Raw Food Recipe: Where the wild things are

There is more buzz about "re-wilding" these days and it is not about stripping down to your wild self and bounding through the Forrest. Although that is much needed! Adding more truly "wildly grown" foods into your daily meals is taking your raw food meals to the next level. So how do we re-wild ourselves while in the city habitat? well....here is what I did today and I am certain you can do the same.

I live just outside Santa Cruz in a small neighborhood and have a large untamed yard. Our space around our home was just dirt when we moved in April. We have not sprayed or dumped any yukk into the soil. Aside from planting our own garden beds, we let what wanted to grow just GROW! We had kamikaze tomato plants under the deck, wild roses springing up next to the kale and huge thistles the size of Christmas trees bushing out amongst the peppers.

Wild greens are easy to find when you consciously look and notice they are everywhere! Thing is, most people pull up, burn or spray these nourishing plants because they don't recognize them as food or even "pretty". It is a shame we have been programmed to snub our noises at these wild foods commonly referred to as pesky"weeds". Wild edibles are free food and do not need to be cultivated like our average food supply that would not last in the wild.

Wild greens are packed, I mean super pumped with protein and other medicinal properties from the wild. Here are some examples of wild greens even you could find right this nano-second by rooting around in your back yard or un sprayed hiking trails.

Meet Mighty Mulva: This "weed" grows like wildfire! The petals are all sizes and resemble a Lilly pad. Malva Leaf is said to help loosen and expel phlegm and congestion from the lungs. It aids the body in expelling excess fluid and mucus, and because of its soothing, demulcent qualities, it not only removes phlegm, it also acts to soothe and relieve inflammation of the larynx and tonsils, dry coughs, sore throat, hoarseness, lung catarrh, bronchitis, asthma, emphysema and irritation of respiratory passages. Lovely Lambs quarter: Sometimes growing waist high with thin branches, this very common backyard snack strengthens our immune system much like most bitter greens. The only weed that round up cannot kill is you guessed it! Lambs quarter! Gimme sum! High in Vit A and C and calcium.
King Daddy Dandylion: The leaves amongst this ever famous yellow flower it use to be used to treat liver issues such as jaundice, gall stones, congested lymph, breast sores and swelling, suppresses lactation, diabetes, delayed menstruation and ulcers.

Here is what my WILD smoothie for today had:

Wild things are smoothies Served 2 yard snackers

2 c ripened on the tree in East LA mangos (organic)

1/2 c frozen Watsonville strawberries

1/2 c Grass fed organic blueberries

2 loose cups of back yard kale with stem

3 palm sized mulva leaves

2 c cage-free pure water

1/2c lambs quarter leaves. stem and bally things removed

Step 1: Place all ingredients into blender.

Step 2: Pour into your favorite recycled glass jar and enjoy!

Dahveed asked me "Aren't you going to take pictures of our smoothie in nice jars?"

well..no. This is just to show how wonderful it is to re-use your jars for your beverages. I you need to take it on the go, you simply snap a lid on and go!

Isn't it wild to know that those with manicured yards or pavement are really missing out.

~Melissa

SIX week postpartum update!

I can hardly believe it has been almost seven weeks since baby Zavier came into this world! WOW! It has just zipped by! Zavier has grown so much and is getting more and more expressive every day! There are days when he is showing all of this “daddy features” then the next day I will see a glimpse of me in those eyes or lips as they curl to laugh. I am in love with my son! He is just amazing!
Breastfeeding has been going very well. I have the hand of it now and feel like a super mom. The first week was a little rough and tough I must admit. My nips felt like they were going to crack and bleed. I was not getting any sleep at night and my back was in knots. A week into mother hood I was still high on “New mommie” yet felt rugged. There were moments I had to say “Are you kidding me! Am I really cut out for this!” Then…
I discovered ways of making my life so much easier and here are the updates!

BREASTFEEDING: It started with learning how to get Zavier to latch properly for comfortable and successful feeding. To my surprise it is not just a matter of giving the baby the nipple. There is a mastered technique to getting the nipple inside the mouth in a that prevents discomfort. My nipples were so red and sore that I thought I would have to stop breastfeeding because it hurt so bad. I would literally almost cry when Zavier would latch and to think it was more painful than childbirth! LOL
I perfected the technique of a proper latch as well as discovered how to breastfeed while lying down at night. YES! What a victory this was. It is most prized between the hours of say 10pm and 5am. Zavi would begin to stir in the middle of the night, I would sit upright, grab the bobby then get him all situated to nurse and try not to fall asleep and hunch over on him. Instead I now scoop him right into my chest, turn him on his side and like a ninja pop a nipple in for a comfortable feeding. He and momma can fall asleep and all is right in the world.

DIAPER LAND: This has been an adventure. I intended on being the ultimate nature lover by going all cloth diaper style and even danced in the world of Elimination Communication. “Diaper free. “ This was just plain nuts in the first week of being home because I had so much to adjust to, that waiting for Zavi to pee or poo and hold him over a bowl wasn't easy. Even though I couldn’t have been happier being a new mom, I found it boarder line irritating trying to master the EC so soon which is unrealistic. I am the kind of person that thrives on figuring things out and master them. HA! No diaper eh? Zavi laughed many times. I decided to just do what I could do with no stress and that was to use cloth diapers and sometimes the biodegradable ones at night or on car rides. I had to let go of the idea that I could or SHOULD be able catch every single poo and pee before it happened by having the bowl ready. I quit shoulding all over myslef! Our washer and dryer hasn’t seen so much action until now! Because I believe it could work with more practice, pacience and care, I will look more into EC at a later time. Phew

MY BODY: When we came home from the birthing center I was instructed by my Midwife to stay in bed naked for the first 2 weeks and bond with Zavier through breastfeeding and cuddlin'. Jeesh! twinst my arm! This sounded like a great plan. I spent many weeks lounging naked, nursing and admiring my little boy. I attempted to do some light house cleaning but what I didn’t realize how much trauma my body endured through birth and that I would need ample healing time. My hips, pelvis and everything else in between was very sore and tender. If I wasn’t careful to move faster than an old lady pace, I would begin to cramp and bleed. I realized I needed to truly take it easy and just relax. My body snapped back rather quickly. By the beginning of week two I was in my pre-pregnancy jeans yet very week muscularly. I was planning on getting into yoga right off the bat since it was mellow, but was hit with a dose of reality which takes me to our next topic:
MOMMA’S WORK OUT PLAN: Like most new mothers I had a whole workout plan and ideal on how I was going to get back into shape after giving birth. I was down to my pre-pregnancy size, however I hadn’t done an intense yoga session, ran, or anything aside from basic stretching in months! I was ready to gain back my strength, gain muscle and stamina.
After five weeks postpartum I was no longer sore and felt like I could begin to kick it up a notch. My new plan was to do yoga online every morning with YogaGlo, then three times a week I would do a ass kicking beachbody© workout called Insanity. Which turned out to be just that. Totally INSANE. I forgot to factor in breastfeeding, sleep and something called TIME! I had no realistic concept of what the demands of being a new mother would be. Dahveed would watch Zavier when I would do my yoga in the am, but then when it came time later in the day to do something more intense like the BeachBody dvds, Zavier needed me or Dhaveed was in class and unable to comfort him. Baby Zavi's needs are simple bless his heart. He wants to be held, a clean diaper and of course the boobies. I tried sitting Zavi up on the couch in front of where I could do my INSANE workout and he wasn’t into it. Maybe he really does know what is best for momma, and an insane workout isn’t it for now. This reminds me of a saying “Make plans; God Laughs”. After a few days of pouting and being resistant to what truly IS. I made a new plan. I love it and the best part is, I can change it moment by moment! In the morning I get up and do my yoga online while Dahveed has Zavi and some back up breast milk I pumped earlier. We then have breakfast together which is typically a smoothie, then a little while after that I take Zavi for a brisk walk and or other movement. It’s a nice fast passed walk and I have him in the MOBY™ which is fantasticly- hands free! Sometime I will even wear Zavier and the Moby and do a light workout video or do some fun stuff outside using him as my weight. This is much better than my INSANE plan and Zavi likes it too. With my old mindset and plan, there were several days in a row I wouldn’t even go outside even for fresh air because I wasn't "doing my planned workout"! I would then be bummed amd grouchie. With this new plan of having Zavi be apart of my fitness plan regardless if Dahveed is available, I find that going on a few walks in a day just to get out of the house ad move my body is vital too!

FOOD and DIET: My diet has been shall we say interesting the past few weeks. The equivalent of Mr. Toad’s wild ride. When I first came home from the Center I didn’t have much of an appetite. I was in LA-LA land nested in bed, so a few smoothies a day and a blended green soup was perfect and sustaining. As I healed and got out and about more I was craving all sorts of just ridiculously-crazy bizarre foods such as French toast, French frys (baked of course), Amy’s pizza and anything in the pastry case that was sweet and dirty. *blush* What on earth sparked this obnoxious-ness! I mean really!? I have to be honest…my diet was frightened there for a few weeks then I pulled my head out! I felt like complete crapola after I would indulge in this $%^&*! That's a no-brainer! So it has been easy to snap out of it. I deserve better and so does my baby. Thank goddess I am now having a deep craving for seaweeds which is a new “crave” for me. Last week I did not desire fruit for breakfast, I wanted soaked arame with minced garlic, lemon, and avocado all mashed up. I repeat FOR BREAKAST! I just went with the feeling and it tasted divine. I then soaked a big bowl of arame for future cravings and have been enjoying it every day at most meals.
Here is what I do and recommend you try:

For one serving:
About 3c salad green
1/3C of already soaked and drained arame seaweed
½ ripe avocado diced
6 cherry tomatoes halved
Toss all ingredients in bowl with my miso lemon dressing WOW! So satisfying.

In the next few weeks I will keep you posted on my routines, any new recipes and of course more baby pics to smile at.

Xx ~Melissa

Raw Recipe: Carrot cake shake

“C” is for cake! Carrot that Is!

I have been big into smoothies lately mostly because I prefer to drink my food rather than sit down and eat it, being so close to my due date! There is little room in there these days, but there is always room for carrot cake shake!
With fall and winter flavors making their ways into my daily foodie routine I craved a morning smoothie that would deliver the nutrition I have been used to as well as boldly take the place of my orange-banana green smoothie. Mmmm…who can say no to cake first thing in the mornin’? This smoothie is the real deal! Delicious, nutritious and very simple to make! Enjoy!
Originally from Asia, the mighty carrot is easily assimilated by our bodies even left raw; with numerous health benefits. (Why am I not surprised that ever fruit or vegetable has amazing health benefits!) Chinese practitioners say that carrots are not only a tasty sweet root vegetable; it is good for the health of spleen and stomach. It is also believed to improve impotence (lower sexual drive), sexual dysfunction, night blindness, long term cough (or call hundred days cough in Chinese medical prescription) besides strengthening kidney and eliminating excessive wind and cold in our body. Can you turn orange from too many carrots? Sure…but that would take A LOT!
When picking carrots, try shopping at your local farmer’s market and seek out the organic, smaller, more “rustic” stubby and fat carrots. Over the past 150 years of modern day agriculture, carrots have been hybrid (altered genetically) to be the size of walking sticks! Most if not all hybrid produce is a far cry from what nature intended, yet still fine to eat. No need to completely avoid hybrid produce like carrots, juts be aware that these foods should be enjoyed minimally and that if you have a choice for the OG (Original) v.s the perfectly nubby carrots: go that route! Hybrid foods do contain a little more sugar than the non hybrids. Again, awareness is fine. Fanaticism isn’t. Now, back to the cake part!

Get 111 more recipes in Melissa E Book HERE!

Carrot cake shake Serves 1
1 c ice
1 small ripe banana (Frozen is suggested for thicker texture)
½ c fresh carrot juice
½ c almond milk OR: ( ½ c water + 1/3 c soaked cashews)
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ TB Pumpkin pie spice
3 big, juicy medjool dates pitted
Place all ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth
Garnish with ground pecan pieces and cinnamon

* Optional health-nut kick: Add ½ tsp of Spirulina if you need a boost of protein. This may slightly change up the flavor, but deliver the nutrition you deserve.

To nab a copy of Melissa’s Amazing E-book Click HERE!
A total of 112 delicious recipes! Nut free & agave free options!

xxMelissa

Honest Meals: What parents consider food

Honest Meals:

I have a few close girl friends back home who have one or two babies either breastfeeding or eating adult foods by now. All of my friends have seen me go through my transition towards more live foods over the past 8 years and have been intrigued about the whole deal but thought it was too extreme therefor not interested in applying any of the info I would share.
Wanting me to be proud of her, my friend Emily boasted about drinking “Naked” brand Juices and feeding her baby the “Organic” version of Gerber foods as fulfilling nutritional requirements for herself, her baby and her unborn only 12weeks into gestation. Emily, like most parents in the general public today, (me included 8 years ago) are under the impression that eating healthier means choosing whole wheat cereals, canned soups with less “fat” or sodium, brown bread verses the spongy white and making your own pizza from scratch instead of calling up Dominos for delivery. Some of these options are “better” yes; however there is plenty of room for improvement. I have realized just how much more information is needed to steer mommas towards truly healthier ways to not only feed their babies better but nourish themselves on a deep cellular level. Many parents are mislead on what is best for their children through creative advertising campaigns, commercials and poor public information about what is really food.
Now, eating an all raw food diet may seem a bit extreme to take on, but there is no need to feel intimidated. I invite all parents to just take a educated look at the types of foods in their fridges and cabinets and then take easy steps to improve the quality. This is not about taking on a all raw food diet, or even an all vegetarian diet. This it is about introducing more fresh, wholesome and alive foods and removing the junk.

How and what we eat has been taught to us mostly by the “industries” and food companies. What we percieve as "food" MUST be re-evaluated.

1. Canned and bottled foods are dead foods period. The nutritional information on the back of these packaged foods are measuring the nutrition of the fruits and vegetables before they were preserved. Once these foods are canned or bottled for preservation, they offer nothing but flavor. This is because once a food is cooked, canned or oxidized in preparation; it loses most if not all nutrition.
What to do: Blend your own baby foods fresh in a blender, food processor or baby food mill. Use fresh and ripe fruits, vegetable and even a tiny bit of seasoning. You can find recipe ideas to get you started free online. Purchase a case of small ball jars to store these fresh creations in so that you have them handy for convenience. This will take you literally 10 minutes twice a week to have a stock of fresh baby food available to your child. They are so worth it!

2. Plan simple. Receive complex mineralization! A well balanced dinner does not have to include the whole food pyramid scam. A well balanced meal is simply a meal that offers high nutrition. One or two dinner items are sufficient in feeding your family especially if these dishes are made of fresh wholesome foods.
What to do: A huge dinner salad made with mixed greens, leafy lettuces and or spinach with avocado, tomato, cucumbers and sprouts served with a side of cooked and seasoned lentils, quinoa or wild rice is a perfect meal! There is protein from greens and quinoa, and plenty of other rich minerals found in the fresh greens and vegetables. Eating this way may be very different than what you are used to offering your family. I invite you to try something new all for the purpose of feeding them right!
If your family is not quite ready to go all vegetarian (without meat) that is totally fine. Maybe go all veg a few nights a week as a test run or general practice. When you do cook meat, serve small portions with a large fresh salad to help digest. (bread with meat is a “sticky” internal situation and hard to digest) Most children do not have a taste for meat products. These preferences are taught to them thru repeated feedings from eager parents. Do not worry if your child is getting “enough” protein. They are getting plenty as long as you are feeding them fresh fruits and vegetables.
Eating more simple meals save big bucks as well as digest easily in you and your child’s bellies.

3. Boxed verses Real foods: Of course boxed foods are convenient and even fun to pack into lunch boxes. You must realize that anything on a shelf in a box is seriously lacking nutritionally and a waste of your money.
What to do: No matter what the colorful and catchy label says to sell you the product, think logically and rationally. Foods that have been man-made are no comparison to fresh whole foods found in the produce section. The bulk of your everyday meals should come from fresh produce not cardboard boxes and cans. Cans and boxes are cheaper and last longer yes. But at what cost to your health? HUGE!
If you want to indulge in a cookie here and there or make some brownies, go for it. But do not rely on this stuff for fuel, nutrition or as a true meal.
French fries, Cheerios, Mickey Mouse cheese sammich or a canned bean and cheese enchilada off the kids menu is not going to cut it nutritionally as a balanced meal for your child. Your baby’s are better off eating a single apple, orange slices or handful of grapes as a meal. And more times than not, a child will eat just that intuitively. If your child eats a few bites of fruit or fresh veggies and takes off to play again, let them. Their little stomachs are only the size of their fists and if they get hungry again, they will be back for more nibbles. There is no need to force them to eat more “bulk” or to eat foods void in nutrients just to “fill them up”. Parents must make the connection and feel confident that fresh foods grown from the ground are nutrient dense and will nourish their child far better! A little goes a very long way!

Examples of easy trade outs for superior nutrition:

Old option VS Better option

Instead of : bottled juices/drinks spend your cash on Fresh fruits blended in the blender or Home fresh pressed OJ.

Toss out the boxed Pastas and try Quinoa or wild rice.

Instead of Boxed dry cereals make Quick & Fresh granola (recipe in last blog post).

Instead of your regular Wheat or white Bread reach for Ezekiel brand sprouted bread.
Cows milk can and should be swapped out for Rice milk. Home-made nut milk (recipe). We are no baby calves! Instead of the normal routine of Meat based tacos try use More sauteed vegetables or nut meats (recipe).
Canned marinara sauce is nothing compared to Freshly blended marinara (recipe) .
Spaghetti noodles can easily be traded for better option called Kelp noodles . When warmed and added to any dish they are amazing and very low calorie!

Curious cat? Get Melissa's Ebook HERE!

XX Melissa