000

Hi everyone!

I hope you’re having a tolerable Monday so far.

This blog post is going to be one part healthy dessert recipe success,

one part dessert flop,

and one part life confessional. It’s tough to know just where to draw the line in regards to openness on a blog. I know that my favorite blogs don’t censor out all the messiness of life. Life happens. The things that tend to keep me coming back to a blog are the real life stories, and experiences that are shared.

I decided to share a little bit about a rough patch going on in my life because
1. I realized that the importance of staying healthy during stressful times is great subject matter.
2. Its tough to put on a happy face, and act like everything in my life is normal when it’s not.
3. The alternative is to not post at all (pretending everything is fine is too uncomfortable); but this is a new blog and I don’t want to stop posting.

When life smacks you out of the blue…

The day I came back from Big Bear, something totally unexpected happened. I had been having a rough time in general with business/life, and felt a little counseling/coaching were in order. I mentioned this to my husband, and he began to get a bit defensive. A whole can of worms were opened up, and it turned into shouting. The kind of shouting that the whole neighborhood can hear.

We’ve had some underlying issues that have never been addressed, from early on in our marriage. Big mistake. I’ve learned my lesson that things left unresolved will find you. It’s not a matter of if, but when they will surface. For us, these things are beginning to surface 16 years later. Oy.

The shouting match ended with a broken dish, and him leaving with a suitcase. Yikes. There are too many personal details to go into here, but I wanted to acknowledge that I’m not perfect, and life is messy. I have gone on too long trying to be perfect, and smooth over the rough spots, rather than address them. I have failed to seek help when needed, and failed to insist that we work out our differences early on.

Hanging in there.

He is back home, and things are civil for now. The good news is that he has agreed to go to counseling. We are both at fault in our marital problems, and we are accepting the fact that counseling may not bring a happy ending.

What really struck me in this situation is how severely the stress ravaged my body! I literally felt like someone had injected adrenaline in my veins. I felt like this intense drug was coursing through my veins for about 15 hours straight. It got me thinking about how important it is to take care of ourselves during tough life circumstances.

Self care must come first!

We must not forget to eat, and drink plenty of water! I had to force myself to drink water, and I still felt like I wasn’t getting enough.

I spoke to a counselor, and she gave me great advice:

“Don’t try to figure everything out right now. Just take care of yourself, and stay busy. Problems that have taken years to develop aren’t going to resolve in a week, no matter what you do. Be patient.”

Always go for green.

I have been making sure to get plenty of greens. I got a double wheatgrass shot over the weekend. If I had a wheatgrass juicer, I’d be drinking wheatgrass juice a few times a day to offset the effects of the stress. I still don’t even own a standard juicer! I’ve set my sights on owning a wheatgrass juicer, and have been checking Craigslist every day.

I decided to treat myself over the weekend with some vegan almond butter cups. I wasn’t even thinking about blogging at this point, so snapped a few pics as an afterthought. I managed to get a few decent shots of the finished product.

I didn’t follow a recipe, but just decided to wing it. This recipe is by no means perfect, but it is easy, and delicious! The texture of the chocolate is not quite solid enough, but is just right if kept refrigerated.

High Raw Vegan Almond Butter Cups

2 oz raw cacao butter
1/4 cup raw cacao powder
1/4 cup maple syrup (or agave)
raw almond butter mixed with sea salt and sweetener of your choice, to taste

I didn’t measure the almond butter. I’m guessing I used 1/3-1/2 cup.

Melt the cacao butter using a double boiler or just a bowl on top of a saucepan of water will work fine. Here’s what I used (my daughter is a dark chocolate fiend like her mother):

Once melted, mix in the cacao powder and maple syrup. Vanilla is tasty too, but I’m out.
Spoon a small amount into each mini baking cup. Next, put a small blob of the almond butter mixture in each cup, and finish by spooning the remainder of the chocolate to cover the filling.

Refrigerate until solid.

The dessert flop was adding this to banana soft-serve. In case you’re not aware of it, there’s an amazing technique of simply processing frozen bananas in a food processor or vitamix and it creates the texture of soft-serve ice cream!

In theory, these almond butter cups would be perfect paired with this treat. But sadly, it wasn’t so.

In my pre-vegan days, I loved the combo of frozen chocolate, peanut butter, and vanilla ice cream. But for some reason, this just didn’t work.

I hope to experiment in the future with more chocolate recipes, as well as raw vegan ice cream recipes, using an ice cream maker. There is great info to be found on the web, but I’m always fighting the time monster.

No matter what is going on in your life, don’t forget to nuture your health, and your soul!

Treat yourself to something that feeds both.

Have a great rest of your Monday, and a great week!

Raw Away From Home

Pamela Cook — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 20:26:21 +0000

Happy Friday!

Yesterday I returned from a much-too-short overnight trip to Big Bear, California. It got me thinking about how far I’ve come with my raw food diet, and how much easier it is to pick up and leave with fairly short notice, compared to a year ago. It also has me thinking about how I’m going to prepare for a 10 day trip to upstate NY in August.

One of the keys to success with eating healthy is to be easy on yourself. Another is knowing yourself. Don’t set yourself up for failure! Nurture your cravings, and don’t fight them. The harder we try to fight them, the more our inner self will rebel.

I am a sucker for snack bars. I also have a weakness for chocolate. I planned ahead and made a batch of raw vegan chocolate energy bars.

If I had planned even further ahead, I could’ve also treated myself to a Righteously Raw Bar. It’s definitely something to consider when traveling, or attending family functions. You can create or buy your own version of a treat, so you don’t feel left out.

I also drink red wine on occasion, so brought along a bottle. It wasn’t necessary, but I packed my espresso maker too! I’m having a bit of a love affair with it at the moment; I’m sure the newness will wear off soon.

Making exceptions

I make exceptions with my raw diet. It is not realistic to eat 100% raw. I discovered that when everyone is barbecuing, I can throw on whole ears of corn, with the husk still on.

No soaking necessary! All my life, I’ve never tried this, and it is amazing. I’ll never feel left out at a BBQ again (not to mention all the veggie burger recipes out there that I haven’t even tried yet).

Another staple for me is green smoothies, my favorite being banana, cacao, greens, and stevia. I recently purchased a magic bullet and brought it along. It is perfect for travel! I threw together items in an ice chest: for the smoothie & salad – greens, a banana to freeze when I get there, onion, a huge heirloom tomato from my garden, balsamic dressing, and hemp seeds to sprinkle over the top.

Dinner was easy and delicious!

I like to marinate the onions in the balsamic dressing first.

The kale is massaged with salt to soften.

Next I added an heirloom tomato,

romaine lettuce, and hemp seeds.

Overall, it was such a relaxing trip.

Here I am at Big Bear Lake, eyeing those ski runs. (My sights are set on learning to snowboard this winter)!

This was such a great little cabin.

The sign hanging by the front door gave me a chuckle…

We found this great pine tree walking around the neighborhood.

The boys had a blast with their guns.

Heaven on earth! I can’t wait to go back.

Have a great weekend!

The World’s Healthiest Coffee – (or is it)?

Pamela Cook — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:12:19 +0000

Good morning!

I was up early this morning, cracking open young coconuts. For what you might ask?

For my raw, vegan creamer!

I could’ve waited a few more days (I’m trying to not become the total coffee addict again), but there was nary a green tea bag to be found to replace it.

After giving up coffee last year, and having second thoughts over the past few months, I found myself diving head-first back into the daily java sooner than I expected when a friend insisted I borrow her retired espresso maker.

Why espresso?

I remember hearing that espresso is the least acidic coffee. Coffee in general has an acidifying effect on the body, and there are countless sources linking disease to an acidic body pH. Wouldn’t it make sense that the least acidic coffee would have the least impact on the body’s pH?

Sounds good to me.

But now that I’m a vegan, how would I replace the creamer?

Even before I began scheming to return to coffee, I had stumbled upon an amazing creamer to pair with my coffee substitute at the time, Teeccino. I was experimenting with homemade almond milk, and found that substituting coconut water for plain water, while reducing the ratio of liquid to almonds made for a sweet, creamy beverage.

Could organic espresso paired with a fresh organic coconut-sweetened almond milk produce the healthiest cup of coffee in the world?

A surprise I found in my research will be revealed at the end of the post.

But first – the unfolding of my coffee adventure.

A few weekends ago, my hopes were dashed when the borrowed espresso maker died (*gasp*) before I could even get started! The pump was running, but it wouldn’t draw water.

On to plan B – Craigslist! I found an almost identical version of the borrowed espresso maker, for only $25! I love a bargain.

Buying used appliances can be risky. It took me almost an hour of decalcifying and clearing the machine of debris. Luckily it worked perfectly. It cleaned up nicely, too!

The organic espresso was all ground up and ready to go.

Next up – prepare the vegan creamer. I do call it “raw” vegan creamer, which probably seems silly because I steam the heck out of it when I make cappuccino. But it amazes me that there can be such a thing as raw vegan creamer.

Basic Raw Vegan Coffee Creamer

2 cups fresh young coconut water

1 cup raw almonds, soaked (I measure dry, then soak and use them all)

Optional

1 dropper liquid stevia (kicks the sweetness up a notch, with no bitter aftertaste)

Vanilla bean, (any amount added to blender), or vanilla extract, to taste

pinch of salt

Another variation I tried this morning, that works well, is adding about 2 1/2 Tbsp of maple syrup into the blender with the coconut water and almonds. Any sweetener of your choice would work. This removes the need to add sweetener to the cup of coffe (or capp).

To get started, you’ll need to get a hold of some young coconuts.

Crack those suckers open

One may be enough for the two cups. I purchased two just in case, and it yielded just a hair under 4 cups!

Coconut water is a fantastic natural sweetener, high in potassium, and calcium, and an isotonic beverage containing the same electrolyte balance as human blood. It contains lauric acid, an antibacterial and anitfungal substance found in human breast milk.

I’ve been hearing that young coconuts can be difficult to come by, depending on where you are in the world. Bottled young coconut water may work. I haven’t tried it, but will likely experiment with it while traveling this August.

Add the soaked almonds, 2 cups coconut water, and optional ingredients to the blender and blend till almonds are completely pulverized.

Strain through any nut mylk bag or something similar.

Now for the perfect cup of vegan cappuccino

I prepare my mug first. If I didn’t add the extra sweetener while making the creamer, I put it in the bottom of the mug. I pre-heat my mug too, by wetting the inside and nuking in the microwave for approx 20 seconds. I haven’t found a better way yet, if you have one let me know.

Prepare the expresso according the machine’s instructions.

I use 1/2 cup creamer to 2 oz of espresso.

I hear a frosty stainless frothing cup does the best job, so add the creamer to a stainless container straight from the freezer.

Froth it to desired level of heat and foam.

Mix the two.

Oh my… heaven in a cup.

So why go back to coffee at all?

I just plain love it. Life is too short. I eat 100% vegan, and almost totally raw, except for pasteurized nuts, the occasional cooked veggie, and stuff like coffee. Or when I toast my raw vegan bread.

I am in love with my diet, and don’t feel like I’m suffering at all.

My diet is highly alkalizing. It doesn’t bother me to drink this amazing organic, vegan cappuccino! I also drink wine occasionally, and some dark beer too. I appreciate these beyond measure!

I would like to believe I’m drinking the healthiest coffee possible, but as I started researching, I found my first conflicting evidence. Unfiltered coffee is bad because of the fats. It supposedly contributes to risk of heart disease. So I wonder, is it better to drink non-organic, highly acidic coffee that is filtered (trapping most lipids), or an organic, low acid espresso, that is not paper filtered?

These are questions I’ll be exploring further, and I’d love to hear your imput! I’ll definitely be revisiting this topic, with more research and links to articles.

For now, we have a deadline to head to our overnight mountain retreat in Big Bear, CA. I’ll be sharing lots of photos!

How do you guys feel about coffee, especially those on a super healthy diet?

Do you make an exception for coffee?

Have an amazing Wednesday!

Fitness Goals, and Prepping for an Overnight in Big Bear

Pamela Cook — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 20:17:29 +0000

I woke up feeling much better today.

Yesterday I had a very unusual bit of the crummies. As if the stomach ache weren’t enough, I was struck with a classic migraine (with aura). Sheesh, body, gimme a break!

The last time I encountered a migraine was in January. I found an interesting connection between migraines and chocolate. I liked that connection !

I’m sort of stuck in a string of workout days-off. It began with a busy weekend, and has spilled over into this week. Eeek! I’ve decided not to beat myself up too much, and just enjoy it. I think it will do well for my barefoot running transition, because I’m still having so much ankle pain.

Reassessing my fitness goals

This has brought me to ask myself, what are my goals now, anyway? I’ve been letting my fitness goals slide, and become a bit mushy, and undefined. My original goal to run a marathon has long since gone by the wayside since I began transitioning to barefoot running. I have even lost sight of a more recent goal to run a 5k road race in Vibram Five Fingers. It may be time to scope out a new race.

After looking over my “Run For Life” page just now, I’m re-focused, and realize I need something to work toward. I found a 5k race in October that looks great! October seems a bit far off, but it will give me three months to work up to at least three miles on concrete in my Vibram Five Fingers.

To help with my motivation, I just created a profile on DailyMile. This will help by giving me a space to log my training plan, track progress, and link to my workouts from my blog.

Mountains, here we come.

I’m also getting ready for an overnight trip to the mountains tomorrow! I enjoy the mountains far more than the beach.

My 11 year old Max has finally found a best friend, and they’ve been inseparable this summer. A major perk is that his family owns a cabin in Big Bear. Wow. Such a score. The friend’s mom is also a snowboard instructor. I’ve been dreaming of learning to snowboard for years. It may come together this year, finally!

Just us moms are braving one night in the cabin with 6 kids, for a trial run. If all goes well, we’ll stay longer next time, and maybe even invite the husbands.

Planning for the raw diet

Times like this always require a bit of planning for my raw vegan diet. Now that I have a year under my belt, I don’t feel any stress at all.

I threw together a chocolate blueberry energy bar to take along, inspired by Brendan Brazier’s recipe in the Thrive Diet.

I’m including the recipe, but I don’t know if it’s worthy of being the “final” recipe. I’ll know if it needs tweaking after it comes out of the dehydrator.

I ate some scraps of the still-wet bar, and it was pretty decent.

Another “throw-it-all-in-the-food-processor” recipe.

Easy Raw Vegan Cacao Blueberry Energy Bars

1 cup dates
1/2 cup soaked almonds
1/4 cup raw cacao powder
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup ground flax seeds

optional:
1/2 cup buckwheat crunchies (sprouted, dehydrated buckwheat)
1 dropper of stevia

Throw this all into the food processor, and process to desired consistency. Shape into rectangle, cut into bars, and freeze, refrigerate, or dehydrate!

So flexible, that the above ingredients can be swapped out or substituted to your heart’s content.

Have a great Tuesday!

Weekend Highlights & Nagging Health Issues

Pamela Cook — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 21:36:58 +0000

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

If Mondays aren’t bad enough, my morning started off with a terrible stomach ache. This is so uncommon for me. I thought this would be a good time to introduce some nagging health issues I’ve been having (the stomach ache not one of them), and some reasons behind my lifestyle.

But first, some highlights of the weekend…

I volunteered with my boys last Thursday to help with the set-up for a “Stand Down” for homeless veterans event. I returned on Saturday for the actual event, and was assigned to the skullery.

That’s me in the red tank top.

Considering the number of mouths to feed, the pots and pans weren’t nearly as bad as would be expected.

I’m used to bringing food with me whenever I go to any event that lasts longer than a few hours. I threw together this mix of veggies with a balsamic dressing and hemp seeds for added protein. Along with 3 carrot cake energy bars, this was plenty of food to hold me over until later. I also snagged an orange that was being served as part of lunch.

Later on Saturday, a fun get-together at a friend’s house in Fallbrook. This was the view from the deck.

Beautiful!

My favorite shopping deal this week was my raw cacao from Cream of the Crop in Oceanside – 8 oz for $7.99. Have you ever seen a better price for cacao at a health food store? I’m sure there are better bulk prices to be had somewhere online, but to be able to drive to a store, and get this deal is sweet!

Next fun buy of the weekend – the Magic Bullet! I’ve been thinking about getting one for travel, and finally picked one up at Costco for $45.

This will be coming along with me on an overnight trip to the mountains this week, as well as a trip to upstate NY this August.

I had to try it out this morning. It was so easy to use, and worked great! The smoothie was a bit smaller version of my usual frozen banana, cacao & kale with a touch of blueberry.

It doesn’t blend smoothly enough to use regularly at home, but it does an amazing job as a travel blender. No complaints here!

I’ve been on a quest to turn around my health for about a year now. I began a raw vegan diet in July of 09, with my dad’s cancer death fresh in my mind, and my 40th birthday just around the corner. Aside from some ongoing nagging health issues I still haven’t resolved (which I’ll mention shortly), I have been feeling fantastic! This stomach ache today is unlike anything I’ve felt in a long time! It reminds me of pain from too much acid. The pain goes straight through to my back. A few possible contributors (things that have been out of the ordinary this past week):

On Saturday, I drank more wine than I have since December. That’s 6 months with little to no alcohol. I have always loved the occasional dark beer, or glass (or two) of Cabernet. But since my crazy disease-prevention raw vegan trial that started in January, I just haven’t wanted more than a sip here or there. I had always planned to go back to a bit of social drinking. I had about 2 full glasses of wine on Saturday.

Another change this week – I went back to drinking coffee (another coffee blog post coming soon)!

I ate store-bought dark chocolate. I’ve eaten raw cacao in smoothies or desserts over the past 6 months, but haven’t had regular, dark chocolate (made with refined sugar) until this past weekend.

I also had a huge, stress-inducing event happen on Friday – I lost my website. It completely vanished. My webhost tech support informed me that all my content files were completely empty. Gone. Forever. Can you imagine?

Even though my site is still not that old, I would’ve lost a month out of my life. I’d have to start over, building from scratch. Somehow, the tech support guy found a backup that wasn’t blank (after breaking the news that everything was gone, never to be retrieved, probably from hackers), and restored everything.

I went from a complete crying mess, to feeling like someone I thought was dead had been found alive! What a roller coaster.

Could one, or all of these things be contributing to today’s stomach pain? Ugh. I don’t even know what to eat. I feel starving, but pain at the same time.

So far today I had green tea, and a green smoothie with cacao (probably a mistake). Then I munched on sprouts for the enzymes.

Next, I tried this banana snack with chia seeds and buckwheat groats. I’ve heard that chia seeds are amazing at soaking up excess stomach acid. I mixed some maple syrup with coconut oil, and drizzled over the top with a pinch of salt. This was actually really good!

I don’t know what else to do, besides wait. Its feeling a little better, but still hurts.

What prompted me to begin the raw vegan diet is explained here. The short of it is that I have suffered from hay fever type allergies for so long, and sometimes felt that it worsened when my diet was poor. I also felt crappy in general when I ate bread, pasta, sweets, and any processed foods. I decided a switch was in order.

Kidney what?

Ironically, I was diagnosed with kidney stones about a month ago. I still don’t know the cause, but they have been linked to leafy greens. I still have them, and haven’t figured out what treatment route to go yet. They are supposedly too big to pass (1.5 cm), and impossible to dissolve. I discovered a remedy on youtube that claims to dissolve the “undissolvable” kidney stones with lemon juice. I’ve put myself through about 3 rounds of this remedy. The only evidence of positive results was some pain on the right side, and what appeared to be the passing of something as tiny as a grain of sand. But according to the urologist, and a previous CT scan, nothing showed up on the right, just a large stone on the left. But I had suspected something on the right all along, because I felt discomfort on both sides.

Everything is on hold with the kidney stones at the moment. I’m thinking about seeing a Naturopathic Physician, but my insurance won’t cover it. I had a fantastic free consult with Dr. Natasha Wolf in Carlsbad with Vitalia Natural Medicine, and hope to go back soon.

TMI

The only other nagging (and extremely embarrassing!) health issue I have at the moment is a toenail fungus that existed before I began my raw vegan diet (which is supposed to be naturally anti-fungal). I also have a theory that my ongoing sinusitus may be fungus related, because most of my symptoms are on one side. (If they were only allergy related, wouldn’t both sides of my nose have an equeal reaction to the allergens)?

I initially was treating the toe fungus by alternating apple cider vinegar, and tea tree oil. But I swapped out the tea tree oil with oregano oil at the recommendation of my family physician. I have never seen something so difficult to eradicate! I’m determined to beat this naturally. There seems to be some improvement, but it’s far from cured.

As far as the sinus fungal infection theory, the Naturopathic Physician actually confirmed that this is possible! Recently, a friend recommended I try inhaling steam with essential oils, and loaned me her mini facial steamer. I’ve been adding a drop or two of the oregano oil (highly anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial) to the water, and inhaling the steam. It seems to be reducing my symptoms overall! Very promising!

These health issues, although minor, keep me motivated to stay on a high raw, 100% vegan diet, with no processed foods.

Have any of you had nagging health issues you were able to heal naturally, or are in the process of healing with holistic methods? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

Have a great Monday evening, and thanks for stopping by .

Volunteering with my kids, and a little local night life in San Diego

Pamela Cook — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 01:36:34 +0000

Happy Friday!

Summer is finally in full force, here in San Diego.

Yesterday was a perfect example of why I appreciate living here so much: some volunteer work at a great nonprofit organization, and a night out for some live music.

Although we don’t live right in San Diego (we are in North County), I feel we have the best of both worlds. A smaller, less expensive town, but just a 40-50 minute drive to get to the heart of San Diego.

Amazing people, organizations, and lots of diversity.

Happening this weekend is an event put on by Veterans Village of San Diego, (a client of mine via Unlimited Benefits), called Stand Down for homeless veterans.

It’s often described as a tent city, organized to provide every resource imaginable to our homeless veterans, and get them off the streets for some R&R all weekend. Such an amazing vibe of love and support just being there!

My boys (11 and 14) and I got the opportunity to help with the clothing tent set-up, which will supply much needed clothing and shoes to the homeless.

We sorted hundreds of shoes by size.

Quite a job! I’m returning tomorrow for skullery duty. Pots and pans, here I come!

It just so happened that this very same evening, former American Idol contestant Josiah Leming was playing in San Diego.

While I’m actually the fan, not my kids, they enjoyed a little taste of night life in Normal Heights at the popular coffee house & music venue Lestat’s where Jewel and Jason Mraz have also graced the stage.

Before the show, it was dinner at Zia’s Gourmet Pizza just a few doors down from Lestat’s, thanks to the iphone Yelp app!

I ordered a cucumber salad w/ balsamic dressing, and the boys split a pizza.

Next up, after dinner drinks at Lestat’s – me a green tea, 14 year old Alex a cappuccino, and 11 year old Max a hot cocoa. Alex has taken a liking to cappuccino lately, with all my experimenting at home. (He insisted mine was far better! So sweet).

Really feeling that the summer heat had arrived, we didn’t last inside for long. But check out the decor – original artwork hanging on the walls, probably all local, and apparently for sale.

Original painting ($400), and chandelier.

The heat chased us to an outside table. Just in time for the sunset. Gotta love it!

I feel like a tourist, being a small town girl from upstate NY.

Next up, the music.

Josiah Leming is a quirky, passionate, rough-around-the-edges singer/songwriter, with very catchy tunes, and unique songwriting ability. That’s what drew me to other fave artists such as Alanis Morissette and Cake, so it’s no wonder I became hooked, even though I’m old enough to be his mom.

He has an emotional intensity that is beyond his years.

Max enjoying the show. (And my crappy photo, lol).

(This is all I have for a camera for awhile, so it’ll have to do).

The photography can be pretty limited with this. Here’s a pic Max snapped. Blurry, but I like how he thought of the composition and included the candle. So cute.

Another Max photo.

We had a great time!

I definitely need to get out for stuff like this more often! The cover was only $15, and sometimes it’s even less.

Such a fantastic day overall.

Healthy food/workout update

As busy as yesterday was, I managed to get in a quick morning workout with my Vibram Five Fingers for a near-barefoot run for a 1st time one-miler!

I definitely feel like I’m starting over with this transition to barefoot running and taking it slow.

A morning green smoothie, and my on-the-go carrot cake energy bars got me through the day until the salad at Zia’s.

It’s days like this I appreciate living where I do, even though it’s pricey.

What are some favorite things about your city/town?

Do you make a point to get out and see live attractions?

I always have to drag myself, but am glad when I do. I‘m always pushing myself to get out and enjoy live entertainment more.

Have an amazing Friday evening and weekend!