Monday 29 July 2013

raw vegan jelly aka berry chia pudding

This is a short blog post from me today since I've been busy recovering from the weekend and catching up on my online study at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Last week on Thursday my Dad went into the hospital for knee replacement surgery. On the Friday, my Mum and I went to visit him in the afternoon. He was not yet up and about but was doing well. After the visit we went to the Vegie Bar in Fitzroy for dinner as my Mum had never been before. Of course, while we were there we had a raw vegan entree, main and dessert - it's always nice when someone else does the cooking or "uncooking"! At the hospital my Mum expressed her guilt over our planned outing by saying to my Dad, "I do feel bad about going out", to which my Dad replied, "No you don't!". (I know at least I didn't anyway!)

Anyway, a week or so ago I was asked if I had any recipes or recommendations for a vegan or vegetarian jelly. There are vegan/vegetarian jelly products you can buy in health food stores but most of them are full of refined sugar. You can also try to make your own vegan jelly by using agar agar as the setting agent and adding lots of fruit juice and fresh fruit, like you can see here and here. This kind of jelly is called kanten. But you can also make a raw version of a vegan jelly by using chia seeds, which set like a gel due to their amazing ability to absorb 8 to 14 times their weight in water.

Chia seeds are not only a complete source of protein but also an excellent source of dietary fibre, omega 3 fatty acids as well as vitamins and minerals such as calcium, manganese and phosphorus. Due to hospital food rating very poor in the nutritional stakes I decided to sneak my Dad in a healthy but sweet dessert in the form of a berry chia pudding, which had the added bonus of being a great fibre hit. I'm pleased to say that my dessert was a huge success and I'm sure I'll be making it again for my Dad this week once he's home from the hospital. You know it's good when your non-health-food-freak-dad-who-tries-all-your-creative-concoctions likes it and tells you he'd be happy to have it anytime. Score!


berry chia pudding


1/4 cup chia seeds
Juice of 2 oranges, freshly squeezed (substitute: 1/2 cup coconut water)
1 Tbs pure maple syrup
1/2 cup fresh or frozen mixed berries
Handful of goji berries
Handful of shredded coconut
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Pulp of 1 passionfruit (optional)

Mix together well and let the pudding set in the fridge for 30 minutes to 3 hours before eating. Garnish as you desire. Enjoy!




Monday 22 July 2013

find your blue lagoon

A few months ago, I attended the David Wolfe conference here in wintry Melbourne. During one of the breaks I lined up with his book Eating For Beauty so that he could sign it for me. The inscription he wrote on the title page which says, Brooke! Find your Blue Lagoon!, has honestly stumped me! The closest thing to a blue lagoon that I know of is the movie from 1980 starring Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins. No thank you do I want that kind of a blue lagoon experience!


A lagoon by definition is "a body of water cut off from the open sea by coral reefs or sand bars". There actually happens to be a true-blue blue lagoon in Iceland. It's a geothermal spa not unlike the Peninsula Hot Springs here in Victoria, which I happened to visit for the first time this past weekend with friends. It was a very relaxing, very enjoyable experience. But, I do not think that the inscription was referring to either the movie or to a body of water, geothermal or not.

Perhaps the inscription is referring to the unique path that my life is to take. My life is like a body of water, which is defined over time by the choices I make. And I am responsible for these choices. I am not cut off from the crowd as I make these choices but in making my own choices I stand apart from them. 

And so, the blue lagoon that I am to find looks different to yours. The process of discovery, however, may look quite similar. For me, this process has at times been long, difficult and frustrating. I am now learning to embrace the process. For I have found that the process is the training ground for my destiny, the life path that I am to walk. And there are things that I can do that make the process easier and more enjoyable. Here are some thoughts:

  • Follow your heart, pursue your passions.
  • Set short-term and long-term goals. Break these goals down into steps. Take one step at a time. Keep moving forward.
  • Write it down! How can you remember without a record? Journal regularly.
  • Connect with like-minded people who will inspire you, educate you and encourage you.
  • Let go of fear. Don't make choices out of fear. Always prepare, plan and hope for the best.
  • Do some dreaming. Trust that you were created for such a time as this.

Just some thoughts from my heart, some things that have helped me to stand apart and to find my voice. The above list is not exhaustive by any means so if you would like to please feel free to share via the comments section any tips for how to find your blue lagoon. I'll finish this post by sharing with you another piece of the puzzle that is my blue lagoon. I've recently begun an online course with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to become a certified Health Coach by this time next year. My health and wellness journey has led me to write and to study as my passion in this area grows! I'm so excited and honoured to be able to do this and can't wait to share with you all the new things I'm learning. I've taken the step in faith and believe that it is another step down the road that is my unique life path - my blue lagoon.


Monday 15 July 2013

raw vegan desserts: berry cashew cheesecake

This weekend just gone I stayed with my Grandma at her home in country Victoria. My intention, other than spending time with my Grandma and my extended family, was to learn how to knit. And learn to knit I did! At the suggestion of my Aunty I'm going to practice my newfound knitting skills by knitting squares that I can eventually put together to make a blanket. I'm very excited about this new hobby and will definitely share the end product with you! Some of you may one day receive something from me that has been knitted with love (please keep in mind this is likely to happen sometime in the next decade!).


Photo courtesy of Jill Peters

The weekend finished with a lunch at my Grandma's with my extended family. One of my favourite things to do is create and share raw vegan desserts with my family and friends. So for this occasion I decided to invent a raw vegan, dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free berry cashew cheesecake that pretty much anyone could eat and enjoy. And make in the kitchen. I've kept the ingredient list short and the process simple. All you need is a food processor or high-powered blender and a freezer. And family or friends to be your guinea pigs, I mean, taste testers! (Just like my family so graciously are!)


berry cashew cheesecake


Base:
1 cup raw or activated almonds*
1/2 cup dried shredded coconut
1/2 cup medjool dates, pitted

Filling:
2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water 2-4 hours
1 cup fresh or frozen mixed berries
1/2 cup coconut butter/oil, melted
1/4 cup coconut nectar, pure maple syrup, raw honey (optional)

Topping:
Orange zest and dried shredded coconut
Orange slices and pure maple syrup
Frozen berries or sliced frozen banana


To make the base, combine the almonds, shredded coconut and medjool dates in a food processor and pulse until well combined but with chunky pieces. If using a high-powered blended, process in small batches, starting with the almonds and coconut and then adding the dates, until the mixture starts to form a ball. Then, press the mixture into the bottom of a springform pan or a silicon muffin mould that is greased with coconut butter/oil. 

To make the filling, melt the coconut butter/oil in a bowl placed in your dehydrator, in boiling water or in your oven on a low setting with the door ajar. In a food processor or high-powered blender combine the melted coconut butter/oil, raw cashews and, if desired, the optional natural sweetener of your choice, and then add the fresh or frozen mixed berries to the mixture. Blend until smooth and creamy, stopping when you need to scrape down the sides of the processor or blender. Again, you may have to process the mixture in small batches if you are using a high-powered blender. Pour the filling on top of the base, smoothing the top of the cheesecake filling with a spatula. 


Decorate your cheesecake or mini cheesecakes with any combination of the listed toppings and place in the freezer for at least 2 hours before serving. The dessert will keep in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Serve the dessert once slightly softened on removal from the freezer with a drizzle of a natural sweetener if you have not added any to the filling and your choice of fresh or frozen fruits. Be creative with your toppings and enjoy your cheese-less cheesecake - guilt free!


*Read this post for instructions on how to activate nuts and seeds. 

Tuesday 9 July 2013

juices, smoothies & spring water


Last week my mum and I went on a road trip and visited the natural spring at Mt Donna Buang, which is near Warburton in Victoria, Australia, so that we could collect spring water. It was so refreshing to breathe in such a beautiful, almost untouched place where the water continuously flows up from the ground! The spring water we collected was cold, clear, and best of all, uncontaminatedPure, clean water! Take a moment with me to think about how sick dirty water can make you; imagine how well clean water could make you. The water that comes out of our own ecosystem is the water that is the healthiest for our body. After less than one day of drinking this water my energy levels improved and my stamina increased. After less than a week of drinking this water the pain and swelling associated with the arthritis in the little finger on my mum's right hand has eased and is better than it has been in a long time. There's something in the spring water!!! Or maybe, there's something that's not in the spring water...




The human body made up of 60-70% water. The water we drink is even more important than the food we eat. If you don't have access to a natural spring at least look into drinking filtered water. The water coming from your tap is not clean and is not chemical-free. If you want to eliminate toxins and heavy metals from your diet, you need to change the water you are drinking. Spring water is the best choice!


Now for a topic change. Out in the health and wellness world there exists an ongoing debate about whether juices or smoothies are the better choice for, well, health and wellness. I personally think that both should play a role in our diets. To simplify this ongoing debate think about it like this: juices are medicine, smoothies are meals.

I've found that taking this approach makes the juice or smoothie decision easier. If I want to increase my nutrients I choose a juice, which is absorbed within 15 minutes, and if I am hungry and want my body to be satiated I choose a smoothie. My breakfast is half a litre of a green smoothie every day, which is not only easy on my digestive system due to the fruit and greens being blended, but a smoothie keeps me full throughout the morning and gives me energy throughout the day.


carrapple juice


This juice is a twist on an old favourite of mine that I grew up drinking - apple juice! But, this is the real thing. No preservatives, no concentrates, no refined sugar. You are drinking a concoction of beta-carotene from the carrots, a precursor for vitamin A, which is vital for healthy hair growth, quercetin from the apples, an antioxidant compound that prevents cellular damage, and vitamin C from the lemon, which aids your digestion and acts as a cleansing agent, detoxifying your body. 

2 medium carrots
2 small apples*
Half a lemon, peeled

Pass the ingredients through a juicer or blend the ingredients in a high-powered blender and strain through a nut milk bag, cheesecloth or an old stocking. Enjoy!

*If you have candidiasis I suggest using green apples instead of red apples as the natural sugar content is lower. You can also substitute an apple for a handful of greens to increase the nutritional value of this juice. 

Thursday 4 July 2013

spring clean your body with colonics & coffee enemas

My dear readers! Thank you for being so good and waiting patiently for this blog post that I know you are all hanging out to read. Like I promised in my last blog post we will be delving into the ins and outs of colonics and coffee enemas. You've had to wait a little while longer for this topic because last week I finished up my Internship and went on an awesome retreat with Planetshakers College... to... the... snow!!! 


Now, these are the dodgiest photos ever taken on my trusty - ok, slowly breaking apart - iPhone, but, they are evidence that I was at the snow, snow skiing for the second time in my life, ever! And, I only fell over once, as I was getting off the chair lift at the summit of Mt Buller for the umpteenth time! 


Proof that I was actually at the snow!


I certainly do love God's beautiful creation!


Ok, so the topic you've all been waiting for - colonics and coffee enemas. Like I wrote in my last post, our bodies remove waste through our bowels. And we can assist this process with the aid of colonics and coffee enemas. Our bodies are designed to eliminate waste and toxins in this way. During my food journey I have discovered two keys that help the healing process along. One, improve my digestion. I do this through making active choices about what I put into my mouth. Two, improve my elimination. And elimination is about what comes out the other end. You get what I'm saying.

Unfortunately, no matter how "clean" we may eat most of us have impacted waste in our digestive tract that has accumulated over time. This waste can release toxins into your body that can contribute to illness and a general malaise (the feeling of being unwell). I have found that an important part of the healing process has been to detoxify my body. I do this through eating an organic, high raw plant-based diet, drinking lots of filtered water, exercising regularly, water and juice fasting, dry skin brushing, and, through coffee enemas!

Coffee enemas may seem like a new fad but they have a long history that goes back to World War I. The remedy was used to provide relief to injured soldiers as drugs such as morphine were not readily available. Dr Max Gerson then incorporated this remedy into his natural treatment of cancer, which is known as Gerson Therapy. The purpose of the coffee enema is not necessarily to remove all the waste from the colon but to detoxify the liver and therefore to remove toxins from the body. The caffeine in the coffee travels through the haemorrhoidal and portal veins and into the liver, which is stimulated by the caffeine to dump nasty toxins into your bowel, which then ends up in your toilet. A coffee enema fast tracks the job that your liver is designed to do, which is to detoxify your body.

To read more about how to administer a coffee enema check out these blog posts here and here by The Wellness Warrior.

Now, a colonic cleans out your colon and removes impacted waste. Just so you know, I've never had a colonic before. But, it's on my to-do list for this year! During a colonic, which must be administered by a professional, water is gently infused into the colon through the rectum. As the clean water flows in, the waste flows out of the body. The old, impacted waste that has accumulated on the walls of your colon is released through the gentle pressure of the water. In some clinics, a colonic therapist will be with you to massage your abdomen in order to encourage the removal of this waste. If that freaks you out, you can also have a colonic without the massage! There are two clinics in Melbourne that offer both of these options: Australian Colon Health and Colon Care Clinic. Click on these links for further information.

I hope that by reading this blog post, you have received some insight into how important it is to assist the body's elimination process through our lifestyle choices, and through colonics and coffee enemas. As cringeworthy as this topic may be to you, the benefits of cleansing and detoxifying through the bowel far outweigh any embarrassment associated with it! You will feel lighter, cleaner and more energetic after a colonic or coffee enema, I promise. And your body will thank you for it. Say goodbye to the old waste and say hello to the new you!