Live Life Veg

That’s right, if you’re eating the typical standard American diet (SAD), you could be consuming over 12 teaspoons of high fructose corn syrup/mercury a day. 17 out of 55 products rich in HFCS tested showed detectable levels of mercury- one-third of grocery store items. The highest level of contamination found in the study was 0.57 micrograms of mercury per gram of HFCS. The EPA says that an average-sized woman should consume no more than 5.5 micrograms of mercury, meaning that average American consumer may be eating five times the upper safety limit every day due to HFCS consumption if they consume the foods tested in the study. 

The scary thing is, these days, HFCS is in everything. Soda, bread, ketchup, candy bars, salad dressing, fruit drinks, yogurt, granola bars, soups, and thousands of other grocery store items contain it. If it’s processed, it most likely contains the sweetener; and we live in a very processed world today- a world of convenience and pre-packaged foods loaded with artifical colors, flavors, and chemicals.  

Where does the mercury come from?

Many assume high fructose corn syrup is natural. “But it comes from corn!” Far from it. One of the processes involved in the making of HFCS is a bizarre chemical brew involving the creation of caustic soda by exposing raw materials to pools of electrified mercury in a large vat. Through this process, the caustic soda gets contaminated with mercury, and when corn kernels are exposed to this caustic soda to break them down, that contamination is passed through to the HFCS.

Other than the fact that HFCS is literally poison, it also contributes to obesity and diabetes- 2 other reasons to stay away. So eat organic, and avoid processed foods- anything in a box, can, or container. Whole foods, fresh fruits and vegetables are the healthiest and safest foods to consume.

The results of an online poll conducted by The Vegetarian Resource Group indicate that three percent of U.S. adults never eat meat, poultry and fish/seafood. About one-third to one-fourth of those vegetarians (one percent of the U.S. adult population) also never eat dairy, eggs and honey, and are classified as vegan. Additionally, eight percent of the respondents say they never eat red meat.

Those numbers are up from a similar poll conducted in 2006, which identified 2.3 percent of Americans as vegetarian, and 6.7 percent who never eat red meat.

The poll also indicated that five percent of females ages 18 – 34 classify themselves as vegetarian, and 12 percent of females 18 – 34 say they do not eat red meat. The poll also identified nine percent of U.S. males ages 18 – 34 as vegetarians, and 15 percent of respondents identifying themselves as students.

Although this number seems low, three percent of the U.S. population being vegetarian translates into an estimated six to eight million adult vegetarians, which is a very high number. Great news for animals and the environment. People are waking up and becoming more health conscious. Make your new year’s resolution this year to get more healthy, and come join the bandwagon! What do you have to lose?

Who doesn’t like warm, gooey cinnamon rolls straight from the oven, covered with sweet, delicious frosting? Well now you can have your cake and eat it too, as the quote says. These rolls, however, are raw and alive, pure and nutritious- and yes you can still have them warm if you choose to use a food dehydrator!  Perfect for Christmas morning.

Note: I will be posting more raw food recipes as the benefits of raw food are endless, and we could all eat more raw foods for better health- I myself am doing a 100% raw food trial for 30 days, and feel better already.

Here is the recipe, via Wasabimom.com.

• 1 1/4 cups almond meal
• 1 1/4 cups ground flaxseed
• 1 dash cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 1 cup soft pitted dates
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1/8 cup agave nectar
• 1/4 cup raisins, plus a little extra
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts

Combine the almond meal, ground flaxseed, dash of cayenne pepper, 1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon and pinch sea salt in a bowl and set aside.

In a food processor or blender, process dates, water and vanilla into a paste. Remove half of the date paste and add it to the dry ingredients, along with the olive oil and agave. Mix these ingredients with your hands until it forms a dough. You may need to add a little water and/or agave if it is too dry, but be careful not to add too much.

Spread the dough out on a piece of parchment paper, and flatten/shape it into a 1/4-inch thick square.

Add 1/4 cup raisins and 1 Tbsp. of cinnamon to the rest of the date paste left in your food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Then, spread a thin layer of the paste onto the dough square, making sure to cover the whole surface, and top with a sprinkle of extra raisins and the chopped walnuts.

Using the parchment paper to help hold everything together, carefully/tightly roll the square into a log. Chill in the refrigerator, and then slice into about 1-inch thick rounds. Makes about 8 cinnamon rolls.

The cinnamon rolls can be eaten right out of the refrigerator or warmed on a dehydrator.  (108 degrees F for 12 hours.) Keep them in the freezer until you’re ready to dehydrate them. After they’ve been dried, you can keep them in an airtight container in a dark place for a few days.

Cashew Cream Frosting
1 cup raw cashews or pine nuts soaked 4 or more hours
1/8 cup water
6 Tbs honey or dates (substitute agave nectar for honey)
juice of 1 small tangerine and the entire peel
1 tsp vanilla

Blend until smooth and creamy. Add a little extra water if you want it thinner. Drizzle on top of dehydrated cinnamon rolls.

The holidays are here and the days are ticking away to Christmas. As you shop and frantically search for the perfect gift, keep the environment in mind this year with eco-friendly gifts. Or maybe you just have a environmentally conscious family member or relative you need to shop for. Whatever the case may be, you can keep your impact, as well as costs, low with these gift ideas.

Eco-Herb Planter

Candles always make a great gift. Dani candles are a combination of 100% soy wax with proprietary essential oils that are pure and nontoxic. Soy wax also lasts longer than conventional wax. (danibath.com, $16)

Bamboo Serving Set

A great holiday recipe, this will be a hit with raw foodists and non raw foodists alike on Thanksgiving!

Raw Pumpkin Pie Crust

• 2 cups pecans or walnuts (raw)
• 1/2 cup soaked dates
• Dash of sea salt

Blend the crust ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor, then evenly distribute in the bottom of a pie plate.

Raw Pumpkin Pie Filling

• 2 cups shredded pumpkin, butternut squash, or sweet potato flesh
• 1 cup soaked dates
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp freshly diced ginger
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• Dash of vanilla
• 1/4 cup almond milk or water to help blend

If you donʼt feel like shredding the pumpkin by hand, simply cube and place in a high speed blender or food processor until itʼs nicely chopped.

Then add the rest of the ingredients and blend until nice and smooth. You might need to add more liquid to get it to blend well.

Pour into crust, then chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving. You can top it with some raw chopped nuts or a bit of cinnamon if you’d like.

You will find this dessert comparable if not better than traditional pies. And it’s totally raw and healthy too!