Putting your Personal Touch on Raw Vegan Recipies

Whether you have been playing with raw food recipes for awhile now, or are just getting started, it can be very empowering to put your personal touch on a recipe.  As you gain more experience with this way of preparing food, you will notice that you need recipes less and less and creating your own delicious meals will happen naturally.  The fresh, live food begins to inspire you and and and your creative side seems to soar.    

We live in a society where manyof us rely on others to make our food and it may seem intimidating at first to know how to make things for yourself. Like anything new, it takes a bit of trial and error to come up with raw vegan meals that keep you interested.  In general, I have found that I eat pretty simple these days, but I do enjoy creating more gourmet raw vegan meals on the weekends or when I have people over for dinner. 

When I first got into making raw vegan food dishes, I was not quite sure what to do and I felt really discouraged.  That was when the recipe books and on-line recipes really helped me out.  I’ll never forget the sense of awe I had when I made chocolate pudding with an avocado, and a cheese cake with macadamia nuts!   As I  added and/or deleted ingredients from the recipes, I began to develop my own style of raw food prepping.  I really encourage you to do the same.  Give it some time and realize that some dishes don’t taste as good as you hoped.  It’s all apart of the learning curve.

Recipes are also a great way to start learning about some of the ingredients you may not have known about prior to doing raw food preparation.  Things like agave, himalayan salt, nama shoyu, chia seeds, may be new to you.  Raw recipe books can also give you ideas on how to make alternative breads, crackers, desserts, main dishes, snacks, etc.  At first,  I tended to follow the recipes very precisely as I was not as confident as I am now.  Years later, I find myself looking at recipes from time-to-time for new ideas but I mostly experiment and play with my own ideas.  My kitchen is so much!  Sometimes you may not have all of the ingredients on hand and find that your substitutes work even better.  Or you may not like an ingredient listed and omit it or just add your own flair.  Most raw recipes are hard to “mess” up.    They are forgiving and really lend themselves to your personal touch.  As you gain confidence and trust your judgement more, you will know what I am talking about. 

I love all of the amazing free raw recipes available on line for us to get ideas from.  The raw community seems to be very generous in this way as most of us just want to help others find ways to prepare and enjoy raw foods.  When we first started rawpeople.com, we knew we had to offer recipes as that is a big part of the raw food lifestyle.  It was a challenge for me to post the recipes at first because at that point, I had stopped measuring and just intuitively put foods together.  I have now disciplined myself to measure and be a bit more precise so I can get my food ideas out to you all.  I think that most raw food chefs will share a similar experience.  So you see, the recipes are really there for ideas and making them your own is what they are designed for.  At least that is my perspective.

Below is a recipe I adapted over the weekend.  It is wonderful and I had fun putting my own “Katy Joy” touch to it.  Have fun with your food prepping and don’t give up!

Cheddar Cheesy Broccoli

 The recipe was inspired by a recipe I saw posted on www.goneraw.com.  Kellysfacesmells.blogspot.com posted a recipe similar to this that was originally created by Julie Morris (www.juliemorris.net).  Just goes to show you how we can all adapt recipes to suit our own tastes!  Here is my version of Cheesy Broccoli.  It is rich and creamy and delicious!  Enjoy

 Ingredients: 

The broccoli – I really like broccolini for this recipe

Note:  Broccolini, known in Europe as asparation and in the United States as baby broccoli, is a trademark of the Mann Produce Company, which developed the hybrid between broccoli and Gai Lan, also known as Chinese chard. The unique vegetable resembles broccoli or asparagusin physical appearance, with long stalks topped by delicate buds. Broccolini took off in gourmet cuisine in the 1990s and became widespread in supermarkets shortly thereafter. (Definition taken from www.wisegeek.com)
For the Broccoli

• 1 head of broccolini, washed and chopped – can use traditional broccoli as well
• olive oil – enough to coat the broccoli
• lemon juice – enough for marinade (squeeze of 1-2  lemons is good, depends on your preference)
• salt – just a few sprinkles for the marinade – you can always add more later

Cheesy Sauce

• 1/3c tahini
• 1 tsp nama shoyu
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• Juice of 2 small lemons or 1 larger
• 2-3 tbsp nutritional yeast (the more you add, the “cheesier” it tastes)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp water
• Dash of cayenne pepper
• 1-2 tsp light raw agave

Directions: 

The broccoli
Rub the broccoli florets with a bit of olive oil, lemon juice and salt like marinade. This will help to soften the broccoli a bit. Cover and set aside to sit in the marinade for at least 1 hour.  I put in fridge, but can be left in cool place on a counter top.  

Cheesy Sauce
Blend everything together or whisk it together in a bowl. Pour over your marinated broccoli, mix well and enjoy!

Note:  If you have a dehydrator, you can put this in a glass bowl and place on the bottom of your dehydrator on 105 degrees for about an hour or so.  Stir, then enjoy right away.  This really makes it taste like a cooked dish but all the enzymes are still preserved!

Blessings to you all,

Katy Joy

Deep Cleansing at Optimum Health Institute (OHI)

Last week I had time off  to go on a trip to Panama with my husband.  His work schedule dictated another plan.  We postponed the trip and I found myself reserving a room at Optimum Health Institute (OHI instead.)  Not quite the vacation I had in mind, but the results were well worth it.

  I have wanted to do a deep detox and try out their program for a long time.  The place is only 30 minutes from my house and many travel from all over the world to reap the benefits of OHI.  Going to “detox” is not usually the first thing on my list when I have time off.  OHI has been around for over 32 years and only advertise by word of mouth.  Friends who have gone told me about it.  I had heard bits and pieces about the program but nothing in great detail.   After my time at OHI, I know think I know why.  This is the kind of experience that is not easy to define to others.  There is so much that one goes through physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.   It is a very personal journey and it is one each person needs to figure out for themselves.  In light of that, I am not going to give a detailed account of my journey as I had planned to do before I left.  Instead, I will share  a general overview of what happened while I was there.

Many people go to OHI in search of healing from terminal illness or other health conditions they want to handle naturally.   Others seems to go once or twice a year to “tune up” their body and get their “oil changed” so to speak.  There are many who probably go in hopes of just losing weight but there is so much more to lose at this healing oasis.  Things like:  negative thoughts, bad habits, confusion, illness, stress, etc. 

The program was founded by the Essenes who believe the body has the ability to heal and restore itself if properly taken care of.  OHI is a raw food detox program that follows in the footsteps of Ann Wigmore.  The full program is three weeks with the option to stay longer if needed.  You can do a minimum of one week, which is what I did.  I really wanted to do a deep cleanse on all levels (mind,body,spirit) and this program included it all.  I also wanted to learn more about the grass roots of raw food and how it was used to heal the body.  Because I came into raw foods a well person, I tended to eat a bit more gourmet than those who were introduced to raw foods via the detox plan.

Many asked me why I was there.  “You already eat so healthy and take good care of yourself” they would say.  I really felt I was in need of a deep cleaning.  My attitude about work was not good and I felt kind of worn out.  I have tried to fast on my own but it is hard for me to do it at home with distractions and access to my refrigerator!  In years past, fasting has triggered unpleasant feelings for me such as  deprivation and starvation.  My bout with anorexia and bulimia left a mark on me and fasting stirred up old feelings of mistreating myself.  Now, after years of healing, I was ready to take this time of fasting on with the knowledge I was doing it out of love for myself not hatred.

After the first couple of days I was ready to come home!  I found the food hard to palate and then the juice fast started and it was not easy for me.  I did not like the juice or the wheatgrass.  The rejuvelac was probably what saved me and I liked it and it felt healing when fasting.  I brought lots of books to read and planned on doing some writing.  The desire to do anything slipped away after the second day.  I was really drained and not motivated to do much of anything.  Having others to go through the experience with was key.  At first I really wanted to keep to myself but I quickly realized I needed these people to make it through the week.  I had such a love/hate experience with OHI.  One minute I wanted to leave and then something would happen to reinspire me to stick it out and I felt totally at peace.  I was resisting and not being in the moment the first couple of days.  I dreamed of leaving and what it would be like to be finished with the cleanse.  Once I got back in the moment and accepted the process and embraced it, my outlook and experience changed. 

The classes addressed mental detoxification, emotional detoxification, and of course physical detoxification.  Other classes included proper food combining, natural hygiene product, growing our own sprouts, and an introduction to equiptment used in raw food preparations.  We were given daily exercise classes specifically designed to help our lymphatic system.  We also had daily classes in gentle yoga and stretching.  We were encouraged to go deeper into our individual spiritual practices – all faiths are welcome at OHI.  They had daily relaxation times and so much more.  Colonics and/or enemas were also apart of the program for those medically cleared to do so.  Massage services are available on site.  The staff was wonderful.

The juice fast was for three days.  About a day after that was over, my energy began to return and I was feeling my wonderful energy return.  I realized that this energy I have on a regular basis is a direct result of taking good care of myself.  It reminded me that eating live foods, exercising, meditating, caring for my envirnment, sprouting my foods, thinking positively is worth all the time and effort.  I was so glad to be visiting OHI as a well person wanting a “tune up” versus a desperate person seeking a miracle.  I love preventative medicine and this was a good place for me to practice it.

OHI really drilled the Food and Liquid transit times into our heads.   It is very important to follow these guidelines to promote optimal digestion.  Below I will list the food and how long it stays in the stomach: (wait the appropriate time listed before consuming something else so it has time to leave the stomach)

1.  Water – 0-10 minutes

2.  Juice – 15-30 minutes

3.  Rejuvelac – 10-15 minutes

4.  Fruit – 30-60 minuntes

5.  Melons – 30 -60 minutes

6.  Sprouts – 1 hour

7.  Wheatgrass juice – 60-90 minutes

8.  Most Vegetables – 1-2 hours

9.  Grains and beans – 1-2 hours

10.  Dense vegetable protein 2-3 hours ( artichokes, pumpkin, carrots, beans, beats, jimaca, sweet potato, potatoes, banana squash, yams, hubbard squash, winter squash)

In order to get all of your liquids in, try to drink a couple of glasses of good water when you get up and then drink before meals (then wait 10 min.)  This is an easy way to remember the best way to optimize your intake of liquids to aid digestion.  You can also sip inbetween meals but be sure you have waited long enough!

I will leave you with some suggested ways OHI gave us  to stay well!

1.  Do things that bring you a sense of fulfillment, joy, and purpose.

2.  Strive to make your life positive.

3.  Release all negative emotions (resentment, fear,anger, sadness).

4.  Express your feelings.

5.  Forgive Yourself.

6.  Love yourself, and love others.  Make loving the purpose of primary expression in your life.

7.  Create fun, loving, honest relationships.

8.  Make a commitment to your health and set small goals to work towards.  Once you reach them, set more goals.

9.  Listen to your own body and develop your own healing program.

10.  Get support and advice from experts without being enslaved to them.

I return to work tomorrow with a renewed outlook.  I am grateful for all of the blessings in my life and for the opportunity to go deeper into my raw food journey.  OHI facilitated this last week and I encourage you all to find a community program to participate in for detox.  It is much easier with the support.  I learned so much.  I feel great and know I am shining brighter than ever.

In Peace and Love,

Katy Joy

Falling In Love Again: How to Reclaim Passion for Healthy Living

A few weeks ago I was taking a yoga class and the instructor announced “Today I want to help you fall in love with your practice again”  I was captivated by this.  By the end of class she had managed to have me head over heels with my yoga practice!  It got me thinking about writing on how to  renew your love for the rawfood lifestyle.

A visit from a lovely young Angel gave me all content I needed to share just how to do this!

My friend’s daughter lives in LA and has been going though some challenging times.  She came down to spend a weekend with Rick and I for a change of scenery.  Being an aspiring actress in LA and working as a waitress can take it’s toll on you.  This stunning young woman arrived at our home in desperate need of a detox from the hustle, bustle, and pressure of LA living.  She is surrounded by those obsessed with being thin, looking perfect, and selling their souls for the sake of “being discovered.”  She was introduced to the joys of eating a raw food diet a few years ago and  loved the energy, vibrancy, confidence, and overall sense of well-being this diet provides.  She also confided in me about the struggle she has had to maintain the lifestyle.

Before she came down to our home I asked her “what are your intentions for the weekend?”  She promptly replied “I need to feel inspired again!”  She was coming to the right home, as one of my favorite things is to personally mentor others in living out a healthy, happy, and empowered life.   Our new friend began to shed the LA stress and picked a renewed outlook on her life as she soaked in her time with us.    She gave me permission to share the key elements from her weekend  that helped her get back into a place of inspiration:

1. Setting  intentions :  She said it really helped it when I had her verbalize what she wanted to accomplish during her retreat from LA.    She bought a little note book at the beginning of the weekend and took notes the entire time she was here.  She left with notes on new recipes, tools for change, book suggestions, and personal thoughts about how to continue to improve her life.

2. Monitoring her words:  She said she noticed how carefully Rick and I chose our words and that we spoke with love, confidence, and a positive way of being with ourselves and others.  She said it made her realize that she has gotten lazy about her self talk and noticed she was often negative towards herself.  We had lots of conversations about self love and kindness and how it’s hard to feel good if we are not in self acceptance.

3. Being around others who eat raw:  She said it was so helpful to be in a home where raw food was being prepared and she could drink and eat foods that made her feel energized and good.  We talked a lot about our transition into this way of eating and how to make small changes she can maintain versus going into her typical “all or nothing” pattern.  We discussed how hard times and difficult emotions can often be triggers to eating unhealthy comfort foods.   We went over some ways to handle emotional eating (tapping, exercise, relaxation, self -help books, meditation, etc).  She realized that having the right kind of support around you is key and was even able to identify a woman in her area who was into raw foods and who would be  a good person to develop a stronger connection with.

4.  Finding Alternatives for foods she missed: Like me, our new friend really misses having yogurt.  I whipped up my version of raw vegan yogurt and she loved it!  We simply blended 2 cups of strawberries, 1 avocado, 1/4 cup almond milk, a dash of sea salt, a dash of vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of agave.  After it was all blended and creamy, I broke open a pro biotic capsule and mixed it in.  She loved it!  I also made a raw strawberry margarita for her (she loves strawberries…you can use any fruit you prefer)  This was alcohol free and simply delicious.  She said it was helpful to remember she can have raw alternatives and it inspired her to get creative again.

5.  Taking Time to be Quiet: There were several opportunities over the weekend to go within and listen to herself.  We took her to some local meditation gardens to sit, breathe, and meditate.  We also encouraged her to take some time for herself to read and just go into our yoga/meditation room to be quiet.  She said it inspired her to find a place in her apartment where she could set aside for meditation and reflection.

6.  Alcohol- Free Fun: LA living is full of parties and lots and lots of drinking and drug use.  She told us it was great to be with others who don’t drink or use substances to have a good time.  The raw food we ate and drank was enough to keep us energized and in a good mood.    She was talking about her desire to use her Reiki to heal others and how to find a way to get herself more centered so she could heal again.  We had many conversations about her desires and dreams.  It was a true gift to learn more about this precious angel!

7.  Spending time outdoors: We had lunch outside, sat in beautiful meditation gardens, walked around our charming town, and strolled the beach.  She said it was great to breathe fresh air and be in spacious places in a natural setting.  This is a simple and quick way to get refreshed!

8.  Seeing  a Happy Couple : Of course Rick and I loved hearing this!  Our friend recently went through a break up and was feeling a bit discouraged about finding a healthy partner.  We had lots of talks about becoming the person you want to attract and what constitutes a “healthy” relationship.  I was happy that she felt hopeful seeing my loving relationship with Rick.

9.  Noticing my energy level: She said she was amazed at the amount of energy I had and could not believe all the things I do in a day.  Eating raw food and engaging in a healthy lifestyle give me loads of energy.  I get this comment quite a bit and was reminded that I used to be much more lethargic in years past when eating the SAD and being less active.

The weekend was good for all of us.  It reminded Rick and I why we love this lifestyle and as we watched our friend come back to life before us, we felt grateful for another opportunity to share our home, heart, and love with another fellow raw foodist in need of a “tune up.”

Below are a list of the things I made to entice my new friend into the raw food world again:

• A variety of salads
• Onion bread
• Mock tuna with spicy mayo wrapped in Nori
• Peach and blueberry pie
• A variety of smoothies
• Raw alcohol free margaritas
• Comfort Cauliflour “mashed potatoes”
• Coconut curry soup
• Strawberry yogurt
• Banana bread
• Banana roll-ups
• Chocolate chuncky pudding

Are you needing to rekindle the passion in your raw food Life?  Remember that Love is a verb!  I suggest you make time to write out some of your intentions and begin to take action steps towards falling in Love with your Raw Food Lifestyle again.  If you need any support, please go to the home page of RawPeople.com and find some articles to read or a recipe to create.   I am here for you.  Let me know what would help you stay on track and I will address it in future blog postings.  I care about you.  I am very grateful for my new friend for reminding me why I live this way!!!!

Many Blessings,

Katy Joy

Summer Peach and Blueberry Pie

Hi Everyone!  Tomorrow marks the first day of Summer.  I thought you would enjoy a fun Seasonal pie to share with friends and family.  This time of year lends itself to backyard gathering and parties.  Bring along this sweet pie and watch it disappear!

Summer Peach and Bluberry Pie

 Pie Crust:

1 ¼ cup walnuts

1 cup dates- pitted

Dash of pumpkin spice

Dash of cinnamon

¼  tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground vanilla bean or extract

 Place all ingredients in food processor and blend for approx 1 minute – leave a little crumbly.

 Press pie crust into pie dish.  If you have a dehydrator, place in dehydrator until crust gets slightly hardened.

 Pie Filling:

4 peaches – sliced

1 cup blueberries

T tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

¼ cup raw honey or agave

¼ tsp sea Himalayan salt

Mix all ingredients in bowl.  Pour over pie crust.  Serve as is or place cut piece in dehydrator to warm.

This is a great time of year to try eating more live foods.  Make it fun and challenge yourself to try one new fruit or vegetable each week.

If you have gotten away from making smoothies and fresh juices, make it a point to add one green drink in per day.  I know you will feel better and your body will love you so much for it!

Have a wonderful first week of you Summer!!!

Katy

6 Principles of Happiness: How to Enhance your Raw Food Life!!!

If you have been keeping up with my blog lately, you will know that I attended the “I Can Do It!” Conference a couple of weeks ago.  The information presented was very inspiring to me and I want to keep passing along what I learned.

Robert Holden, a British Psychologist, was a keynote speaker.  He grabbed my attention right away with his statement: “Our Happiness is directly related to the thoughts we think and the food we eat!”  Finally, the importance of proper nutrition is being publicly addressed on stage by many well-known inspirational leaders.

Robert Holden, Ph.D,  is a very entertaining speaker and has a mesmerizing way of discussing the issue of happiness.  He has devoted himself to finding ways to help others find true fulfillment in their lives.  After attending his lecture, I was inspired to start my 21 days to transformation (see last weeks blog post).  It has been wonderful to slowly get back into some great habits that are creating increased joy in my life.  I am making a daily choice to be happy and make my day a “10″ not matter the circumstances!  I am grateful to Robert Holden for his devotion to this area and hope you enjoy reading over my notes on his 6 Principles to Happiness:

1.  Identity Principle:  There is a world of difference between searching for happiness and following your joy.  Happiness serves as our compass – it helps us find our real self ; which is an inner directed life that is guided and inspired.  When we are happy, we feel in sync with our life; we are participating versus waiting for things to get better.  Joy is our original energy.  Joy does not come and go, our attunement to it does.  To tune into Joy, we may ask ourselves:   “When am I most happy?”

2.  Daily Choosing Principle:  Some people chase happiness and some choose it.  We decide how good our day will be and we decide if we will be kind, happy, grateful, loving, etc.  What are you choosing to do with each day?

3.  Abandunce Principle:  Happiness is identifying the real you.  What do you really, really want?  Until you know what you want, you will want more of everything else.  Ask yourself:  “What do I want to be: What do I want to give?; What do I want to receive?”

4.  “Shift Happens” Principle:  Sometimes in order to be happy in the Present Moment, we have to be willing to give up all hope for a better past and forgive.  The power of forgiveness sets you free.  Forgiveness helps you remember who you are:  are you choosing to be happy or to be a victim?  Forgiveness is our present.  Until we forgive we keep going over our future in the past.  Forgiveness attracts abundance and is the key to Happiness Now!

5.  Relationship Principle:  To be happy, you have to make love more important than anything else.  When we are exploring happiness, we are really exploring love.

6.  Now Principle:  You will never become happy, you will only be happy.  NOW IS WHAT COUNTS!  We focus on the NOW to end the pursuit of happiness.  Robert states “The best predictor of future happiness is happiness NOW!”  Are you willing to Live NOW and procrastinate later?

You can use these brilliant principles to evaluate your raw food lifestyle and see what ways you can increase your happiness.  I am listing a few questions to ask yourself to give some ideas on how to do this:

1.  What inspires me the most to continue going deeper into the raw foods lifestyle?

2.  What can I choose to do each day to increase my happiness on my raw food journey?

3.  What am I wanting to get out of living a raw food lifestyle?

4.  Do I need to forgive myself or someone else so I fully embrace the present?

5.  Am I engaging in a loving relationship with myself and my lifestyle?

6.  What can I do today to become a happier raw foodist?

I sincerely hope this helps spur some ideas on how to embrace joy in your life.  You are very special and I send love to you all!!!

Raw food tip for the week:  If you are looking for a good food thickener for raw dishes, try chia seeds!  Add a tablespoon or two in a yogurt, pudding, cerial, etc.  and watch how they expand and naturally thicken your recipe.

In Happiness,

Katy Joy

ps.  Robert Holden’s newest book is called: Be Happy.  I highly recommend it!

21 Days of Raw Transformation: Getting back to the basics!

Hello my friends.  I have had a very fulfilling couple of weeks and want to share what I have been up to on my raw journey.  For Memorial Day weekend Rick and I went  to a quaint mountain community called Idyllwild.  We spent lots of time hiking, reading outside, and meditating.  It was wonderful to keep things real simple.  No computers, phones, movies or television at night.  Instead we made a nice fire to enjoy as we all  talked and played games with our friend’s and their children.

While I was out on the trails soaking in all of the beauty around me I felt a longing to let go of some habits I have picked up again that do not serve my higher good.  Things like eating when stressed at work; eating too late at night; having dessert after every meal; staying up too late; engaging in negative self-talk; going too fast to keep up with the pace of my week, etc.  I realized I was making excuses as to why it was “okay” to slip back into some of my bad habits.

Behavioral research experts say it takes about 21 days to create a habit.  Thus my reasoning for taking the first 21 days of June to to get back in touch with the things that create the happiest state for me.  Below is what I am doing to restore my sense of inner peace, joy, and overall sense of well-being.  If you have fallen into some self-sabotaging patterns, maybe my list will spark some ideas for you to get back on tract too!  Let’s support each other and get back to feeling our best.

Katy Joy’s 21 Days of Raw Transformation activity List:

1.  Upon rising, I slowly and gratefully go over things I am thankful for in my life then I spend the first moments of my day in meditation.

2.  I am setting clear intentions for my day and writing in my journal to solidify the intentions.  I am then writing or verbalizing affirmations to encourage my intentions.

3.  I am doing some cleansing with the Master Cleanse lemonade drink.  I have not been following the Master Cleanse (10 days of the lemonade only) 100 percent at this point, but I am drinking the lemonade for most of the day then having a green juice or very light things to eat (fruit and veggies).  I am hoping to end the last 10 days of the 21 days with the full Master Cleanse.    It works for me right now to slowly ease into this cleanse.    My digestive track is getting a break and I feel more in touch with my true needs.  It feels good to loosen the grip of the addictive relationship I tend to have with food.

4. Sweating on a regular basis.  This practice is great to detox the mind, body, and spirit.  I have been going to the gym to use the sauna or taking a hot yoga class a couple times of week to ensure a good sweat.

5.  I am reading more and keeping my evenings really simple.

6.  I am going to workshops and conferences that inspire and teach me new ways to take care of myself and others.  Rick and I attended the Energy Psychology Conference this weekend learned all sort of neat ways to clear our energy fields and things that block us from total fulfillment in our lives.  Of course, you will reap the benefits as I am still working on writing up my notes to share some great tips and tools with you.

7.  I am taking Zumba classes (I even got the DVD so I can do it at home) and loving the way I feel after dancing my cares away.  Movement has always been a great love of mine.  Getting back into dance with Zumba has been so fun and uplifting!

8.  I am not engaging in negative conversations at work and focusing on what is going well at my job.  I am seeing challenges as opportunites for growth.

9.  I am laughing more and not taking myself and others so seriously.

10.  I am going to bed 30-60 minutes earlier.  Getting more rest has really helped me feel better.

11.  Drinking at least 8 glasses of alkaline mineral water – being hydrated clears many issues including :  fatigue, dehydration, false feeling of hunger, and constipation.

12.  Using Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT ) and Donna Eden’s Energy Medicine techniques to get through stressful situations.  Go to emofree.com to get the recipe for EFT.

13.  I am listening to inspirational speakers in my car on the way to work.  Saturating myself with positive messages in the morning keeps me on track all day long!

Exercise is always a very consistent part of my life and if you are not in the habit of doing exercise, I highly encourage that you find some form of physical activity to do at least 4 times a week.

Have you slipped into some old habits that rob you of joy, energy, and happiness?   Have you been adding more cooked foods into your diet?  Getting back to mostly fresh foods will improve your mood and health.   What can you do for the next 21 days to get back on track?

I will leave you with a fun breakfast recipe I made for Rick this weekend to take to the conference we attended.  I brought along my Master Cleanse drinks to enjoy.

Blueberry Bliss Muesli

1 cup raw oats

1/2 shredded apple

1-2 cups almond milk

2 teaspoons chia seeds

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup currents

1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1 tablespoon agave or honey

1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions: Pour oats into a medium sized seal-able container.  Add almond milk to cover oats, mix in the rest of the ingredients.  Add more almond milk so the mixture is soaked well.  Cover and place in refrigerator overnight.  Serve at room temperature or heat in your dehydrator for 15 min. at 105 degrees.

Create a Wonderful week for yourself.

Katy JOy

Happiness Habits for the Mind

Happiness Habits for the Mind

Ideas from Happy for No Reason, By Marci Shimoff

Last weekend I attended the “I Can Do It” conference here in San Diego.  I wanted to take the next couple of weeks to share some of the great material I got in the workshops.  I was very impressed with Marci Shimoff’s work on happiness and thought it would be a great topic to start off with.  She is the co-author for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series books for women.  She is also one of the moderators in the movie The Secret.  I know you will enjoy her ideas on how create more happiness in your life.

Happiness Habit #1:  Question your thoughts

Don’t believe your thoughts!

Our thoughts are a major factor in creating our reality.

Suffering is caused by the unquestioned mind.

We have 60,000 thoughts per day; 95% are the same thoughts we had the day before and 80% are negative – we are just recycling negative thoughts over and over again.

On average, as children we hear the word “no” about 200,000 times by the age of 18 and her “yes” only a few thousand times.

Our brains are like teflon for the positive and Velcro for the negative.

How to question your thoughts:  Byron Katie, most famous for her book:  Loving What Is, encourages us to do what she calls “the work” by asking ourselves 4 important questions when we have a negative thought:

1. Is it true?
2. Can you be absolutely, 100% sure the thought it true?
3. How do you react when you have this thought?
4. Who would you be without the thought?

Thoughts lose their power to upset and control us when we question them.  We become freer and happier!

Happiness Habit #2:  Go Beyond the Mind and Let Go

Ever been stuck in a mental loop?

Often times it is the emotion we have with the negative thought; when we release the emotion, we can release the negative thoughts.

Letting go with the Sedona Method:  The Sedona Method^® is a unique, simple, powerful, easy-to-learn and duplicate technique that shows you how to uncover your natural ability to let go of any painful or unwanted feeling, belief or thought in the moment.  It is based on two main premises:

1. Thoughts and feelings are not facts and they are not you.
2. You can let them go.

It consists of a series of questions you ask yourself that lead your awareness to focus on what you’re feeling in the moment and gently guide you toward letting it go.

Step 1: Focus on an issue that you would like to feel better about, and then allow yourself to feel whatever you are feeling in this moment.  Welcome the feeling, whether it is mild or strong, and allow it to be as fully as you can.

Step 2: Ask Yourself:  Could I let this feeling go?

Step 3: Ask Yourself:  Am I willing to let this go?  Would I rather have this feeling or would I rather be free?

Step 4:  When will I let go?  Letting go is a decision you make any time you choose.

Step 5:  Repeat steps 1-4 as often as needed until you feel free of that identified feeling

*For more information on how to implement the Sedona Method check out:  The Sedona Method:  Your Key to Lasting Happiness, Success, Peace, and Emotional Well-being by Hale Dwoskin. (www.sedona.com)

Happiness Habit # 3:  Incline Your Mind Toward Joy

1.         Pay attention to positive thoughts and experiences.

Reverse the teflon/velcro balance by allowing the positive experiences to register.  Once you notice something positive, take a moment to consciously savor it!  Feel it, notice how it feels in your body, notice what thoughts arise.  Some psychologists say it takes 30 seconds to register a positive experience.  We have to let the experience sink in; let the good experiences seep like tea.  Gratitude journals help with this. Another way to take in the good is to give yourself Happiness Awards throughout your day.  In your mind give a mental award to the most colorful room you saw for the day; the best well-behaved dog award; the most courteous driver, etc.

When we change our thinking to support our happiness, the negative pathways shrink and the positive neural pathways widen.  This makes it easier and more automatic for us to think positively.  Marci Shimoff says “we are teaching an old brain new tricks”

2.         Lean into good thoughts

When you have a negative thought, find the positive in the situation and focus on that.  For example.  If you are discouraged that you set out to eat raw foods for the day and by noon you were eating a cooked meal remind yourself that you can have a nice salad at your next meal and that you are making lots of great choices and eating more fresh foods that 6 months ago.  Focus on the times you had live foods and congratulate yourself for making postive changes in your diet.

Shift your focus to the part of the situation that makes you feel better.

Incline your mind towards Joy!

Happy Mind Smoothie:

• 4 small mangos – sliced off of seed
• 2 big handfuls of garden greens of your choice
• 2 cups alkaline ionized water or spring water
• tablespoon of your favorite greens powder – I used Health Force

Blend and enjoy this thick green mango drink!

Have fun creating new happy mind habits, I am!

Katy Joy

You Can Do It: Tools for Inspiration!

It is so good to be here sharing an incredible experience from my weekend.  Rick and I went to the “I Can Do It” conference put on by Hay House.  Many of the speakers have been mentors to me through their books and CD’s over the years and to be in the presence of servants such as Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, Christiane Northrup, Bruce Lipton, Brian Weiss, Robert Holden, Gregg Braden, Byron Katie, Marci Shimoff, and many more was a true gift.  These are men and women who walk their talk and have devoted their lives to helping others live more fulfilling lives through their unique messages.  I was thrilled to hear many of them say that what we think and what we eat are the keys to happiness.  Over and over again these inspirational speakers were emphasizing the importance of being more conscious about the things we eat.  There has been a shift and these folks are finally getting that it is not enough to just talk about transforming our thoughts.  We have to fuel or bodies with proper foods (fresh, living foods) to get to the higher places within ourselves.

I have so much I want to share.   I am committed to taking the next few weeks to recap the highlights of the workshops I attended.  There is some great material on happiness that I am particularly interested in passing on to you.  My reality tonight is that it is getting late and I need to take some time to unwind and get ready for my work week.  I am big on balance and getting enough rest is a priority for me.  Keep checking in, as I will be sharing some very useful tips for personal contentment in the weeks to come.

Before I transition into my relaxation mode I thought I would share how I handled eating this weekend.  We had some out of town friends stay with at our home so they could come to the conference with us.  They eat lots of fresh foods as well and we supported one another is eating well while on the go.

Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday:  Green smoothies and live breakfast cookies. 

Smoothie recipe for Sat:  4 cups water, 2 cups strawberries, 3 bananas, 2 cups spinach, and 4 kale leaves.  (Made 4 16 oz smoothies)

Smoothie recipe for Sunday:  juice of 3 blood oranges, 2 cups water, 2 cups strawberries, 1 bag frozen organic mangos, 2 cups spinach, 1 cup parsley.  The breakfast cookies were a spin off from one of my recipes in our breakfast section.  (Made 4 16 oz smoothies)

I put the smoothies in glass bottles I had saved.

Snacks:  I made up snack bags for all of us each day which included: blueberries, bananas, tahini bliss balls (see recipes), goji berries, walnuts, two moms in the raw granola bars, water.

Lunches:  Saturday I made raw sandwiches using onion bread I made during the week.  I also made some dill mayo with cashews, apple cider vinegar, lemon, salt, dill and a dash of agave.  The sandwiches had cucumber, sprouts, avacado, and lettuce on them…so good!  We had celery slices on the side.  For lunch on Sunday I made a big kale salad (see my recipe in the salad section) and we had it with left over onion bread topped with spinach pesto.

I packed up everything in an ice chest and we went to the car on our breaks to eat.  Many people asked us where we got our food and wanted to join us!

I always pack up my own food to take wherever I go.  I really encourage you to do the same.  It is a sure set up to veer off the live food path to rely on conference vendors to provide the great nutrition your body deserves.

Create a great week!!!!

Katy Joy

Raw Fitness: A Mind,Body,Spirit Approach to Health

I fell in love with physical fitness when I was 15 years old.  Actually I became obsessed with it as it aided my first significant weight loss and boosted me out of a depression I developed in early childhood.  Over the years I have gained a more balanced approach to fitness and my workouts are much more than a physical activity.

Rick and I created RawPeople.com to be a support for those seeking a lifestyle of overall health.  I thought it would be fun to share some things I do on a regular basis to stay in shape physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Physical Health:  I exercise daily.  Cross training is my thing.  I run, walk, swim, do light weights, practice yoga and Qigong, take fitness classes, and always try new forms of movement to keep things interesting.  A few months ago I took a hula hoop class.  This past week I took my first Zumba dance aerobics class and fell in love with it.    Physical exercise prevents disease, lifts the mood, controls weight, and keeps you young at heart!  I block off time in my calendar each week for physical exercise and keep the appointment with myself just as I would a job interview or other important meeting.

Mental Fitness:  Keeping our thoughts positive and creating the habit of healthy thinking is a must for happiness.  Brain conditioning is vital to shifting out of negative patterns in our life.  I have read many books like:  The Feeling Good Book by David Burns; Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life and Excuses be Gone, by Wayne Dyer; The Power is Within In and You Can Heal Your Life, by Louise Hay; Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers; The Four Agreements and The Mastery of Love by Don Miguel Ruiz; The Miracle of Mindfulness, by Thich Nhat Hahn; The Power of Now, by Echart Tolle and many more.  I keep my nose in books that work with how to transform your thoughts.  I also use affirmations daily and verbalize or write out things I am grateful for on a regular basis.  WiseBrain.org is also a wonderful resource for good info on creating great mental health habits.  Currently I am watching some DVD’s by Dr. Daniels Amens on brain care.

Spiritual Fitness:  I engage in some sort of meditation regularly.  Currently I practice a mindfulness meditation and do a great deal of conscious breathing.  I also do guided meditations and visualizations.  Spiritual growth books adorn my office, bedroom, and meditation room.  I listen to CD’s in my car on Loving Kindness by Tara Brach, Pema Chodron, or Jack Kornfield.  Currently I am listening to a CD series by Wayne Dyer called : A Spiritual Solution to Every Problem.  I engage in a random act of kindness daily and remind myself that my life is about serving others.  I take time to appreciate nature and smile when I hear the birds singing and the bunnies running across the trails I run on.  I like to attend conferences and yoga retreats to get a more focused experience from time to time.  Soundstrue.com has some great free lectures on many spritual topics.

Getting in physical, mental, and spiritual shape is fun.  It just takes some effort to find creative ways to pay attention to all three areas simultaneously.  The raw food LIFESTYLE includes the fitness program I mentioned above.  Eating the fresh foods is only one part of this awesome life.

I encourage you to take some time to evaluate your fitness routine and see what area you can improve upon.

Take good care and have fun getting in and staying in shape!

Katy Joy

Raw Food Menu Ideas

A friend on Facebook was reaching out this week  for some help with what to eat during her busy week.  Just in case you did not see this question and my response, I thought I would post it for you.  I also included some things I did today to prepare meals for this coming week.

Question:

“Would you help me get started on raw )I am in Germany and what would help me the most right now is a week with breakfast, lunch and dinner in a really busy lifestyle . or can you recommend a coached program? I would be very grateful. Daniela”

Response:

“Dear Daniela,

Books with menu ideas and simple recipes: The Raw Food Detox Diet by Natalia Rose; Living on Live by Alissa Cohen

Thank you for reaching out for support.  I know how tough it can be to figure the raw food diet with a busy lifestyle.  I have a couple of websites to direct you to for some menu ideas as well as a couple of books.  See below.  I also recommend you take some time on your day off to browse the web or amazon and get some books for yourself if you can’t find them locally.  Books can be your best coach and the bottom line it will take some time on your part to figure out what to eat.  That being said, know it is worth every minute!!!  See if there is a raw food meet up group or restaurant in your area where you can get some local support as well.

Let me know how things go.

Websites for menu ideas:

1.  giveittomeraw.com
2.  rawfoodietmenu.com
3.  www.ajournalinraw.blogspot.com

RawPeople has come out with a new book:  Raw People:  The Complete Guide to the Raw Food Lifestyle. We had to do some more editing so it should be available very soon to send out and we have some great ideas for break, lunch, dinner, and desserts.  The recipes are simple and very good.”

I took a little over an hour out of my day today to prepare a few things for the week.  I thought I would list them below to give you some ideas on things that make great quick meals:

1.  Raw Taco “meat”  made with brazil nuts, sundried tomatoes, spices, and tahini (we fill red cabbage with this “meat” and top it with avacado slices.)

2.  Cauliflour Couscous -  from Rawvolution by Matt Amsden – this is a great salad to wrap up in chard leaves during the week for a quick meal.

3.  Onion bread – I actually made this last night and it is dehydrating as it takes a day and a half to make.  The recipe is from Rawvolution by Matt Amsden – I will make my Mock Tuna and Spicy Mayo and have a “tuna” sandwhich.

3.  Peachy Keen Chia Seed Pudding – I blended a 10 oz bag of organic frozen peaches, 2 bananas, 2 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt, 1/4 cup almond milk, 1 avacado until smooth then mixed in 2 tblsp of chia seeds.  The pudding thickens over time with the chia seeds and is a great breakfast or snack, or dessert.

4.  I cut lots of greens from my garden and washed them all up so they are ready to go for my juices and green smoothies for the week.

5.  I soaked some steel cut oats overnight then drained them to have on hand for easy breakfast meals.  I will make some raw blueberry creme oats (1 cup soaked oats, pinch of salt, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 to 1/2 almond milk quickly blended then add the blueberries and pulse for a couple of seconds in blender).  I will also make some raw pancakes.  I will play with the recipe this week but it will most likely be bananas, soaked oats, vanilla, cinnamon, salt,almond milk or water and some salt blended together then dehydrated in little rounds.

I do not always make this much food ahead of time but I had the motivation and time this weekend to do so.  I really just wanted to give some ideas to you.

Have a beautiful.

Hope this helps with your menu planning.  Have fun!!!

In Love and Peace,

Katy Joy