Health in High Heels

Vol. 2, Issue 14: June 19, 2008

From the Desk of the Divas

Well, right about now, Tera is roaming the streets of New York City looking for t-shirts worthy of having the Raw Diva name and logo painted on them. On the agenda are some raw meals at Bonobos and Pure Food & Wine, and if all goes according to plan, Amy will be coming to join her for some diva giggles and girly catch up time!

Tera’s got a bit of a sparkle in her eye, because she’s hanging out with Tim, and as if that weren’t enough, a filming crew from the Food Network will be following them around for the next week. The Food Network approached Tim about doing a documentary style show about his lifestyle and accomplishments, so they’ll be following him to Mt. Washington for the National Mountain Racing Championships!

As exciting as all of this is, the trip kinda made for a lousy sprouting adventure, when over-zealous Tera decided to soak more seeds than she had time to grow! She did get a small crunchy crop of sunflower sprouts, though and was VERY excited about coming back to really kick off her living room garden.

Amy, on the other hand is in full blown sunflower sprout gardening bliss and has been documenting the adventure with daily photos and notes that we’ll be sharing with all of you in the not-so-distant future. Her first batch is doing so well, that she is just about to get started on her second batch.

In cravings news... Amy has successfully put off the soda cravings, but then she blew out her vitamix making “Raw Food Real World’s” chocolate ganache pie. Oops! No more green smoothies (or chocolate pies) until it is repaired!

Who would ever want to eat a sunflower sprout birthday cake?

Or alfalfa sprout pudding?

NO ONE!!

As raw as we get, Ladies, there is no replacement for the decadence of desserts. There is, however, a sexier, healthier raw food way to go about it.

For all who have dared to say you can’t have your cake and eat it, too, WE DISAGREE!

Never Be Tempted By a Classic Chocolate Cake Again!

Juicy Diva Treats: Banana-Chocolate Tarts with Whipped Cream!
Monique Bastien

Crust Ingredients
1 cup almonds (soaked, dehydrated and ground)
¼ cup raw agave nectar
½ cup raw coconut butter (liquefied)

Filling Ingredients
2 medium banana, sliced
1/2 cup raw cocoa powder or raw carob powder
½ cup raw Coconut Cream (from young coconut meat)
3 Tbsp raw coconut butter (liquefied)
1/4 cup raw agave nectar
½ tsp real vanilla extract
Pinch of celtic sea salt

Topping Ingredients
¼ cup raw Coconut Whipped Cream, optional (recipe below)

Crust Directions
1. Blend almond flour and liquefied coconut butter in your food processor until crumbly and sticky. Spread into 6-4 inch tart pans.

Filling Directions
2. Slice one of the bananas and arrange on the bottom of each crust. Place the second banana with the remaining ingredients in your blender and blend on high until smooth (do not over blend as this will cause it separate). Spoon filling evenly over banana slices in each tart pan. Chill for at least 2 hours or until firm.

Topping Directions
3. Decorate with Coconut Whipped Cream on top. Serve with sliced bananas on the side.

Raw Coconut Whipped Cream

You can use the meat from young coconuts, or you can use coconut cream made from dehydrated coconut.

1 cup raw coconut cream
1 tbsp raw agave nectar
2 tsp. real vanilla extract
2 tbsp raw coconut butter (optional)

1. Blend ingredients together. Chill overnight.
2. Place chilled coconut cream in your blender and blend at high speed for 20-30 seconds. Do not over blend as this will cause it to become warm and separate . When done right, it thickens into whipped cream.

When your tarts are ready, sit back and put up your feet. After a long day you deserve it. Indulge yourself without guilt just bliss.

Warm thoughts for a great day

Monique

How’s your bikini butt?

Oh, let’s not hide it, Girlfriend.

Get those buns in shape, get salads on your plate and smoothies in the blender.

Summer is here and it’s never been easier to follow a raw food diet!

If you’re not registered for the Summer Body Enlightenment System, then you better hurry, because...

Registrations close on Monday June 23rd.

Pamper Yourself! Beauty Tips for Healthy, Younger Looking Skin
By Tracy Neely

Herbal Healing Salve

This is a recipe that I recommend to friends and family to sooth and heal everything from bug bites, small cuts, minor burns, rashes, especially dry and dehydrated skin. This recipe calls for the herbs to be macerated (soaked) in organic olive oil for a minimum of 4 weeks, but if possible allow mixture to macerate for longer which will provide a more potent salve that will allow the skin to heal much better.

Precaution: Before using herbs during pregnancy, please consult your physician or naturopathic doctor

Comfrey Root
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale L.) is a perennial herb with a black, turnip-like root and large, hairy broad leaves that bears small bell-shaped white, cream, purple or pink flowers. Comfrey root has traditionally been used to treat wounds and reduce inflammation associated with sprains and broken bones. The herb contains allantoin, a compound that speeds up the natural replacement of skin cells. This means that it will promote the swift healing of damaged or injured tissues, as well as maintaining cell growth and preventing diseases.

Calendula
Calendula officinalis, known as Pot Marigold or English Marigold, that is used externally for its antiseptic and healing properties in treating skin infections, cuts, punctures, scrapes, burns and chapped or chafed skin or lips.

St. John’s Wort
St. John’s Wort also known as Hypericum perforatum, perforated bush, Hypericum, and Klamath weed is a plant with yellow flowers whose medicinal uses were first recorded in ancient Greece. The name St. John's wort apparently refers to John the Baptist, as the plant blooms around the time of the feast of St. John the Baptist in late June. A St. John's Wort oil made with the blossoms and olive oil has been used for centuries to treat and heal wounds and burns.

Gotu Kola
Gotu Kola, also known as Indian Pennywort is one of the most widely used and important Ayurvedic herbs on the market today. Because of its apparent ability to stimulate and nurture skin and the underlying connective tissue, the herb gives us both cosmetic and clinical support in treating skin-related problems. It has proven useful in treating eczema and other skin disorders.

Note: do not use Gotu Kola if you have an allergy to ragweed

Lavender Essential Oil
True Lavender (L.officinali,) is extensively cultivated in France and Bulgaria and is the most common commercially grown aromatic member of the Lamiaceae family. Lavender essential oil is steam-distilled from the flowering tops and stalks of L. angustifolia. Lavender oil is widely known for its wound healing properties and with caution can be used on the skin neat. Lavender Essential oil is generally used in skin care for its anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antiseptic properties.

Roman Chamomile Essential Oil
Roman chamomile (Arthemis nobilis ) is steam distilled from the flowering heads of the plant and is largely produced in USA, Britain, Belgium, Hungary, Italy, and France. Roman Chamomile increases the ability of the skin to regenerate and can be used to calm acne, eczema, rashes, wounds, dermatitis, dry and itchy skin.

Note: do not use Chamomile if you have an allergy to ragweed

Recipe for macerating the dried herbs
* If possible use organic herbs

¼ cup Comfrey Root
¼ cup Calendula
2 Tbsp. St. Johns Wort
2 Tbsp. Gotu Kola Leaf
4 C. Organic Olive Oil
Quart Mason Jar

Fill quart mason jar with dried herbs and add olive oil to within 2” of the neck of the jar. Cap the jar and shake well and allow to sit overnight. The next day, fill the top portion of the jar with more olive oil to within an inch of the lid (the herbs will have soaked up a portion of the oil overnight). Shake daily for the first 3 weeks. Place in a warm, dark place, if possible. Allow each jar to macerate for at least 1 month, although the longer it sits, the better. Pour contents of mason jar in a strainer over a 32 oz bottle. The leftover herbs may be composted.

Recipe for making the salve

Infused Comfrey root
Infused Calendula
Infused St. Johns Wort
Infused Gotu Kola
15 drops lavender essential oil
10 drops roman chamomile essential oil
3 oz. beeswax
Jars of tin to hold 4 oz each of salve

Place infused oils (not the essential oils) & beeswax in a double-boiler (use only stainless steel, glass or enamel pots and utensils) bring to a boil & stir occasionally until the beeswax melts. Take off the heat, stir in the essential oils. Pour immediately into clean, sanitized jar(s). Allow to cool until set, label and date your salve.

Enjoy!
Tracy

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*This is a public Service Announcement*
* From The Raw Divas*

What’s more effective for reducing ugly wrinkles than even the most expensive anti-aging creams and purest raw food diets?

Smiling

Life’s not always easy but it’s a whole lot more fun when you hang around with the right people. For constant sassy charm, inspiration, and all you can eat laughter, we recommend:

THE SISTERHOOD

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Natural Food Sweeteners and Common Sugar Compared
by Monique Bastien

We get comments, questions and concerns from women all the time who struggle with sugar cravings. Natural Sugar is food for the Brain. In fact our brains use glycose (or glucogen-fruit sugar) as it's primary source of fuel, and in this case quality matters as well as the right type.

For example refined and processed sugars act like drugs in our bodies. We see the damages caused by them every day. Here is a list of some of the problems refined sugar can cause:

over stimulating the endocrine system
constipation
excessive urination, which can lead to dehydration
refined sugar causes over acidity in the body
triggers the releases alkaline minerals, which become lost in the urine
sugar imbalance in the body leading to hypoglycemia and even diabetes
takes water from the body
has a high glycemic index
can increase your risk of developing cancer, heart disease, varicose veins, kidney disorders, arthritis, obesity, migraine headaches and high blood pressure
severely hampers are immune system
causes macrophages to be inactive
increases the rate of infection in diabetics
causes deficiencies in B vitamins, chromium, copper and molybdenum
lowers the body's production of antibodies
increases the growth of Candida albicans

Everyone needs a treat once in a while, but try choosing a raw apple pie over a cooked one, and make natural fruit or berry sauces as opposed to store bought.

Natural sweeteners provide the ideal solution for your taste buds and your nutritional needs. If you are going to have sweets why not use healthier ones instead.

The natural sugars found in raw fruits, raw wild honey, raw agave nectar, yacon syrup, raw maple sap, and dehydrated cane juice, are far better on our system. Natural sugars contain trace minerals that the body can use and when in it's natural raw state, the liver is able to recognize these sugars and process them for the body and brain to use.

Raw agave nectar is one of my favorite choices. For starters it has a low glycemic index. It does not raise the blood sugar in the body. Is great for diabetics. Has a mild sweetness and is not over powering like some sweeteners.

Agave nectar is a good source of iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, vitamins B, C, D, E, zinc, selenium, and chromium. Agave nectar is also considered a supper food, is full of enzymes, improves digestion, is used as an inti-inflammatory against arthritis and has also been used as a blood purifier.

Raw, wild honey is another good dietary choice. It is dark in color and filled with minerals, vitamins, pollen, etc. that the bees ingest in order to live.

Benefits of raw honey:

a complex combination of carbohydrates (mainly fructose, glucose, maltose and sucrose), water and small amounts of protein, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and amino acids
phytochemicals that act as antioxidants, which offer additional health benefits
tiny amounts of several compounds thought to function as antioxidants, including chrysin, pinobanksin, vitamin C, catalase, and pinocembrin.
contain bits of pollen and propolis. Honey bees make propolis from tree sap and use it in honeycomb building and to sterilize it from infection.Researchers have found that propolis has phytonutrients that prevent cancer and tumours. Propolis also has anti oxidant, anti inflammatory, anti allergenic and antimicrobial properties. Most commercially processed honey contains no pollen and propolis.
is naturally antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal in nature. Research has shown that it prevents the growth of bacteria, yeast and other organisms. Honey is hydroscopic and therefore limits water available for these organisms
contains glucose oxidase, which converts glucose in the presence of water into gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide. Which in turn kill bacteria and heal wounds.
Gluconic acid in honey has been shown to increase calcium absorption
combats free radical damage in our bodies
promotes the growth and activity of friendly gut bifidobacteria
improves digestion and gastrointestinal health
foods marinated or mixed with honey can keep longer
Calcium absorption and hemoglobin count can be increased by the use of raw honey to prevent anemia and is used for many other health problems

I could go on and on about the benefits of raw wild honey, but the list is way too long.

Maple Syrup or sap is another great choice. It is a natural sweetener rich in trace minerals brought from below the ground by deep tree roots. It is a great in cream-based desserts.

Raw Sucanat Sugar is dehydrated cane juice, and has been used in India for thousands of years. It is rich in minerals, especially silica. Sucanat mimics the chemical properties of sugar. So be careful not to overdo it, as large amounts of it can upset the body's chemistry the same as refined-processed sugar. Read the packaging carefully, as some products labeled "sucanat sugar" are merely crystalline sugar.

As you can see natural sugars are superior to refined-processed sugar in every way. So if you want a treat, make your own using natural sugars and fruit rather than giving into energy robbing and nutrient devoid refined sugars.

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If you would like to send The Raw Divas feedback, suggest a "Health in High Heels Newsletter" topic, or ask a question that could be featured in a future issue of "Health in High Heels", please do not hesitate to send us a message customerservice@therawdivas.com. Please note that we are unable to offer medical advice.

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