Ravishing Raw » All About Raw Food

Ravishing Juice Fast! Group Program

Marie-Claire — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 11:34:53 +0000

“RAVISHING JUICE FAST!”

HYDRATE, ALKALIZE, DETOX

Fasting on water and juices reveals a new life to you. It does to me. Each time it becomes easier to dive into juicing and each time you get more out of it. Fasting is such an ancient ritual and I remember so well when that period of 40 days was announced in school and we got a poster with 40 little windows. Each day we were allowed to open one and a “good action” was announced: “Be sweet for each other.” or… “Help your mom with the dishes”. It was fun to be sweet… Being gentle was connected to fasting. Back then it wasn’t juicing, but eating simple meals, no meat, no fish, no candy. And you know what? It felt great!

Nowadays we don’t know the meaning of fasting anymore, nor do we experience all the great benefits from it. When was the last time you were really hungry? When was the last time you stopped eating before you were completely stuffed? This is how most of us are used to eat; without thinking. No wonder the body becomes exhausted and is begging for some rest.

Well, this is what a fast does. It gives your body that well needed rest to restore and rejuvenate. It is giving you the opportunity to start a new, healthier and happier lifestyle!

This RAVISHING JUICE FAST program is the right fit for you if you…

… are tired of being tired
… are longing for energy to do all the things you love doing
… are feeling fatigued constantly and can’t refuel your body and mind
… are feeling stuffed and bloated
… can’t lose those pounds which make you feel unhappy and uncomfortable
… want to make the transition to a healthier life or to raw food
… can’t concentrate anymore
… can’t think clearly anymore
… lost your appetite in life
… have skin problems
… have joint and muscles pains and you can’t move in the morning
… are suffering from ailments you can’t get rid of

I have been there too! After I was cured of several serious diseases my body was totally exhausted. So was my mind. After each cleanse I did I felt as if I took enormous leaps forward with my health. But it was only after the last one, a water and juice fast that I could tell the difference with other cleanses. It went much deeper and more thoroughly than any other cleanse I had done. The first few days are always a bit tougher, but soon you will notice that it is well worth it! Why? Simply because it gives you so much more than you could have dreamed of…

What will RAVISHING JUICE FAST bring to you?

You will look better and younger
You will get that youthful feeling back
Your skin will become beautiful
You will be refueled with new energy!
You will have more clarity and be able to concentrate better
You can think “light” and be more positive again
You will get to know yourself in a different way
You will learn to listen to your body and understand its signs
You will fit in your favorite little dress or pants again
You will start glowing
Your eyes will be more open and shining
You will feel goooood!

This program of 3 weeks starts on Tuesday, April 26,2011. More details will be revealed soon by email when you sign up here or in the box below.

Yes, I want to juice up my health and life!

A water and juice fast is not suited if you…

… are on medication or recreational drugs for a health issue (during a fast you can’t take any medication)
… are diabetic and on insulin for more than two years
In these cases fasting may cause too much poison to flow out of the lymph fluid into the blood too quickly

THREE WEEKS TO RAVISHING ENERGY!

WEEK ONE – HYDRATE

From day 1 till 3 we start up transitioning from solid to liquid foods slowly

We kick off with a tele seminar about transitioning and about water and juice fasting

I will give you some lovely, easy recipes for your transitioning days

Our one day long water fast starts on Friday after a (healthy) dinner time

I will guide you through by email

Saturday evening we start making lovely green juices!

Each day another ravishing recipe! (well, except for the water day)

WEEK TWO – ALKALINE

This is our green week! Don’t worry, it won’t be boring!

Because you will love love love my green juice recipes!

My teleseminar will reveal all you need to know about detoxing and how to understand your body

You will learn how to be gentle with yourself during a detox and how to remove toxins faster

WEEK THREE – DETOX

On Saturday starts our one week long, soft gallbladder flush combined with juices

I will talk to you about how to do your liver/gallbladder flush and what you can expect

You will receive a recipe for each day

On our last day I will cover your questions and talk about transitioning from juices to solid foods

Yes, I would love to be part of

RAVISHING JUICE FAST!

FLATTEN YOUR BELLY!

RAVISHING POWER!

Can you remember that first time you were riding your bike all by yourself without falling over? It felt like victory! This is the exact same feeling you get when you finish a fast successfully! You can move mountains, conquer the world… your world.

Fasting is very powerful: it is your own choice, something you really want because it frees you from …

food addictions

bad eating habits

emotional eating

… and dealing with those energy consumers means that your life will feel much better. All this energy that you once needed to deal with negativism and attempts to break vicious circles is now for you! You can now think your own thoughts instead of feeling guilty each time you can’t hold on to a plan. Fasting empowers you with new mental and spiritual strength!

Knowledge is very powerful and this is why I want to share mine with you. Because once you know how to ride a bike you will never forget again. I will teach you how to drive that bike, how to get up when you fall, how to take care of yourself, how to accelerate and breathe the air, how to drive straight towards your goal.
You will always have the recipes I give you, the leads I am guiding you with to do it on your own, the attractive and juicy handouts you will get, the MP3′s of our teleclasses and Q&A call. These are all very valuable materials, made especially for you to re-use each time you commit to another fast. They are timeless.

RAVISHING JUICE FAST

will bring you closer to a healthier and happier life for only

€ 295 – Appr. $437

Starting May 3, 2011!

And yes, this includes all that I will give you to make this fast successful! Meaning, a teleclass or open Q&A call each week, if you missed the calls no worries; I am recording them all and you will receive the MP3′s of each one of them, you will get ravishing recipes so you will love your juices, guidance and support all the way, attractive handouts and…

…the first three enthusiastic subscribers receive a BONUS 30 minute 1:1 coaching call with me (value €30-Appr. $43) taken at a mutually suitable time during our three weeks together)

SAVE YOUR SEAT!

And you will love your ravishing bonuses!

A lovely e-journal where you can keep track with your ravishing water and juice fast and write down your own green creations.

One chapter of my new upcoming eBook where I will explain you what the possible detox side effects are and how you can sooth them. A very valuable gift!

A fr*ee BONUS Q&A teleseminar at the end of our third week where I will tell you how to transition from liquid to solid foods and where you can ask all you want to know about how to move on from there. My surprise for you will be revealed at the end of this call.

Are you ready to commit to your health?

Kickoff is May 3, 2011!

Juice Up Your Health!

Yes Marie-Claire!

I can’t wait to start this 3 week long program with you and understand that I will receive following benefits from this Ravishing Juice Fast!

• Three teleseminars with you that will explain me everything I need to know to go on a water and juice fast in its most beneficial way

• An MP3 of each call so I can catch up if I couldn’t be on the call live

• Attractive handouts with juicy recipes for each day

• A weekly ingredients list for my shopping

• Guidance and support throughout my whole fast journey

• PLUS all your inspiring BONUSES!

I am very much looking forward to sharing all this with you! So if you want to invest in your health by being part of my program and taking this chance to have your cleanse by my side, then…

RESERVE YOUR SPOT!

and pay in full now for only €295 – Appr. $437

Take good care of your health today because tomorrow it might be too late.

Ravishingly Yours,

Marie-Claire

PS – Don’t delay! If you are still doubting but you can feel that this is what you need, than you are ready NOW. And NOW is the time to act if you want to feel better! I am so looking forward to helping you!

Disclaimer: This program is designed out of my personal experiences and knowledge to guide and support you on your juice fast. Please consult your doctor first if you have any health issues. Any nutritional guidelines or recipes given are for informational purposes only and are not to replace advice given by your qualified medical or alternative practitioner. In participating this program you understand that your choices in ALL areas are ultimately your responsibility.

Raw Food Tour Through New York 7

Marie-Claire — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 19:17:57 +0000

I have always valued the old saying “Save the best for last”. This is how I learned eating the back end of asparagus first and enjoy that smooth, soft, delicious, melting top as the last and ever lasting memory of this delicacy. Another delicacy I saved for last is…

PURE FOOD & WINE and ONE LUCKY DUCK

When you travel to New York and are raw – or even not raw-, Pure Food & Wine is a “must have experienced” culinary adventure! I am looking for the right superlatives now but the only satisfying one is the experience itself. So just get over there and order the best raw meal you had in times or maybe even since… ever!

Pure Food & Wine has a warm glow. Red as wine seats, a slightly mysterious, sexy atmosphere and a waiter who didn’t mind asking in the (closing) kitchen if they wanted to make an extra effort for a visitor from Belgium who didn’t make it in time… That was last year. I was so happy when he walked in with a stunning raw meal of which I have been dreaming of ever since.

So when I returned this year, my first thought in the city was returning to this amazing restaurant. I was not the only one… The weather was nice and the place was loaded. But no worries. There is always a saving angel around the corner!

You may call yourself One Lucky Duck when you have the privilege of taking a bite in the best hemp seed burger on this planet! Wow! I couldn’t help myself from moaning each bite and oh how I would love, love LOVE to have that recipe!

I overate in the deserts but I HAD to try their lemon bar, their famous moonie I read about and another chocolate treat I couldn’t resist. This One Lucky Duck is the take out of Pure Food and Wine around the corner. It is only a small place but you can sit down at one of the few tables with heavenly food if you are… lucky.

Chelsea Market at 75 9th Avenue (between 15th and 16th Streets) is the hippest place I saw in a while. Although it is huge it has a nice vibe, there is a lot to see and discover, no matter what you are looking for AND they have a lucky duck over there too!

You need a quick bite, an organic juice? Simply walk in, grab your choice, sit down and eat while watching people walking by. I couldn’t resist their T-shirt and am looking forward to reading and try out some recipes in my new Sarma book. (I was hoping the hemp seed burger would be in there but no!) This MUST be their best kept secret to lure foreigners back to their place and you know what? I don’t mind…

Raw Food Tour Through New York 6

Marie-Claire — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 19:34:13 +0000

I made acquaintance with this lovely store through my friend who wrote down the name and asked me how I would pronounce it. He was surprised that I had it right from the first time because you can give it a twist. Just try yourself…

LIVE LIVE

Another alive food store where you can purchase all your raw goodies and superfoods is Live Live. I love the name! Simple, easy to remember, to the point, sharing a beautiful message and vision. I wish I had come up with it myself as this was around the time I was looking for a name for my business myself.

The open space is very inviting and calming and oh, how nicely every product is put down with great care! It is just lovely to look at them. Nice packages, other choices than I saw before what makes it even more interesting to investigate them.

The owner is a very helpful, friendly man to whom it is nice talking to. His own Live Live brand is offering superfoods and green powders, something to keep in mind for when I want to extend my own offers on my online store in the near future.

It never gets boring to spend time to your health in these kind of places! They offer natural beauty and if you never taste Brad’s Raw Chips before and have been looking for them, then this is your chance.

Raw Food Tour Through New York 5

Marie-Claire — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 19:37:22 +0000

If you are looking for the best juices with the most nutrients but you can’t afford a Norwalk juicer, you can stop at Liquiteria and buy the taste of your choice.

LIQUITERIA

Liquiteria is a very attractive juice bar where you can take out the loveliest juices. The place isn’t big but very busy. I liked the fresh spirit inside, with growing wheatgrass and a bright sunlight color on the walls, a high fridge loaded with bottled juices. It is always nice to read how others combine their juices and the funny names they come up with.

The eye wants something too and Liquiteria understands how to play with that principle. The bottles look nice, the labels clean, their branding rocks in every corner.

I had seen the Norwalk juicer on pictures and in movies but never for real. And oh, they had two of them in the back. I always thought they were much bigger but no, they seem to be elegant, up to date and hip. Dr. Norman Walker was a true “avant-garde” designer in his time to invent a juicer which seems to be the best looking one I ever saw. It has a touch of “Bauhaus”, a bit of “Art Nouveau” and fits right into the 21st. century. He must have known his machine would be timeless because of its exceeding quality. I wish I had a picture of these beauties in the back!

But Liquiteria has more than liquid meals. The oatmeal breakfast suggestion looked tempting, even if it wasn’t raw. If you are a vegetarian or not 100% raw, you will surely enjoy their lovely organic wraps and vegetarian meals such as homemade soups, granola and sandwiches. For me though, Liquiteria will always be connected to Dr. Norman Walker and his world class juicer!

Raw Food Tour Through New York 4

Marie-Claire — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:29:35 +0000

Even while driving or walking through the city you will bump into natural markets where you don’t expect them. This one was a nice extra with a lot of organic choices!

LIFETHYME NATURAL MARKET

LifeThyme Natural Market reminded me of my favorite Westerly place; they offer everything to keep you healthy and raw. Each time I visit the green department of no matter what organic supermarket in New York I am pleasantly surprised by the enormous offer in organic vegetables and fruits. When I compare this to any supermarket in Belgium, I can only welcome the enthusiasm of these city natives. Why? Organic supermarkets can only exist and survive through their loyal consumers.

So I am wondering even more what is happening in Belgium where people seem to be pretty conscious about health and where the trend is to eat more fresh food. This is such a great evolution! But… where do we have to purchase these healthy foods? Two cities further away?

I am also experiencing it as a problem of integration. Our bio products are still labeled as a “side” product for a small minority, so not really interesting for expended departments in supermarkets or even natural supermarkets on their own. Therefor it also becomes a viscous circle of demand and offer and as long as there isn’t enough choice, people won’t be motivated to sell more organic produce.

I wish I could say that every city in Belgium has one substantial supermarket which is providing all these rich segments of organic foods. Our supermarkets offer ‘bio’ products, but mostly those have the look of overtime vegetables and fruit. Certainly in smaller health food stores. Or the offer is so restricted that you have to spend time looking for them between the usual produce.

You can only tell that they are “bio” when they are wrapped in plastic and labeled “bio”. Where is the logic I often wonder. Where is the logic of people having to beg for more organic foods in their regular supermarket? Who is responsible for this lack of consciousness? If even regular requests of a client aren’t been taken seriously?

Craving for a salty snack, chips, cookies? You can easily make the right choices here and grab those tasty kale chips. Remember that whatever bad food is teasing you, you can choose for the healthy version of it and enjoy its delicious taste without any guilt!

Hungry while shopping? You know what that means; you will load your basket with everything you weren’t planning to buy. I love these smoothie bars where you expect them the least! The smoothie of your choice is made fresh while you are waiting, you get new inspiration watching someone else making it, bye bye hunger and you can keep going if you have to run off to work. This town offers healthy fast food everywhere!

Oh and they have all these organic seeds, beans and grains… not always easy to find! LifeThyme surprised me pleasantly with their complete offer from foods to live made smoothies to organic body care at 410 6th Avenue (between 8th and 9th).

Raw Food Tour Through New York 3

Marie-Claire — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 22:35:25 +0000

New York is one big contrast! You can go from a huge Whole Foods Market to a small, charming raw food store and be just as excited and enchanted. Oh I love New York!

And …

HIGH VIBE

When you notice the bright green in the 138 East 3^rd st NYC, NY. 10009, you know that you are at the right place. This facade with its nicely displayed windows is so inviting that you simply HAVE to open the door and check out what it is behind it. To me, it is raw paradise. The store is using every square inch at the fullest to please your hunger for superfoods, organic body care, whole foods supplements, raw food goodies and knowledge.

You will be welcomed warmly and whatever your question about a product, you will get a satisfying answer. I was pleased to meet Bob Dagger, the owner, who is always looking for the best for his store. I especially like the variety of products here and you can tell how much love and effort is put in expanding the huge offer. There is always something new to discover and this time I noticed mushroom powders such as Reishi and Chilajit, Tocotrienols, Sunflower and Soy Lecithin, vanilla powder and yum, raw Manna bread! I tasted their two Zana Juices, a very powerful probiotic drink made of fermented cabbage. I could buy the whole store but only had one suitcase…

It is good to visit places like these where you can immerse yourself and broaden your raw horizon. It is by buying completely new products and trying out their possibilities that you can discover new tastes and textures in your recipes. This is what keeps your uncooking exciting, fresh and new. New, high quality products motivate you to go deeper into the culinary world of raw food and feel the excitement of eating healthy. Oh my, I can talk hours about this!

Another section which gives me the high vibes is the lovely book department. It is so good to see a library this expanded. I bought Matt Amsden’s book but felt like buying the whole series of Dr. Norman Walker and more. It is just so nice to have all that choice and to be able to browse through books instead of ordering them online without seeing or smelling. I like to hold books in my hands before they become mine.

So if you are in New York, be sure to hop over and get the good vibes at High Vibe!

Raw Food Tour Through New York 2

Marie-Claire — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 20:15:58 +0000

Even if you haven’t planned your day and you are out of vegetables and fruit, you can find organic produce very nearby your place in New York. If you are staying in a hotel room you can have a daily visit to get some greens and make a salad or a smoothie with a personal blender. I saw very handy, small packages with green powders, enough for one smoothie. So if you are traveling to New York, you don’t even have to bother taking your superfoods.

WHOLE FOODS MARKET

I knew of the many outstanding Whole Foods Markets in New York but when we discovered this huge, clean building which seemed very new, I was stunned by their green mission on all levels.

It was exciting to wander through the wide paces and see all the green departments. Everything is available here, from organic and locally grown produce to superfoods, wheatgrass powder, ecological cleansing products, kitchen tools, bamboo cutting boards and organic body care. And oh, I even found my favorite probiotics there!

It was amazing to see how all healthy choices one can make are displayed here. Even if shopping in small stores can be more personal, I liked spending time here because it is so synoptic and clear where you have to be for what you are looking for. These Whole Foods Markets are all over town, no matter where you are living or staying. What a lovely motivation for whomever is choosing to eat raw or healthy while traveling or living in a city.

It isn’t difficult to make healthy choices in New York, despite what many people might say. Yes, the prices are higher than when you walk into a McDonalds and order your hamburger. But there is no price on health, the most valuable good we own.

Raw Food Tour Through New York 1

Marie-Claire — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 20:28:02 +0000

My trip to New York was in one word… ravishing! Even though my favorite store Westerly was closed due to renovations and Raw Soul is no longer active as a restaurant I was delighted by the new places I discovered and the known ones I re-visited.

I was sitting in a Starbuck cafe drinking a mint tea, looking at people passing by and thought; “Let me count how many people on ten are overweighed.” I was shocked that the number was “ten” during that next minute. How ironic and sad to see this in a city were magnificent whole food stores are within reach behind every corner, where organic and raw foods are for sale in many supermarkets and lovely specialized stores, where communities are organizing themselves to sell organically, locally grown produce at affordable prices.

New York is full of opportunities to make healthy choices. My dear friend guided me through town from South to North so I could write about these lovely places. This healthy raw food tour will show you where to go if you are living in this wonderful city. Or if you are raw and visiting New York but don’t know where to go to, then be my guest and put your teeth in the juiciest, biggest apple you ever had…

THE ORGANIC AVENUE

“Welcome to the Space of Love” it says on the blackboard at the door of 116, Suffolk Street. And oh my, you do feel welcome between all the lovely bottled juices, alkaline water, superfoods, friendly smiles, the beautiful bar, the inviting wooden table. The space is grand, clean, simple, tasteful, peaceful and perfect for the many events the Organic Avenue organizes. In April for instance, you can join them for a three day long workshop with James Russell. I wish I was there!

I talked to the lady of the house and when she heard that I am a raw food coach she invited me to organize one of my events at her place. I was, AM thrilled and so looking forward to giving my first raw food workshop in New York.

But a lot more is going on at the Organic Avenue. They make gorgeous juices and smoothies. You want to do a cleanse but have no juicer? Order your cleanse and it will be delivered right at your door in a cool box. You can’t get confused; the bottles are numbered and you don’t have to worry about anything. It can’t get much easier than that!

The Organic Avenue has charming cafés and shops all over town, you can check out the locations here, they are within everybody’s reach. My dear friend who guided me and I enjoyed a wonderful mint smoothie in a cute bottle and went off to the next stop.

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!

Super Chia Smoothie

Marie-Claire — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 11:26:06 +0000

You will love, love LOVE this smooth smoothie! I do! I am enjoying it right now while I am writing. I simply have to share this wonderful recipe which started in some kind of a minor because I was out of bananas and leafy green vegetables and didn’t feel like going out in the rain. My throat was feeling soar since last night and I felt tired when I woke up this morning so I had to make a super smoothie fast!

I was wondering how to replace the smoothness of a banana in my smoothie. I opened my fridge, hm, soaked chia seeds could do the trick. And ripe pears for some sweetness. My favorite loyal coconut oil would help too for sure. This is how I brew this overnice super boosting smoothie. After drinking one glass I feel the energy coming back and the sourness has gone.

This smoothie is packed with essential fatty oils (3 to 10 times the oil concentrations of most grains), proteins (one and a half to two times the protein concentrations of other grains), linoleic (the unsaturated fatty acid which the body can’t produce) and calcium ( it contains the important mineral boron, a catalyst for the absorption of calcium).

TOOLS YOU NEED

A blender
A sharp knife
A cutting board

INGREDIENTS FOR ALMOST 1 QUART

About 3-4 cups rejuvelac (you can also use water, tea or coconut water… but the rejuvelac is so great!)
1 C soaked chia seeds
2 C blueberries (when you take frozen berries in winter, you don’t have to add ice)
2 ripe pears
2 TBS coconut oil
2 tsp maca
1 tsp bee pollen
2 TBS supergreen powder (Amazing Grass is very good and tasting lovely!)
2 TBS hemp seeds
2 TBS honey

THE MAKING OF…

Blend until very smooth ( a bit longer to break down all the chia seeds) and soak all the goodies in this goddess drink…

TIPS

Chia seeds have no taste so you can easily add other flavors while enjoying all the great nutrients of chia (EFA’s!)
You can add chocolate, goji berries… their rich flavors will always take over from the chia seeds
Soak a few cups of chia seeds overnight and store what you don’t need in a sealed glass container in the refrigerator; they stay good for two weeks
Chia seeds can help you to lose weight because of their good fats. Moreover they are very filling and help you control hunger in a natural way

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.

Juicy Crackers

Marie-Claire — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 22:53:58 +0000

Juicy Crackers

When you juice a lot you will often wonder what to do with all the pulp. Throw it away in a garbage bag? Throw it out on your compost? Feed it to the pets? Crackers are a wonderful, tasteful, economic solution and will save you a lot of money. Just think of what one small pack is costing and you will know how much.

Juice all day long and make a tray in the early evening for a nice and warm breakfast the next morning. This makes a lovely recipe for early, dark winter mornings when you are aching for some warm comfort while the house is warming up.

The principle is very easy and you can add whatever you like. As each juice and the variety of juices you make throughout the day is different, each tray of these crackers will have its surprising tastes. A good timing to make a new batter is around 5 or 6 pm or when you stop juicing. You will still have the time to flip your tray after the first drying period of 4 to 5 hours. Then you can go to bed with a smile. The dehydrator will do the rest overnight while you are having juicy dreams.

Deep Purple

TOOLS YOU NEED

A juicer
A dehydrator or oven
A large bowl
A wooden spoon or a spatula

INGREDIENTS

The pulp of your daily juices
1-2 C grind flax seeds
1 C grind nuts to your choice
Herbs and seasonings which fit to the taste of the pulp
Sea salt to taste
Some pure water or original juice, depending on how much pulp you have

THE MAKING OF…

If you like your crackers with a “clean” color, don’t mix the pulp of the different juices you made but separate them
If you don’t mind mixing, stir the pulps until well mixed
Grind the nuts you like in your crackers and throw the flour in the bowl with the pulp
Add the herbs and seasonings you think will fit with the taste of the crackers, spicy, Mediterranean or sweet…
Taste, taste, taste and adjust until you say “Mmmm!
Grind your flax seeds and mix everything very well
Now add the water or juice you need to have an easy consistency to spread out on your tray
Spread the batter on a teflex sheet or parchment paper and make squares so you can break them easily when ready
Place the tray in your dehydrator
If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can use an oven on the lowest temperature, not higher than 118°F or 42°C . Leave the door a little bit open so the water can evaporate and your crackers will be crunchy
If you put your tray in around 5 or 6 pm, you can still flip it over after 4 to 5 hours
Let it dehydrate until the next morning and they will be perfect for breakfast

Try out what you like. This basic principle works for every pulp and you will have fun creating your own recipes. Enjoy your creations!

Green Juicy Crackers

Marinated Mushrooms

Marie-Claire — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 16:10:28 +0000

Raw?

Winter, snow, freezing wind… I am aching for warmth inside of my body. Sure, my green smoothies help but when dinner time is there, I want more. I bet you do too! I learned that when you cheat your ‘eye’ with the food you make, you feel warmer just by looking at your plate. Making or finishing off dishes with raw food that is looking as if it is cooked is a trick that works every time. How you can change that raw view into a softened, wilted look?

It is very simple. Marinate your vegetables. Slice them very small, cover them up with olive oil, add a spoon of hemp oil for great omega’s and… you know what? Let me put it down here in a simple, fast and delicious recipe for two persons. This is a lovely side dish which combines so well with nori rolls or on top of a pizza or pasta to get that cooked look or simply mixed with salad.

TOOLS YOU NEED

A sharp knife
A large bowl
A (wooden) spoon
A dehydrator or oven (optional)

Organic Mushrooms

INGREDIENTS

About a half pound of mushrooms to your choice
Enough olive oil to moist the mushrooms (be generous)
A TBS of hemp oil or sesame oil (optional)
A big bunch of finely chopped parsley
Whatever herbs that can enhance that wild taste of mushrooms; chive, rosemary, thyme, oregano… (optional)
Sea salt to taste
A tsp of kelp granules (optional but great if you have thyroid issues)
Juice of a half lemon
Some apple cider vinegar (optional if you added lemon juice but a nice touch)

Wild herbs to add

THE MAKING OF…

Sliced

Chop up the mushrooms into fine slices and throw them in a large bowl

Pour enough olive oil to cover up

Pour your oil generously over them so they can soak in it

Add your herbs and other ingredients

Add the herbs of your choice, the salt, the lemon and apple cider vinegar and enjoy the odors!

Mix well and let sit

Mix well with a spoon or your hands
Taste if it is to your taste and add what you want more in there
Set it away for about twenty minutes; the mushrooms will wilt and start looking cooked!
For maximum effect; put it on a tray with teflex sheet and warm it up for an hour in your dehydrator
Add some extra olive oil so they still stay moist while dehydrating

TIPS

You can easily make one pound of these marinated mushrooms. They will be even better the next day!
You can add them with another recipe then and they will give another extra dimension
You can marinate whatever you like to look cooked; peppers, eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes …

Enjoy your uncooked, cooked looking dish!

Mixed with cherry tomatoes

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!