Benefits of Wheatgrass

We purchased a wheatgrass juicer yesterday. Bryan and I have been thinking about purchasing one for over 2 years now. Our current juicer will juice everything except wheatgrass and other greens.

I am not a huge fan of the taste. To me, it tastes like fresh cut grass with sugar added to it. Honestly though, it's not as bad as it sounds. Bryan loves its, but for me, it will be an acquired taste. I drink wheatgrass as the benefits are AMAZING!

Below are just some of the benefits:

- 1 fl. oz. = 2.5 lbs of veggies!

-mineral rich and contains 92 minerals needed by the body

-it is a complete protein containing 20+amino acids, it has higher protein densities than any other food

- juice is 70% chlorophyll = it will oxygenate your body

Wheatgrass is believe to fight cancer, help with digestion, skin, heart disease, detoxification . . .the list goes on, and on. It took Bryan quite a while to convince me how good this stuff was for the body, as I just thought it was the next fad, and was too good to be true. Now, I wish I started drinking it sooner.

Liquid Detox Cleanse

Bryan and I started our liquid detox cleanse diet on Monday. We like to cleanse at least twice a year. Everything we eat is in liquid form, therefore the body can digest it very easily and shed the toxins. Typically, the body can't shed toxins as it is working too hard to digest solid food, especially food that is bad for you (think processed foods).

We've done a liquid detox a few times, and have had great results. We feel better, and it really kicks up our metabolism. Some say the toxins in our bodies can prevent effective weight loss. We believe that to be true, as we have seen results. Everyday toxins come from the environment, processed foods and all the chemicals and unnatural things found in today's food. I would imagine if you eat 100% organic, no fast food, no process food, or any of that other crap, you probably wouldn't need to detox. But, Bryan and I try to eat healthy 80% of the time and in the last few weeks we have been eating VERY bad!

We learned all about the detox cleanse from the book; The pH Miracle. Another great book I recommend, if you are interested in how, and why one should detox.

I won't lie, the detox is tough. We plan to be on it for 4-1/2 days. So far, I have only made it to 3 days in the past, and Bryan has completed 5.

The diet is very healthy and consists of veggies and greens, just in liquid form. You don't starve as you are still having your calories . . .just in liquid form. However there is something to be said about eating solid food - it is just more satisfying. The pictures shown are of our breakfast this morning.

Oh, and I bought a wheatgrass juicer today. I am not a fan of the taste of wheatgrass, but it is SOOOOO good for you. I hope I learn to acquire the taste. I used to hate most veggies, and I have acquired a taste for those, so I am hoping the same thing will happen with wheatgrass. And yes, wheatgrass does taste just like you would imagine . . .grass!

Raw Foods

We bought a food dehydrator over a year ago, as we were interested in exploring the benefits of raw foods. What is raw foods? Foods that are uncooked and retain all their healthy goodness. Once your food is heated beyond a certain amount, degrees it loses it's enzymes and vitamins among many other things. Some raw advocates won't heat their food beyond 104 degrees, other will allow a slightly higher amount. A food dehydrator you can keep your food under this temperature.

Look for some foods coming up on the blog using this dehydrator . . .

Sun-Dried Burgers

Looking for a healthy alternative to a fattening greasy burgers? Try a sun-dried burger. This burger is made mainly from sunflower seeds and flax seeds. The bread is made from mainly flax seeds, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds. Both are dehydrated for a few hours. We have a 4 tray Excalibur dehydrator which is a perfect size for our needs. I found this recipe in "Ani's Raw Food Kitchen", by Ani Phyo. Add lettuce, tomato and condiments and you have a yummy burger, without all the guilt. Ani's recipe for sun-dried tomato catsup is very tasty - using sun dried tomatoes. I love veggie burgers, but what I like about this burger is it's completely raw and requires no cooking.

why cow's milk is no longer a staple in our house

My husband and I swore off cow's milk about 2 years ago. I can probably count on one hand the amount of times I have purchased cow's milk in these past two years. I only purchase it when making recipes for others. 
 

Swearing off cow's milk was difficult for at first, as I love milk, and drank it every night with dinner while growing up. Funny, how we are lead to believe by the media that milk is wholesome, and we think we need it to obtain our calcium. 

After reading a few books about cow's milk, I was convinced, and agreed milk did more harm than good. First of all, ask yourself these questions; Why are we the only species drinking another species milk? Why are we drinking milk as adults? Milk is for babies -  to help them grow and develop. There is no need for adults drink milk.

Some people are lactose intolerant, meaning they can't digest milk. This is our body telling us we shouldn't be drinking milk in the first place. So, our society has developed pills we can take, allowing our bodies to tolerate milk. 

Most milk contains antibiotics and growth hormones. Antibiotics are given to cow's as they are living in poor conditions and many are sick. This is why some people who drink a lot of milk are immune to antibiotics. The growth hormones are so the cows can produce more milk than nature will allow. This is why children are developing at a faster rate today than years ago (along with the hormones in meat).

I don't miss cow's milk at all, as there is plenty of substitutes. We now drink mainly rice and almond milk . . .yum! Occasionally we will buy soy milk- very yummy. I try to limit soy, as there is the whole debate as it's linked to breast cancer, it's processed, and 90% of the soybeans in the US are GMO 's (genetically modified organisms).

Cow's milk is also linked to prostrate cancer. As I stated above, I grew up on milk, and my Dad loved it as much as I did.  The two of us went through gallons a week.  My Dad was diagnosed with Prostate cancer years ago (he is doing excellent now). I am convinced it was due to milk, as he had always been healthy, and cancer doesn't run in his family.

Just think twice every time you drink cow's milk. If you do drink it, drink it in moderation, and just make sure it's organic, and doesn't contain growth hormones, or antibiotics. It will cost more, but it will be worth saving your health.

time to get back on the wagon

Ok, I have to admit I have been very bad. I have stopped blogging. I haven't lost interest, but life is crazy busy. It's hard to find time for everything. 

During the past year, for the most part my husband and I have been pretty good about eating healthy. Our problem is sometimes it was mixed with eating unhealthy things, more than I would like to admit.

We were on a roll to healthy eating and exercising this past Fall as we had a major tropical vacation planned in the South Pacific. My husband even completed P90x. I completed most of it, but I supplemented it with trips to the gym- running. It was just easier.

Naturally, when we returned from our fabulous vacation, we no longer looked fabulous, and we fell off the wagon. Then the holidays came around. In January, we started in get back on track after the New Year. 

This past year I have still been trying new recipes. We have also acquired a few new cookbooks. My passion to eating healthy and being healthy is back on so . . . come join me.