Raw To Zen

a new beginning

2012-01-05T14:10:00.000-08:00

working my way toward becoming a 75% to 100% raw vegan again. obviously, adding animal foods back into my diet has raised my blood pressure and cholesterol back to questionable levels. in other words, people telling me that i should just moderate my diet... that was bad advice.

my needs are obviously different from others based on my genetic makeup.

and i'm back to my high blood pressure and cholesteral drugs for now, until i can bring my levels back down with healthy eating.

wish me luck... the start of a new year is always a new beginning, and a clean slate...

100% Raw Challenge

2011-02-26T14:31:00.000-08:00

I haven't been posting here because I haven't been 100% raw...

But, I made a promise to myself to go 100% raw in March.

Wish me luck!

High Raw...

2010-08-13T07:59:00.000-07:00

I guess this is as good a place as any to confess that I haven't been 100% raw lately.

Matter of fact, I haven't been much of a vegan or vegetarian.

A part of me feels like I've failed, but then on the other side of the coin I am still eating a LOT of raw foods. Daily.

I'd say I'm doing 75% raw foods, with smoothies, raw salads, raw walnut milk, wheatgrass juice, and other juices.

And I still like one of my favorite sandwiches, a raw-vegan sandwich I like to make at home, consisting of onions, tomatoes, sprouts, avocado in a sprouted grain bread with veganaise. Sometimes I add a slice of vegan cheese.

But, I'm trying hard to get back to being 100% raw. Wish me luck. I'm going to make an effort to transition to 100% raw again...

Perhaps a new start?

2010-03-12T11:34:00.000-08:00

So, I've been hacked once again on my own domains.

I'm seriously considering starting anew with new projects.

Perhaps go underground for a while.

I can handle being hacked but I confess it just sucks all the energy and enthusiasm one has for creating and building (and rebuilding) online websites and communities.

Life...

My online life...

Needs to change drastically.

Maybe being hacked was a good thing... a wakeup call...

closing doors in order to open new ones.

A New Day, A New Year

2010-01-21T13:14:00.000-08:00

Sunrise, a few days ago in front of my house. Somewhat symbolic of the beginning of a New Year... a New Day!

High Raw Salad @ The Shores Restaurant in La Jolla

2010-01-19T09:06:00.000-08:00

Had Sunday brunch with the family for the first time at The Shores Restaurant in La Jolla.

I had a nicely arrangement fruit salad with blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and watermelon. Plus, this raw salad, which had feta cheese but I pushed those off to the side of the plate.

My two entrees were not regular items on the menu and the waiter had these put together to accomodate my raw food lifestyle, so thanks to him for being able to do this.

Surprisingly, The Shores Restaurant is affordable for La Jolla, and you have a great view of the Pacific Ocean for Sunday Brunch!

the Green Smoothie Revolution

2009-10-01T20:46:00.000-07:00

What is a green smoothie?

Simply put, a green smoothie is a blended drink consisting of approximately 60% fruit and 40% greens.

Why drink green smoothies?

Though it may look green in colour, a green smoothie is suprisingly tasty, sweet and packed full of essential nutrients. And being a raw food beverage, it contains an abundance of enzymes your body needs.

Green Smoothie Revolution

In her book, "Green Smoothie Revolution: The Radical Leap Towards Natural Health", Victoria Boutenko promotes the healing benefits of drinking green smoothies and making them a daily part of your food intake.

From Amazon.com

Thanks to processed and fast foods, being overworked, and feeling stressed while eating on the fly, it is increasingly difficult for most of us to eat anywhere near a balanced diet. We may not be obviously sick, but may suffer from lack of focus, insomnia, sluggishness, or any host of symptoms caused by nutritional deficiency. Green Smoothie Revolution takes aim at this silent epidemic by restoring balance to our diets.

Combining nutrition and know-how with recipes that pack a powerhouse punch, Victoria Boutenko reintroduces long neglected fruits, vegetables, and greens in the most persuasive style for our busy lives: with fast prep and delicious results. Featuring 200 recipes, Green Smoothie Revolution offers both simplicity (4 ripe pears, 1 bunch parsley, 2 cups water; blend well) and enough variety to keep taste buds happy and nutrients coming from a wealth of options.

Ms. Boutenko and her family have been raw foodists since 1994, adopting the raw food lifestyle because of chronic illnesses in the family that have since been eliminated or brought under control through a diet of raw foods.

Highlights from Green Smoothie Revolution

1. Leafy greens contain Chlorophyll, which is in essence "liquefied sunshine". Plants literally produce and synthesize food from sunlight. And virtually all creatures on the planet are trying to consume this "liquefied sunshine" either directly from plant food, or by eating an animal that has consumed it directly. It seems logical to get the sun's energy directly from plant sources.

2. This book is highly informative and has over 200 green smoothie, raw soup and pudding recipes. There's even special green smoothie recipes for children and pets.

3. There is a helpful section for beginners that features simple, easy to prepare green smoothies. As well as a "tips and techniques" section to help make your smoothie preparation much easier.

4. A chapter on "blending versus juicing" covers the nutritional benefits of both, and how blending green smoothies can be more advantageous.

5. The book ends with case studies and personal success stories, and how the Boutenko family discovered the benefits and health advantages of the raw foods. It is inspiring to read how this family overcame their health problems by adopting a raw food lifestyle.

In Summary

Overall, I highly recommend this book. I've been an evangelist for the Raw Food movement and promoted the health benefits of delicious 100% Raw Cacao-Banana Smoothies, but reading this book has convinced me that green smoothies can truly deliver. Already, I have tried a few of the recipes in the book, I can definitely feel the nutriontional boost in energy from this amazing beverage!

"In more than thirty-five years of practice as a psychiatrist affiliated with the Harvard Medical School, I have learned one thing very well: Human behavior is very hard to change. Now Victoria Boutenko is persuading me otherwise.… Thirty days of green smoothies will change how you feel, and how you feel about yourself. That’s no small achievement for one small book."
—A. William Menzin, MD, Harvard Medical School

. . . .

Green Smoothie Revolution is published through North Atlantic Books "a leading publisher of alternative health, martial arts, and spiritual titles."

2009-01-08T19:13:00.000-08:00

Last night I took a photo of what I ate.

L-R: Avocado slices, fresh salsa, kale crackers, a cup of walnut milk.

In the foreground on the white sushi plate is a "Harvest Sandwich" accompanied with Carrot garnish. I bought the raw vegan sandwich from Whole Foods and there is another half to this sandwich. The sauce to the right of the tea light is Coconut Curry Sauce.

Please visit my site about raw living: zaw2zen.com

Zen and the Art of Salad Presentation - No. 2

2009-01-08T13:54:00.000-08:00

Salad and Flax Crackers with Garlic Dip

Here's a pic of dinner tonight, which consisted of salad with coldpressed extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. Also, I had some Herb Garden Flax Crackers by Matter of Flax with a very potent creamy raw garlic "paste" by Majestic Garlic.

Salad consisted of the following:

Various lettuce greens, radicchio, frisee, arugula, baby spinach, romaine lettuce.

Herbs: Dill, Cilantro, and Basil

Large Green Raw Olives

Cherry Tomatoes

Broccoli Florets

Broccoli Sprouts

The Beauty of Avocados

2009-01-08T11:59:00.000-08:00

Being a raw vegan I am so glad Avocados exist!

I love them and treat them like "gold", until I eat them...

Zen and the Art of Salad Presentation - No. 1

2009-01-07T16:09:00.000-08:00

I'm going to be posting a collection of photos that I hope will inspire (those who are on a raw food journey and those who might be interested).

My main focus is to present raw foods that are presented as a means to express a sense of aesthetics... of Zen.

This is all experimental, and the emphasis is on creativity and experimentation. And the idea is to improve as we go along.

These photos will also be used at: raw2zen.com

Starting Out Simple...

2009-01-06T15:52:00.000-08:00

Sometimes...

It's best to just start out simple...

Welcome to my blog.

This. is. it!