I got a phone call a couple of days ago asking if I would bring a pot of soup to our bi-weekly soup and bun lunch at Church.  I like to be available to do this, so I said "yes".  And then it hit me like a ton of vegetable marrows-- I am not eating COOKED food these days, or not if I can avoid it.

So, as an adult, I have a couple of choices: I can take something other than a soup (first calling the co-ordinator so that someone else could make a soup), or I could look for a "raw" soup.  There is bound to be such a thing on the Internet... the raw sites are as thick as mushrooms after a rain.

I went searching.  There were quite a few semi-raw soups-- calling themselves raw, no less... except they asked that you fry up onions, or boil the vegetables and let them cool.  Raw foodists are emphatic about enzymes being killed off when heated about 112 degrees, so there ya go...

I did actually find a couple.  One I will try later in the week (cucumber mint) and the one I chose sounds quite tasty-- kind of like pesto, with lots of fresh basil and ground pine nuts, but sloppier than pesto because of the added water.  

Generally I make up my food the night before, but I'm thinking this will taste much better if it is freshly made the day-of... so I will get up early tomorrow morning and get at it.  Actually, preparing raw food doesn't require any slaving over a hot stove, so that's one great thing...

Is this raw vegan life worth the effort?  Well, I feel very well and I have definitely dropped some fat pounds.  I appear to be over the initial cravings for cooked food (went to a garden party last Wednesday and even did a pass on the potato salad!).  We'll see how it goes as time unfolds...

-------------------------------------------------------------- Are you thinking about trying a raw vegan lifestyle but feeling a little unsure of what you might have to give up? This recipe e-book is a fun and super delicious collection of healthy, nourishing raw chocolate and carob recipes. Go here to purchase this delightful collection for only $10 USD.

Today our son outdid himself with his lunchtime salad... and part of the credit for the delectability goes to our local veggie sprout company called Eatmore Sprouts.

Now, I have eaten lots of their other sprout varieties-- but these are their newest addition: organic mung bean sprouts ... probably the first ones I sprouted in my home back in 1972.  These were the freshest, sweetest, crunchiest bean sprouts I have ever eaten in a salad.  I highly recommend them!

Sprouts are the most nutritious little plants you can eat.   Fresh and organic, they contain all the nutritional properties of the much-larger plant they would potentially grow into. 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------- Are you thinking about trying a raw vegan lifestyle but feeling a little unsure of what you might have to give up? This recipe e-book is a fun and super delicious collection of healthy, nourishing raw chocolate and carob recipes. Go here to purchase this delightful collection for only $10 USD.

Several years ago I took a Macrobiotic Cooking class. The woman who taught it was also inclined to give us other information about healthy living. I recall that she spent about an hour teaching us how to stimulate the lymphatic system by washing ourselves at least once a day from head to toe with very hot water wash cloths. She probably also told us about dry brushing, but it wasn't until I recently went for an iridology session that the subject came up again. The lymphatic system is made up of • Lymph (A clear watery fluid that surrounds all tissues of the body) • Lymph Nodes (Glands) • Lymphatic capillaries, vessels and tissues • Spleen • Tonsils • Adenoids • Thymus Gland Wow. Some of us had parts of our lymphatic system yanked at an early age...hmmm. Five types of white blood cells are created by the Lymph Nodes to deal with the toxins in our body. These cells-- Neutrophils, Eosinophils, Basophils, Microphages and Lymphocytes-- have important individual and systemic jobs to transport toxins out of the body and produce antibodies against the ills of the body. Watch the video below for a good demonstration of technique. Lymphatic Massage and Dry Brushing are two ways to assist the lymph system in its very important job. Before you shower, take a natural bristle, long-handled brush and beginning with the fingertips, do a long sweep of the brush (firm, but not harsh) towards your shoulder. Do all sides of the arm. Then go to the soles of your feet and brush upwards, towards your groin (where lymph nodes dwell). Brush from your upper body towards your heart, and from your back, both sides, around your torso towards your heart. Brush your abdomen towards your groin. Avoid the genitals. You can do the face with a separate, special brush or loofah. Shower! Feel invigorated and virtuous! -------------------------------------------------------------- Related Blog Post: Abdominal (self-)Massage vs. Enemas and Colonics -------------------------------------------------------------- Are you thinking about trying a raw vegan lifestyle but feeling a little unsure of what you might have to give up? This recipe e-book is a fun and super delicious collection of healthy, nourishing raw chocolate and carob recipes. Go here to purchase this delightful collection for only $10 USD.