Ravishing Raw » Alkaline Your Body

Water & Juice Fast

Marie-Claire — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 22:44:54 +0000

I just finished my water and juice fast. The day I started, 17 days ago, I didn’t even know I was going on a fast. Me, who loves visualizing a goal first before starting anything substantial. I still do value the importance of starting with a strong mindset but this time my only thought at the start of that day was; “I don’t feel like eating today, only drinking water”. And that’s how it started.

I only had a 24 hour long water fast. Simply because I wasn’t prepared mentally for a longer one on purely water and I was longing for juices. So juicing it was. I drank water each day as long as I could and made a green juice in the evening.

The second day I thought that it would be nice to hold on for two weeks. I posted a few sentences on face book and my water/ juice fast was born. I received so many comments and likes on that post that I was stimulated to update everybody day by day. The comments and emails where wonderful, right from the heart, grateful for being so inspiring.

The second week a new illumination came to me and it felt so natural to do a liver/gallbladder flush. I had done one last year with light meals but what if I would combine it with only water and juices? Wouldn’t that make a perfect combo? It turned out to work just fine and what more, I didn’t have to go through the mental preparation of another cleanse. It is good to do a gallbladder flush at the start of each new season and since spring is in the air…

I was so pleasantly surprised and touched by what all my face book friends wrote me that I became just as inspired! I became aware of how much this topic is appealing to people and how scared many of them are to start a fast alone. I also became even more aware of how alive the wish is to get rid of all junk and toxins in the body, the wish to feel good and healthy.

This is when I knew I had to take this momentum and do something with it. I started writing an eBook about fasting and what the possible side effects are, based on my experiences and what I had been reading before. I felt that the eBook would help but still, something was missing. I want to guide you through this fast personally.

This is why I am writing a program for you if you want to go on a fast but are postponing the moment because of numerous reasons. Maybe you are wishing that you could do it but that it feels lonely somehow. What I noticed during those weeks of intense interaction with others is that the fear of doing a fast is mostly doing it alone and not being able to hold on to it. Well, you are not alone if we do this together. You will feel motivated, supported and strong in your commitment to your health.

When this juicy program will be up? I hope very soon! I will keep you updated for sure. There will be a free tele call first to tell you all about the program. I can’t wait to share my experiences, to walk and support you through each step of the way!

Gorgeous Green

Marie-Claire — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 19:13:33 +0000

A lovely dish doesn’t have to be complicated. With only a few ingredients you can create the most gorgeous meal in a few minutes. If you like looking at food as I do, try out other ways to cut a vegetable and play with colors in one tone. Plate it differently than you usually do and it will add that extra you need to feel special…

TOOLS

A potato peeler
A bowl

INGREDIENTS

1 cucumber, peeled
2 spring onions, sliced thinly
1 clove of garlic, minced
A handful of parsley, minced
Olive oil
Some apple cider vinegar
Some black pepper

THE MAKING OF…

Slice the cucumber in half, length wise
Start slicing thin, long slices of your cucumber until it is all gone
Place the slices in a bowl and throw all the other sliced and minced ingredients on top
Be generous with your olive oil
Pour a bit of apple cider vinegar on top
Mix with your hands without squeezing until everything is mixed and coated
Let it marinate for a half hour

NOTES

These gorgeous greens are a delicious side dish for a salad or raw burgers. You can present them in a small bowl on the side when you have guests. They make each recipe beautiful and fresh!

Bon Apetit!

Green Green Grass Of Home

Marie-Claire — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 13:58:44 +0000

Grown wheatgrass

Nothing is as simple as growing grass and yet… a lot of people seem to have trouble to get those green blades up and ready to juice. So I thought it might be a good idea to tell you how you can be successful in growing your lovely waving grass in the light at your window. What are the most common problems I hear about?

Mold
The berries take a long time to sprout
The grass is growing irregularly and much too ‘thin’

I must say I had some trouble when I started too. All you need is a little bit of practice and some good tips. When you have a problem, ask yourself what is the cause and you go on from there to find your own solution. But you won’t have to with this little guide…

Green Green Grass Of Home

Let me start from the beginning; sprouting the berries. The first times when I was sewing my wheatgrass, ( and I bet a lot of starters do) I simple threw the seeds in a tray with organic soil, drenched it with water and put it up in the light because when you need to grow something, it needs light no? Nope, it doesn’t! Actually seeds need to be in the dark to be triggered and sprout. They need that signal; “you are under the ground so better start growing so you can see the light!” To grow your grass easier, you have to help it a bit by soaking and sprouting the seeds first.

Soaking

SOAKING BEFORE SEWING

Rinse one cup of wheatberries so eventual residue can come off
Soak them covered up with pure water overnight
Next morning rinse them until the water is clear
Put them in a sprouting bag or jar and turn the jar upside down so the water is removed and the seeds can’t get moldy
Cover up with a dark towel and place them where you don’t forget about them
Rinse them 2 to 3 times a day
When they get their little tail, they are ready to sew

Ready to sew, the tails may even be smaller

SEWING

Take a plastic tray that is perforated (this is important so the seeds will never be too wet and grow mold)
Make a layer of organic soil of about 1.96 to 2 inches (the quality of the grass is depending on the quality of the soil!)
Wet the soil but don’t make it too wet (mold)
Now you can sew your sprouts; very thick! You may not see any soil anymore or you will only have some poor blades)

Every day!

Spray the seeds
Take a piece of newspaper, make it wet and cover the tray with it (this way the seeds can keep the moist they need)
Place this tray in a dark, cool place
Wet the newspaper every day, and spray the soil and seeds very well(this way you won’t get too much water in the tray)

White Grass After Two Days

After two or three days, you will have lovely white grass
When it is about 2.7 inches or 7 cm high, take the newspaper off, get it out of the dark and bring into the sunlight!

Into The Light

Now the miracle happens and it is always lovely to see it happen; photosynthesis turns the grass green and makes it grow
After about 7 days, your grass will be about 6 inches or even more

Ready for Harvest

HARVEST & JUICE

The way you harvest your grass is just as important to receive all the minerals and nutrients. Most minerals are close to the soil.

Harvest

Take a sharp knife or scissors and cut off the grass as close as possible to the soil.
The best way to get all the juice out of grass is juice it with a slow juicer or manual juicer.
If you don’t have either of them, you can make a diluted version with your blender: put two handfuls of grass in it and pour a little bit of water on top to get it going, blend and strain through a fine sieve or a nut milk bag. This juice is not as strong as the real thing, but it is still better than having none. This is how I did it until I could buy my slow juicer.

Wheatgrass Juice From The Blender

TIPS & NOTES

Don’t blend grass too long in your blender; it may dull the blade
Mold can be caused by too much water, but also by too few water! When you spray your seeds, you have much more control.
Choose a very good organic soil to benefit your grass at the fullest! Grass absorbs about 97% of all minerals in the soil; so if you want to have good quality wheat grass, the soil has to be rich in minerals.
Buy organic seeds who will give you all you need.
Something I always do to give my soil extra vitamins and enzymes is when I rinse my smoothie glass, I use that water to spray the grass. If it doesn’t help, it sure won’t harm and by the way; I am sure it is the best fertilizer for my grass.
Don’t let the seeds sprout too long. Don’t wait with sewing until their tail is very long; it will take away their strength and they will grow slow and look poor. A little tail is all you need; the wall is now soft enough and the sprout is ready to grow.
Wheatgrass can be different depending on the kind of seeds you bought. Some seeds give long, narrow blades as the ones I was growing above. But you will also notice that other pictures have grass with wider blades. I prefer those because they are much juicier.
If you always want a tray ready, start a system with a routine that keeps you juicing and drinking this healing grass.
When you have mold, you can’t juice the grass anymore. Throw it upside down on your compost; it brings oxygen in compost.
You can grow and harvest one tray twice; it will look rougher and not as long anymore but just fine to juice!
The grass will “eat” all the soil and form a “mat” with the roots. This is first class compost!
A great organic brand for wheatberries is Geo. The seeds are strong and the grass is …. sweet and green! To purchase feel free to visit my website.

Geo seeds and their grass

Good luck! If any questions, feel free to email me.

Super(b) Smoothie

Marie-Claire — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 11:18:19 +0000

The less I think about what to put in my morning smoothie, the better it gets! Of course you have to be lucky with the individual tastes of the vegetables and fruits you grab because they vary every day. But well, I was lucky and if you have sweet pears and bananas available nothing much can go wrong with this combination.

Slamming Smoothie

TOOLS YOU NEED

A blender
A sharp knife
A cutting board

INGREDIENTS

4 small leaves of kale (or two large ones)
A frozen banana (you can take unfrozen too)
A sweet pear
Fill up your blender with spinach
A grab of parsley
A handful of Goji Berries (it adds sweetness and so many great nutrients!)
1 tsp beepollen
1 tsp Maca
1 TBS coconut butter
Rejuvelac (see the recipe here; I added slices of lemon and mint to this batch)

THE MAKING OF…

Throw everything in your blender
Blend and chew that smooth smoothie! Cheers!
Super Smoothie

Alive Smoothie

Marie-Claire — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 11:04:45 +0000

I make smoothies every day. But sometimes you have that one smoothie which exceeds all others. It is a combination of factors and you don’t have them always under control. Each smoothie tastes different, even with the exact same ingredients. Simply because all vegetables and fruit add their own personal flavor. One banana can be soothing sweet and another hardly have any taste. Same with juices; one pound of carrots can taste like heaven and another will be rather bitter and spoil your sweet soup. So a lot depends on that willing touch of your chosen fruit of that day.

Notice the oxygen bubbling up in this smoothie! Ready to shake you up and make you come alive!

Sometimes you think you are brewing the greatest smoothie ever and when you take your first highly expecting sip, it turns out you can hardly swallow it down. It happens to everybody. So what can you do then with that rich smoothie, full of nutrients and expensive superfoods and greens and fruit? Drink it up with two fingers shutting your nose? Because the last thing you want to do is throw it out!

I discovered how to save those “failures” and have a wonderful drink after all. Just pour that smoothie in your nut milk bag and sssquuueeeze out the juice. The pulp is a great fertilizer for your wheatgrass (mingle it under your soil, all those minerals will be soaked by the grass and provide you strong shots!) and the juice… the juice is just great! The taste changes and you can pour all the glorious nutrients down to your body.

But now more about my Alive Smoothie. I always use what I have laying around and was lucky with the combination and the great tastes of the greens and fruits. My mustard greens were soft, the banana sweet, the spinach soothing, and then… my secret weapon: rejuvelac! You know how much I am into this elixir of life. I always use it to make my smoothies the best, both taste and content.

When you use rejuvelac instead of water, you add an extra dimension; life. And that is what you will feel in your body; life. You can make a whole lot of rejuvelac and store it easily for two weeks in your refrigerator or in your basement so you don’t have anything else to do but grab and smooth away.

Alive Smoothie

TOOLS YOU NEED

A blender

INGREDIENTS

One sweet banana
A handful of mustard greens
Two leaves of kale
A grab of parsley
Fill up the rest with spinach
A handful of Goiji Berries
A TBS Maca
A TBS bee pollen
Fill up the blender until halfway with rejuvelac

THE MAKING OF…

Blend and taste. Not sweet enough to your taste? Add a juicy pear…

Drink, chew and be alive!

Mustard Green

Killer Carrots

Marie-Claire — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 00:15:43 +0000

Juicy Stuff

If you are still wondering where to get your proteins from when you go raw you can stop now and be reassured that you will get all you need with raw food. And with raw juices. This is one of the reasons why you have to eat a varied scale of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and sprouts. Also eat all the colors in the rainbow to receive all the antioxidants you want to look younger and feel better.

Carrots are sweeties. Not just because of their soothing taste but because of the treasure of nutrients they are offering us in one glass of juice. They provide vitamins A, B1, B6, C, D, E, G and K, minerals such as calcium, potassium, iron and phosphorus, traces of carbohydrates and proteins.

Color your life

If you dream of a smooth skin; carrots make it look healthy! They have extreme properties for skin health.

Carrot juice contains carotenoids which reduce risk of a heart attack and regulate blood circulation
The phytonutrient ‘falcarinol’ helps in the protection against colon cancer
And yes, it is true that they are good for vision, especially for night sight because of the beta-carotene
Drink more carrot juice and notice how much better your hair, skin and nails will look
Carrot juice also contains essential oils. They help digestion and therefor are fighting acne.
Drinking carrot juice in summer will help you to protect against sunburn. It heals damages caused by the sun
The antioxidants slow down the aging process and protect you against free radicals
It lowers high blood pressure and cholesterol
A load of iron helps to reduce anemia

And again, this is a list that goes on and on. It is good to know what vegetables and fruits can mean for your body. Just juice what you need to jazz up your health and you will feel the difference soon!

TOOLS YOU NEED

A juicer, a sharp knife and a cutting board

INGREDIENTS

8 to 10 fresh organic carrots
A big chunk of ginger

THE MAKING OFF…

Juice your stuff and feel juicy…

Carrot Ginger Juice

Orange With A Twist

Marie-Claire — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 21:26:50 +0000

It is the season of the oranges. They are juicier and sweeter than ever during this time of year. I almost forgot how nice a simple orange juice can be. Then I saw that last piece of lemongrass and thought; “What if I …?”

Juicy Stuff!

A very simple juice, but only one glass is covering five fruit servings. We are so used to squeezing oranges but what do we know about them? That they are rich in vitamin C, yes. But did you know that they also…

… have high levels of magnesium and potassium? So one glass a day will balance high blood pressure!
… have inflammatory properties and help relieve joint pains?
… contain folate and increase growth of skin cells and blood cells?
… contain enough nutrients and minerals to boost your immune system?
… are very good for your bones and teeth because of their calcium?
… are very rich in antioxidants and the carotenoids fight free radicals to reduce damage to your cells?
… enable a good DNA in your body with their niacin content?
… are a rich source of phytonutrients who make the nutrients work optimal?

A lot of good reasons to make that fast juice in the morning when you are out of time!

TOOLS YOU NEED

A juicer
A sharp knife and cutting board

INGREDIENTS

Three oranges
One stalk of lemongrass

THE MAKING OF…

Juice and twist!

Orange Twist

Upbeet

Marie-Claire — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 22:26:01 +0000

Juice Up Your Health!

I never was really fond of beets until I started juicing them. They are now on my list of favorites. Not only because they make the loveliest juices, but also the best ones for your health. Drink one glass of beet juice every day and it will beat high blood pressure. Beets also increase the body’s production of glutathione, the most important antioxidant we have. Without glutathione, our most powerful detoxifier of cancer-causing poisons, you can’t absorb other antioxidants or can’t pull the environmental chemicals into the colon where they can be removed. So they will stay in our precious body, causing serious health problems.

High cholesterol? Too low cancer-destroying CD8 cells in the colon? Skin problems? Stress? Digestive disorders? Beet juice takes care of you and ‘upbeets’ your health with its rich content of antioxidants, vitamin A, C, B6, B1, B2, calcium, sulfur, sodium, iodine, bioflanonoids, potassium and natural sugars. Oh and don’t forget the source of dietary fiber, carbohydrates, folic acid, magnesium, biotin and niacin.

When you start drinking beet juice, you might experience some diarrhea in the beginning, red stool and urine. Don’t worry and remind that you have been drinking red beets before running off to the doctor. It will go away by itself and when you drink it more often and is purifying you, you will notice less or no coloring as time goes by.

Beet Before...

TOOLS YOU NEED

A juicer
A sharp knife and cutting board

INGREDIENTS

One beet, unpeeled if it is organic
Two apples, cored

THE MAKING OF…

Cut, juice and get your upbeet!

Beet After...

Good Mood Juices

Marie-Claire — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 01:17:36 +0000

Dark weather all day long, rain, cold wind, the birds stopped singing: winter can’t be far away. I feel like looking at colors… and drinking them to juice up my mood. I took what I could find in the refrigerator; beets, carrots en fennel. I grabbed apples and oranges and decided to make very simple, pure drinks. Oh, this beauty!

Color your mood!

I have to share these good mood juices. Even if you can almost predict by looking at them what they are. Some got a little twist.

Sweet Fennel Juice

Have you ever thought of drinking fennel just as it is? I mostly add it to salads or to mixed juices to sweeten and freshen it up. But eaten on its own it can be a quiet overwhelming after a while. As a juice though, you can’t get it enough. With its extraordinary anise flavor, it is like no other juice. A great choice if you are longing for a drink in the evening. You can leave that bottle of Ricard; juice a fennel and you have the same taste. With much more benefits! Fennel is very rich in phytoestrogens and therefor helping with a lot of issues such as…

colic, wind, irritable bowel
spleen
liver
lungs
kidneys
digestive system
menstruation
increased urine flow

Fennel Green

But fennel is also used to treat…

asthma
anxiety
depression
high blood pressure
decreased libido
coughs
heartburn

And the list goes on. But let’s juice now and “feel” instead of read about benefits.

TOOLS YOU NEED

A juicer
A sharp knife and cutting board

INGREDIENTS

One big fennel

THE MAKING OF…

Juice and enjoy heaven!

Sweet Fennel Juice

Electrolyte Shock

Marie-Claire — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 14:54:24 +0000

When I woke up I had no idea what time it was. It was too dark, too silent, too weary to get up. I notice that I am even more sensitive than ever to the changing hours in autumn. Only one hour, but my whole system still seems disturbed after a week. Even the metabolic clock of my pets is messed up; they start waiting for food one hour earlier than usual.

Electrolytes!

I was wondering what to do about it when it struck me. I would start my day with an electrolyte shock to awaken and coop with the dark weather. So I jumped out of the bed, showered, dressed and took one of my fresh Thai coconuts out of the refrigerator. I grabbed my impressive meat cleaver -with which I will never cleave meat!- and chopped off the coconuts head. Hmm, have to make a picture of this, I thought. I have to write about all these electrolytes in only one glass! Have you never wondered how this energizing water gets into this heavenly nut? I did!

Electrolytes in a glass

I found the answer when I was reading David Wolfe’s book “Superfoods”. What is so beautiful about coconuts is that they carry and nurture their water as a human pregnancy. Almost nine months is how long it takes to filter each quart in that hard shell. Which must make you wonder how it got there in the first place. Let me quote the master himself here because I can’t think of other words: “The water rises through innumerable fibers which purify the water before it ends up in the sterile nut.” This water is the most powerful water in nature because of the highest levels of electrolytes.

Moreover young coconut water is very similar to the structure of our blood plasma and therefor was even used in the Pacific battles of World War II as blood transfusion for wounded soldiers. Coconut water in our veins?? Our blood exists of about 55% of plasma (about the same structure as coconut water) and 45% of hemoglobin (for the transportation of oxygen). This hemoglobin is “essentially transformed plant blood”, chlorophyll. So this means that when you make yourself a drink of fresh coconut water (55% plasma) mixed with fresh green leaf juice or the by Dr. Ann Wigmore recommended wheatgrass juice (45% hemoglobin), you will treat your body on a blood transfusion. Isn’t this amazingly easy?!

Blood Transfusion

If you can’t imagine that you will be able to drink a combination like this, let me give you these very simple yet lovely tips.

Use coconut water as the base of your smoothies. It is delicious and will sweeten it up.
Take a glass of coconut water and add one table spoon of “green superfood” which is packed with the chlorophyll of barley, wheatgrass, broccoli, spirulena, chlorella and many others. This is what I did here and it tastes… heavenly!
Drink this is the morning on an empty stomach if you want the full benefits of it and a quick absorption in the blood.
Oh, and give this magic drink to your children before they take off to school! They will be fit and concentrated and love the taste because it is very sweet.

My body is tingling now and my mind is clear. (I drank the green version while I was writing). The effect of this booster is almost immediately. It only takes five minutes to feel your blood pump. So get those young Thai coconuts, grow your grass, juice your greens and get in tune with your body!

Sources: David Wolfe “Superfoods” and my own experiences.

Amazing Grape

Marie-Claire — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 17:10:26 +0000

Another day, another juice! I am improvising and jazzing. That’s what a true musician does. So what did I come up with today? A very simple pink grape juice. Later on I used this juice as a basis to add other fruits and that was a delicious surprise. Here they come.

AMAZING GRAPE

Amazing Grape

TOOLS YOU NEED

A juicer

INGREDIENTS

A bunch of pink grapes

THE MAKING OF…

Juice and Jazz!

JAZZY JUICE!

Jazzy Juice!

Leave some of the grapes so you can make fresh juice and improvise with that basis.

TOOLS YOU NEED

A juicer
A sharp knife and cutting board

INGREDIENTS

One or two cups of amazing grape juice
One or two apples
One kiwi
One orange
Half a lemon
One stalk of lemon grass (a most lovely add!)

THE MAKING OFF…

Juice, share and sing! Cheers!

Jazzy Juice!

Juicy Stuff!

Marie-Claire — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 16:03:19 +0000

After two days of wiggling from juices to smoothies to salads, I had a very juicy day! And guess what; I wasn’t hungry for one moment, or even craving. Once you flow with the clean feeling you get when you add more an more juices, it all goes by itself. I am now thriving and feeling so much better. It is amazing in how a short notice juices can calm down the body and uplift it to more energy and clarity!

Juicy Stuff!

I am starting my day very simple: with water. I even keep drinking water and herbal tea until noon before I make my first juice. It has a great effect on my body. It feels very clean and light when I give it a chance to get rid of all toxins of the day before. Because this is what happens in the body in the morning until noon; it is awakening and releasing all the toxins of previous meals. This is also the reason why it is best to start your day with a light meal.

But let me share this great juice with you, because it tasted so heavenly!

TOOLS YOU NEED

A Juicer
A sharp knife and a cutting board

INGREDIENTS

Two big apples, cored
One pear
One kiwi
About 6 to 8 carrots
A BIG chunk of ginger (I love ginger! so if you don’t, you can leave it out or add less)
One lime

THE MAKING OF…

Juice and slurp!

You will be amazed how filling this juice is. Leave one hour between several juices to give them a bit of time to digest. But that will no problem. It took me hours to feel the first hunger and make a very green juice of cucumber, celery stalks, kelp granules, dandelion and spinach. Enjoy!

Orange Without "Orange" Juice

Number 61

Marie-Claire — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 11:10:35 +0000

A clean body is the first step towards health. Many people think of cleansing as a difficult process. But the more you know, the easier it becomes. Understanding your body and mind, knowing your physical, mental and emotional reactions to food, situations, stress and life brings you closer to health. And number 61 does.

I am talking about a juice. Not just a juice, but the most effective juice of Dr. Norman Walker for many, many complaints and illnesses. Most of you know Dr. Norman Walker. If you don’t, read about this man, who was a true pioneer in the beginning of the 20th century. He died at very old age in 1985 (over one hundred some say, others say at 99) His favorite secret? Drinking fresh juices every day.

He spent his life investigating the influence of juice on the human body. He discovered that when you mix certain juices in certain quantities, they release new healing forces. All his juices were based on years of scientific investigations. He developed the “Norwalk” Juicer, the most perfect machine for the most nutritious juices. He wrote several books but the one I absolutely cherish is “Fresh vegetable and Fruit Juices. What’s Missing In Your body?” It’s only small book but with priceless content.

He made a list of what combined juices to use for which conditions. Each juice has a number. My favorite juice is # 61. It has such healing power that he recommends it to support almost every issue of the body. Let me name some of them: acne, acidosis, allergy, anemia, angina pectoris, appendicitis, asthma, bladder trouble, blood pressure high or low, bronchitis, cancers, cataracts, cirrhosis of the liver (he cured himself of it by fasting on water and juices to start with) , colds, cramps, decay, eczema, fatigue, fatty degeneration, gallstones and gall bladder trouble, gout, goiter, hay fever, headache, itch, kidney trouble, neuritis, obesity, psoriasis, rhinitis, sleeplessness, toxemia, ulcers and on and on goes the list. All the juices are based on one pint of 16 oz.

Number 61 is a very simple, inexpensive juice made of carrots and spinach.

TOOLS YOU NEED

A juicer (preferably a slow juicer that guarantees all the nutrients after the process)

INGREDIENTS

Carrots enough for 10 oz
Spinach enough for 6 oz

THE MAKING OF # 61

Just juice, fill up a nice glass and drink.

NOTE

It is possible that you have a reaction on this powerful drink. Sometimes I feel tired and a bit dizzy. It means it is working! Take it easy and it will pass.

Gallbladder Flush

Marie-Claire — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 17:24:48 +0000

During my last colonic it turned out that I have gall stones and I was advised to have a gallbladder flush. “A What?” According to the therapist it would only take one day but back home I discovered a whole chapter in the new book I just got; “Raw Foods Bible” of Craig B. Sommers, N.D., C.N.. A great book by the way!

The Liver/Gallblader Flush is a very simple but thorough cleansing and helps eliminating the chemicals we breathe in, eat and who are penetrating our skin. If you have gallbladder stones, they will be removed to the colon. This is why I was recommended to schedule a new colonic after the cleanse to be sure the stones will leave my body.

According to Dr. Richard Schulz, it’s good for everybody to have this cleanse four times a year, once per season. It takes a week, it is very simple and inexpensive. All you have to do is drink a mixture of lemon, oranges or grapefruit with distilled water, olive oil, ginger and garlic on an empty stomach as breakfast. Then have it followed by two big cups of herbal tea and eat nothing else until lunch. The liver flushes itself out and the tea helps pushing it all through. The rest of the meals have to be simple raw dishes. If you want to accelerate the process, make it more powerful, fast on water or/and juices during the middle three days. If you want the detox more intense, you can double the portion of garlic and olive oil after a few days but it is not necessary. That’s it actually.

WHAT IS DOING WHAT?

The garlic is a broad-spectrum antibiotic, antiviral: it fights and kills bacteria, parasites. It is also disinfecting your whole system.
The ginger is preventing nausea and stimulates circulation
The citrus helps cleaning the kidneys and the bladder. Only use the peel when it is organic. The essential oils in the peel helps stimulate the liver and produce more bile.
It wasn’t in the book what the olive oil is doing, but I bet it is flushing…

THE EFFECTS?

I was surprised by the “flush”. It is worth its name. See to it that you can be home the first two days, so starting in a weekend is perfect. I had bad diarrhea during the first days. You can also expect some nauseousness from time to time. Mostly because of the garlic who is fighting and killing bacteria. Put more ginger in your next mixture and you will feel better or make fresh ginger tea after the flush.

Another effect I experienced was on the emotional level, as always when you are detoxing. Waking up sad, going to bed sad without a particularly reason, not wanting to see anybody… Next day can be totally different though and it is good to stay close to yourself during those mixed emotions. Let it flow and remember you are detoxing. The liver is connected to our feelings. If your liver isn’t in a good shape, your mental state is going down with it. So don’t get scared when you can’t explain what is going on in your head because your liver is working very hard now to get rid of its toxins. You will feel better afterward, I promise you!

I‘m in my fifth day now, two more to go. Regarding eating and being hungry, this cleanse isn’t difficult. You only have to see to it that you keep your meals simple, with lots of greens. So what I did, was eat small salads when I got hungry or make a fresh juice. The three fasting days require a bit more discipline but you can have as many fresh juices as you want. Considered all together I must say it is going smoothly. The most important rule is that you make some time to do this in quiet, listen to your body and rest when you feel you have to.

Oh, I have to tell you about the clarity. After a few days your mind becomes more clear. I feel more alert and finally can concentrate again. (less at the start and you can also feel a bit drowsy) So it is going into the good direction. But now the recipe.

Garlic

TOOLS YOU NEED

A juicer or a lemon press

INGREDIENTS FOR SPRING AND SUMMER CLEANSE

Ingredients for flush

8 oz of distilled water
8 oz of fresh squeezed citrus juice, lemon, lime orange or grapefruit or a combination of these
one clove of garlic
a piece of one inch fresh ginger
one TBS of cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil

INGREDIENTS FOR THE FALL AND WINTER CLEANSE

The mixture is the same except you have to use fresh apple juice and grape juice instead of citrus

AFTER DRINKING THE MIXTURE

Wait for about 15 to 30 minutes and drink two cups (16 oz) of a herbal detox tea or a digestive tea. I like Maria Thistle because it is cleansing the liver.

Juicing

THE MAKING OFF…

Juice whatever you want the combination to be until you reached 8 oz. This morning I had pink grapefruit and it tasted so nice.
Add 8 oz of distilled water. (I couldn’t find any and am using spring water)
Juice and add the ginger and garlic
Add the olive oil
Stir
Drink with a straw: it is much better for your teeth. The acids won’t destroy the glaze. Always clean your teeth after consuming citrus or drink a glass of water for the same reason.

Flush Drink of Oranges and Lemon

Let me know how it worked out for you. If I can be of any help, feel free to write me with your questions.

Rejuvenating Rejuvelac

Marie-Claire — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 10:47:53 +0000

Rejuvelac for Rejuvenation

Rejuvelac is my favorite drink! It is comforting at times I long for a tingling feeling on my tongue, an old reminder to bubbles in water or soft drinks. It has a subtle tartness and the character of a soft -but healthy- lemonade. I always have several bottles in my refrigerator because rejuvelac is packed with life: enzymes!

There is so much to tell about this life lengthening drink. These are only a few of the wonderful benefits.

Fermented food is filled with enzymes. Rejuvelac is THE enzyme drink!
Enzymes are life lengthening!
The pro-biotics help the process of fermentation in foods so yes, you can make your own nut cheese and yogurt easily
Rejuvelac is a pre-digested food. This means that proteins are broken down into amino acids and carbohydrates into simple sugars. All nutrients are assimilated very soon after drinking without loss of energy.
Drinking rejuvelac helps digestion and is a very effective cure for stomach and colon problems.
Use Rejuvelac instead of water in your smoothies and drink some glasses in between meals to cleanse your colon, flush your system and to gain energy.
Rejuvelac is a natural pro-biotic: the enzymes help the friendly bacteria such as lactobacillus bifidus to grow.
Your colon becomes cleaner by drinking rejuvelac every day: it prevents sludge to collect on the colon walls.
The cleaner your colon, the less chance diseases will arise and the healthier you will be.
Rejuvelac is a rich source of B vitamins, vitamine E and K.
And last but not least: it is very easy and cheap to make!

The only thing rejuvelac needs is time and darkness. So if you like this drink, be sure you start sprouting wheat berries in time. This takes about two days, depending if it’s warm or cold. Same when you ferment the berries: warmth is an important factor; in a hot summer it might be possible you have to halve time and check in every now and then. With a little bit of practice you won’t fall without this healing drink.

There are several ways to make rejuvelac and I always used Dr. Ann Wigmore’s using the berries whole. But a few weeks ago I tried out a basic recipe of “Raw Soul” in New York. They usual blend the berries before the whole fermentation process starts. I was curious what would happen if you combine the two of them, blending after the second time you drain the berries and it worked just as well.

But to start with I will give you the fastest way so you have some results soon and with a higher amount: by blending the berries. This recipe is based on 1 C of sprouted wheat berries. You can double or triple if you want larger amounts easily.

You can experiment with what fruits you put in the rejuvalac. This combination I use to make is a very nice one and will make you think of lemonade.

TOOLS

All you need is:

A glass jar or a nut milk bag for the sprouting
A big glass container that you can close for the fermentation
A blender or hand mixer

INGREDIENTS

1 C of wheat berries
Pure water

After two days of sprouting

SPROUTING

Soak one cup of wheat berries overnight, covered with pure water
Next morning: drain and rinse
Turn the jar upside down on one side so all the water can drip out and the berries get fresh air
Rinse the berries 2 or 3 times a day for about two days
When a little ‘tail’ appears, they are ready!

1 Cup of Sprouted Wheat Berries

FERMENTING

You will see that after soaking the amount of berries almost doubled. This means you have almost 2 Cups and you can make more than you thought: make a pure jar and a variation with mint and lime or the fruits of your choice for a drink in the evening when you are craving wine or soft drinks.

Blend for five seconds

Place 1 C of wheat berries in the blender and add 1 C of water
Blend for five seconds

Before adding water, pure Rejuvelac

Pour this blend into your big glass jar
If you want the rejuvelac pure and simple, only add one gallon of pure water. That’s it!

If you want another taste, put layers of lemon, ginger, mint or whatever you like in there on top of the blend.

Then add a gallon of pure water

Close the jar and put it away in a cool dark place or in a cupboard for three days. Lovely!
If it is hot, check in every day and have a taste; if it is tart it is ready. If not, let it sit another day.

After three days, pour off the rejuvelac through a sieve into bottles; they keep well for two weeks in a refrigerator
You can add mint, lime and ice before drinking and experiment with you own preferences!

Staple of Rejuvelac and My Smoothie For Today

One Day On Raw!

Marie-Claire — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 10:25:16 +0000

Last night I was wondering how I can convince more people of the power of rawfood. There is only one way. DO IT! Let me make it easy for you, if you are still hesitating because of practical questions. What can I eat in the morning? How do I start this? What am I gonna have next? Well, today you won’t have to think, just take action. How does a raw day looks like? Let me give you an example of how easy and delicious your FIRST RAW DAY can be.

YOUR ONE DAY RAW TRIAL!

Start your day with a GREEN SMOOTHIE. Try out the recipe I gave in the post SMOOTH HEALTH and enjoy being green! In my next post I will teach you how to make nut milk and a very simple muesli in a few minutes that will convince you this is so much better than ‘the real thing’ you buy in the supermarkets. Drink lots of water, herbal teas or fresh juices in between and you will be fine, fine, fine!
Your daily health in a bottle.

It is summer so what is easier and faster than making a nice, colorful salad? Check out my COOL SUMMER SALAD and you will feel fresh and satisfied. You have to work? Prepare the salad after breakfast in the morning and take it with you in a sealed container. And yes, you can take what is left over of your morning smoothie too…
Cool summer salad

You are longing for a snack? Make a TRAIL MIX. Grab a handful of cashew nuts, mix them with some cacao nibs and Goji berries, throw all in a small container or zip bag and you are ready to go on again.
To make it a perfectly raw day, make the ZUCCHETTI and you will be delighted and think: “Now, that wasn’t that hard was it?”
Cool Zucchini Tower

Dessert? That CHOCOLATE LOVE BAR will bring you in the mood for love…
Pure Temptation Within Reach

You feel like having a glass of wine or alcohol in the evening? Make a FRESH JUICE of 4 green apples, 1 lime and a piece of ginger of about 1/2 or one inch and you will think you are drinking some fancy cocktail.

Yes, it can be this easy… enjoy and let me know if you liked it!

Smooth Health

Marie-Claire — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 14:35:05 +0000

Your Green Breakfast

The best way to start your day is make some fresh vegetable juice or a smooth smoothie. Your body has to wake up in the morning and is taking its time until about noon to process your meals of the day before. During morning you are releasing eventual toxins and waste. So if you are not feeling great, look back for a second and think of what you ate yesterday. Try to avoid these energy blocks next time.

All these lovely greens are the best way to do this. Moreover you will have ‘eaten’ more vegetables and fruit than you would on a normal day. You can make this most nutritious breakfast in no time. With a large blender -about 1,5 to 2 quarts of volume- you still have a few glasses to take with you to work, or to feed whoever is around and give them the best start for their day as well.

Dishes are done as quickly; just rinse under running water and you can close the door behind you without leaving any mess.

Green smoothies make miracles happen for your general health, both physically and mentally. I will write more about the benefits soon. But first I want to seduce you with this very simple and easy recipe. It’s the ideal smoothie that makes beginners ask for more and well, you can have more because this is enough for a whole bottle extra. If you have a small blender, just fill it up completely. Making another one is done in a minute.

Your first smoothies are usual very sweet. You need a bit time to adjust to new tastes and your body to the large amount of greens it is receiving all of a sudden. If you have some trouble with the green taste, then add more sweet fruit until you really like it. The only rule in this game is: make your smoothies real yummy, totally to your very own taste. Gradually add more vegetables than fruit until you are used to the pureness of greens. Your body will very quickly start asking for more, a feeling that will surprise you. This means you are on the right track to health and ready for new, stronger combinations with wild edibles.

A good tip is: always have frozen fruit in your freezer. Don’t throw out overripe bananas, but break them into pieces and freeze them in a zip bag, same with mango, pineapple, berries… Using frozen fruit in summer is just lovely and you don’t have to add ice anymore. Also you can make the most delicious ice sorbet in a minute when you are craving sweet. But this is for a next post.

You will find this recipe in my FREE eBook “Raw For 3 Days!”

To receive this eBook, join my email list and I will send you the link where you can download it.

Your daily health in a bottle. Bon appetite!