Carrot Creamsicle

You know what's really good? Blending carrot juice with other stuff. I know it seems like sacrilege to a detox purist, but what can I say: I like it!

Must be the rebel in me. The rebel made me do it. And the fact of having some day old Trader Joe's carrot juice in the fridge. Along with some fresh turmeric roots, aka the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer best herb ever. Nothing wrong with that. 

If you don't have access to fresh turmeric, just use the best quality powder you can find. And drink up. To your health! 

Carrot Creamsicle

Ingredients

8 ounces carrot juice

1/4-1/2 of a honey crisp apple, cored

1/2 a lemon, peeled

1 small turmeric root, or a teaspoon of powdered turmeric

1 Tablespoon hemp protein powder

1/4 cup raw cashews

Optional Supplement Boosts

2 g vitamin C powder (I like Complete C from Innate Response) for added immune support.

2 g leucine powder (from Moss Nutrition). Leucine, a branched chain amino acid, works together with protein to help stimulate muscle growth and promote lean body mass (as opposed to fat. You know what I'm talking about.)

Instructions

Put all the ingredients into a blender and whip into a sweet, frothy shake. Serves one delightfully.

P.S. Want to order professional quality supplements through me or ask me a question? Shoot me an email or leave a comment on this post, and I'll get right back to you. ♥

Chewy Pumpkin Oat Squares

Chewy Pumpkin Oat Squares - yummy, nutritious, vegan, gluten-free :)

These delicious, chewy oat squares—loaded with fruits, nuts and gluten-free whole grains—do equal service as a hearty breakfast (think muffin minus the cup) or a wholesome dessert cake. Pumpkin puree plus freshly grated honeycrisp apple makes the squares moist; currants and walnuts add a bright burst of flavor to every bite.

Chewy Pumpkin Oat Squares

Dry Ingredients
2 cups whole oats (not instant)
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1.5 teaspoons baking soda
1 Tbs ground flaxseed or chia seed
pinch of salt (optional)

Wet Ingredients
1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup liquid natural sweetener (honey, maple syrup or agave)
1/2 cup grated apple (packed)
1 Tbs melted coconut oil (optional)

Fold-Ins
1/2 cup currants (or raisins)
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8X8 Pyrex baking dish with coconut oil or line it with two sheets of parchment paper. In separate mixing bowls, mix wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately. Add wet to dry, combine well and fold in currants and walnuts. Pour batter into pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, until top begins to brown and cracks have formed over the surface. Allow cake to cool before slicing into squares. Depending on how you cut it, each pan makes 9, 12 or 16 healthy servings.

(Secretly Green) Blueberry Almond Smoothie

I just tried something new: adding almond butter to my smoothie. Pleased to report it's really good! So I'm sharing. Turns out almond butter makes your smoothies creamy in a rich way that nicely complements the fruit, while adding a little protein, too. Double win.

The reason this drink is secretly green is because blueberries are so purple, they cover up the parsley...if that makes sense. ;-)

To make, blend the following ingredients until well combined:

1 orange
1/2 ripe banana
1 large handful blueberries
1 tsp lime juice

1 Tbs raw almond butter (I use Trader Joe's)
3 stalks Italian parsley (stems and leaves)
a dash of cayenne pepper

That's it! Yum!

Vanilla Bean Coconut Smoothie

With snow in the forecast 'tis hardly the season for chilly fruit smoothies. You can still keep breakfast light, though. Try this comforting vanilla bean smoothie made with unsweetened coconut milk, hemp protein powder, bananas and a pinch of powdered whole green stevia leaf for calorie-free, low-glycemic sweetness.

Got IBS? This recipe is also FODMAPs friendly for those of you who need to minimize intake of fermentable sugars and carbs.


Vanilla Bean Coconut Smoothie

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 ripe banana

2 Tbs hemp protein powder

1 Tbs shredded coconut

1 tsp powdered whole vanilla bean

1/4 tsp powdered green stevia leaf

Blend all ingredients on high.
Makes one serving. 






NOTE: Please sip slowly! Although a drink, this smoothie is also a food--and digestion of food begins in the mouth, especially when it comes to carbohydrates. In fact, all smoothies should be chewed, not gulped to help optimize digestibility, promote satiety and support blood sugar balance.

Pumpkin Pie Pudding (High Raw, Vegan)

Today, dear reader, I invite you to consider the humble pudding for breakfast. Creamy, rich, dairy-free flaxseed pudding, that is.

Flaxseed pudding is a high raw confection that makes a deliciously comforting breakfast—especially welcome on chilly mornings when the idea of a cleansing green juice or smoothie holds distinctly less appeal.

Having experimented with flaxseed pudding creation all week, I am delighted to present this tasty Pumpkin Pie version, made with organic canned pumpkin puree, unsweetened almond milk, and medjool dates.

Tiny flaxseeds are rich in mucilaginous compounds that serve as splendid thickening agents for puddings. High in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, flaxeeds are very soothing to the digestive tract. They also contain soluble fiber that helps to gently promote bowel activity (bonus!). To keep flaxseeds fresh, store tightly sealed in a cold place, ideally the freezer.

Chia seeds may be substituted for flax in this recipe, but since chia costs more, I prefer to save it for tapioca style puddings. Both chia and flax provide 2 grams of protein per tablespoon.

Pumpkin Pie Pudding
makes one serving

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 Tablespoons whole flaxseed
3 Tablespoons organic pumpkin puree
2 medjoool dates, pitted and chopped
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*
1/2 cup water
1-2 Tablespoons raisins (optional)

To begin, add almond milk and flaxseeds to blender, and allow seeds to soak while you gather remaining ingredients and drink your tea, about 15 minutes.

When ready, add in pumpkin puree, dates, and pumpkin pie spice. Blend on low for half a minute or so. Gradually increase speed to high, and blend until smooth—a minute or so.

Slowly increasing blending speed helps to reduce the amount of pudding that splatters onto the sides and lid of your blender container. However, this thick pudding is bound to spatter somewhat anyway! So once initial blending is complete, remove lid and pour 1/2 cup of water into the lid and then down the insides of the blender, swirling all the way. Use a rubber spatula to push down what's left clinging to the sides.Then, briefly blend again on low, incorporating all.

When pudding is properly pureed, pour into a mug or bowl. Top with raisins and a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg, if desired. Eat straight away or take with you to work. Alternately, chill pudding and enjoy later.

PREP TIP: This recipe takes one cup of liquid, divided half and half between unsweetened almond milk and water. You could add both at the beginning, but then you wouldn't have extra liquid available to help wash down the insides of the blender and conserve your precious pudding. Think about it. ;)

SUBSTITUTIONS: If you're out of dates, substitute a tablespoon of maple syrup. Missing raisins? Garnish with sliced banana and/or finely chopped walnuts instead. Yum! 

* Pumpkin Pie Spice perfectly blends cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and ginger into a single, convenient powder. Made by Frontier Herbs in an organic version, pumpkin pie spice may be readily found in the spice or bulk section of your local health food store only during the holiday season; order direct from Frontier any time of year.

Raw Almond Milk, French Press Style

For years I've shied away from making my own almond milk. For one thing, I'm not much of a milk (of any kind) user, but it's the straining step in particular that always seemed like too much trouble.

Okay, full disclosure. The "nut mylk bag" thing really turns me off. You know what I'm talking about: the reusable fine mesh bag, made of nylon or hemp cloth, that you have to suspend over some type of receptacle, pour your blended almonds into, and squeeze with your hands, again and again?

Not that I mind milking things. I've milked a few cows and goats in my time, for instance, and quite enjoyed it. But the cumbersomeness of the nut mylk bag, the slimy factor, the questionable hygiene, the clean up? No thanks. I do own a nut mylk bag. But truth be told, I've never used it. Not even once!

I've always loved the idea of making my own fresh almond milk, though. And lately I've been dreaming of an almond milk green smoothie, say, with bananas, dates, and comfrey added - yum! I know I could use boxed almond milk, but that doesn't really appeal to me either: too dead and processed.

So, it was with great excitement that I learned, from fabulous N.Y.C. Food Coach Dana James, of a new, bag-free option for homemade almond milk production: the French Press method.

Mais oui - but of course! Why didn't I think of that?

Using a French Press instead of a nut mylk bag to strain the pulp from your blended almonds-and-water mixture is as straightforward and easy as it sounds. I tried it for the first time last night, and I'm sold. You will be, too. Here's the basic recipe:

Raw Almond Milk, French Press Style

1/2 cup raw, organic almonds
water to soak
3 cups fresh, cold water
pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon honey, maple syrup or agave

Soak almonds eight hours or overnight. Drain and rinse, then add to high speed blender with 3 cups water, sea salt and sweetener. Blend on high for one to two minutes. Pour into French Press, cover and depress plunger verrry slowly. This will take some effort and patience, but go slowly; liquid may gush out if you plunge too hard or fast. Pour fully-pressed almond milk into a clean glass jar and try to use within a few days for maximum freshness: this is a raw and living food!*

All mixed up and ready to go - love that foam!

Post-plunging. Observe strained almond pulp at base:

Serving Suggestion (I had this for dessert, but could be breakfast, too):

Hail Merry Grawnola, Holy Crap Cereal and Jungle Peanuts topped with Fresh-Pressed Almond Milk

* The Sad Truth About "Raw" Almonds
It's been a challenge to find really raw almonds since the almond pasteurization laws went into effect in 2007. Almost all storebought organic almonds are now "pasteurized" with steam, while non-organic raw almonds may be treated with surface chemicals or radiation (scary). It is still possible to purchase unpasteurized, truly raw almonds, however. Californians can buy direct from farmer in quantities of less than 100 pounds, and some online vendors carry them, but the cost is often high. I offer economically priced, really raw almonds through my Community Superfoods shop. Local readers, please email me if you're interested and I'll hook you up!

Solar Return Energy Smoothie

I made myself the most delicious green smoothie this morning for my solar return (i.e. birthday) breakfast! It's packed with fresh ingredients and superfoods, including organic banana, grapefruit, wild dandelion greens (aka "weeds"), maca, spirulina, chia, ginger-burdock tea and more. YUM!

One of the things I love best about drinking green smoothies is the instant energy boost they give me - brain and body both. One sip and my eyes just widen right up. Seriously! Talk about a wake up call.

Even the cats are interested. Here's Clyde, ever the smooth operator (pardon the pun), moving in to investigate the situation.

I confess, a cupboard full of superfoods and a Vita-Mix bring out the nutritional alchemist in me, hence, as you'll see from the recipe below, I ended up adding about a dozen synergistic health and energy-boosting ingredients to this drink... but please don't let that deter you! Following this recipe to the letter is hardly required. Just use it as a launching pad, as my friend Melissa likes to say, for making your own amazing, health-empowering green smoothie creations!

See my quick-reference glossary of superfoods and nutritional ingredients below the recipe to learn about their benefits, and become your own kitchen alchemist. ❤ Diana Banana & Co.

Banana-Sunflower Buckwheat Cakes

I've been concocting this recipe in my mind for a while now and am so happy to share it with you today, because it really came out a winner!

My primary goal, truth be told, was to find the perfect vehicle for the fresh, local maple syrup I bought at the coop in May. This vehicle had to be spongy for good sopping-up effect, and whole grain-oriented without being too heavy or floury. The challenge was on!

My secondary goal was to create a new recipe using the raw buckwheat groats of which I had purchased so many pounds in a bulk buy, several months back. "So many groats, so little tummy..." I originally got those groats to make my scrumptious Rainy Day Crackers, and I still do -- don't get me wrong...but a girl likes to mix things up a little sometimes. Am I right, girls?

The name "buckwheat" is somewhat misleading because buckwheat is not a relative of wheat of all. This means that buckwheat is 100% gluten free -- great news for people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.

And although generally considered a grain due to its high starch content and culinary uses, buckwheat is really a kind of fruit seed! The buckwheat fruit, which looks a bit like a Japanese lantern, grows on a vine-like plant that is related to rhubarb and sorrel. So buckwheat is very unlike all the common cereal grains -- think millet, quinoa, wheat and rice -- which are the seeds of various grasses.

More good news is that buckwheat is generally considered alkaline in the body, usually ranked on par with quinoa and amaranth. And because of its dual grain-seed nature, buckwheat combines as either a starch or as a nut/seed in any give meal, making it quite versatile. You can read more about buckwheat here, in the online version of Mrs. Grieve's Modern Herbal (a wonderful resource for herbalists and the herb-curious).

If you've never tried buckwheat, you're in for a surprise, as it offers a distinctly chewy yet slippery texture, due to a high content of soluble fiber. This makes buckwheat terrific for supporting healthy bowels, detox and cholesterol balance.

Many traditional buckwheat dishes, such as kasha varniskes, make use of roasted buckwheat. Roasting brings out a rich nutty flavor, but it is not a required step. Raw, hulled buckwheat groats, pictured here, can be prepared quite simply by soaking for fifteen to thirty minutes in fresh water. After such a soak, followed by a thorough rinse to remove sticky saponins, the groats may be sprouted for a day or two OR eaten immediately!

What could be easier?

For this recipe, I used a cup of soaked groats as the foundation of a pancake batter, which I made in the food processor simply by adding in one whole banana (for texture and sweetness) and some boxed rice milk (I used the Rice Dream brand, original flavor). Of course I used a little salt, coconut oil and vanilla to round out the batter. And I threw in some whole raw sunflower seeds at the end, for a nice crunchy touch. The batter was ladled onto a hot skillet coated with melted coconut oil, and all proceeded in the same manner as when making typical flour-based griddle cakes, right up to serving them with real maple syrup, naturally.

Of course, if I had wanted to make 100% raw pancakes, I easily could have done so by ladling the batter onto Teflex sheets and dehydrating the cakes for four to six hours per side. In other words, advance planning and patience would have been required. I'll save that good idea for another day! Today, tradition and eagerness won out, while happy taste buds rejoiced. Happy Independence Day, everyone!

Banana-Sunflower Sprouted Buckwheat Cakes

Makes about nine cakes, enough to satisfy two people, namely me and my son, Zack, who gave two syrupy thumbs up to this recipe ♥

1 cup raw buckwheat groats
1 ripe organic banana
1/2 cup rice milk (could use almond, coconut or oat milk)
1 teaspoon coconut oil
nice pinch of Himalayan pink salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

Place buckwheat in a large bowl and cover with fresh water. Stir and allow to soak for at least fifteen minutes or up to one hour. (Do this while talking on the phone with your friend Catherine, if desired.) Drain and rinse well. Add soaked groats to the food processor and process with the S-blade until fairly smooth. Add all remaining ingredients except sunflower seeds and process just enough to have a nice, smooth batter. When done, pulse in the sunflower seeds or stir in by hand so they remain largely intact.

Use a 1/4 cup measure to drop batter a hot skillet, preferably cast iron, that has been greased with coconut oil. When bubbles form around the upper edges and cakes are brown on the bottom, flip and cook side two, as you do with regular pancakes. Add more coconut oil as you make more cakes, to keep them from sticking. Divide griddle cakes between two plates and eat with maple syrup, or raw honey or jam if you prefer.

Kale Around the Clock—Raw Fusion Style

Freshly harvested, tender spring kale has arrived in Western Massachusetts and I couldn’t be more thrilled! Kale is truly a superstar vegetable. It’s packed with nutrition, tastes great, comes in several colorful varieties and is incredibly versatile in the kitchen.

Kale is a member of the illustrious, cancer-fighting Brassica family and, like its cousins broccoli and daikon radish, has been researched extensively in recent years. Studies suggest that kale may help suppress tumor growth, promote detoxification at the genetic DNA level and support healthy cholesterol levels. Kale is packed with antioxidant flavonoids that fight inflammation and is notably high in lutein, a yellow carotenoid pigment required for healthy vision. It is an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K, a good source of manganese, calcium and other bone-building minerals and, best of all... it’s GREEN!

Green foods are beneficial for many reasons, including their exalted status of being the premier alkalizing foods on the planet. Alkaline nutrition is important because the pH of human blood must remain within a very tight, alkaline pH range (between 7.35 and 7.45) and the world we live in has become increasingly acidic, making it tough for the body to maintain. Processed foods, meats, sugars, white flour and most grains (i.e. the modern diet) along with chronic stress (i.e. the modern lifestyle) all promote acidity and threaten our alkaline balance. Ongoing low grade acidic conditions in the body are implicated in a Pandora’s box of health problems from bone loss and premature aging to arthritis, heart disease, cancer...you name it.

Promoting alkalinity is becoming increasingly recognized as critical to healthy physical and metabolic function, so the more alkalizing green vegetables you can eat, the better. Of course, salads and steamed greens are a great place to start. But why stop there? Some leafy greens like KALE are so versatile, they allow you to enjoy greens at every meal—even dessert!

To show you how, I’ll share three delicious and innovative recipes that I’ve adapted from Raw Fusion Recipes by LindaJoy Rose, PhD. LindaJoy is a leader in the field of hypnotherapy and an enthusiastic raw food educator. Her wonderful little recipe book, now in its second printing, is the companion volume to Raw Fusion, an introductory guide to incorporating raw/living foods into a healthy diet. (Visit rawfusionliving.com to order the books or learn more.)

And now…let’s have some fun with Kale Around the Clock!

morning...

Pineapple-Grapefruit Green Smoothie

To bathe your cells in alkalinity on a regular basis, I suggest starting each day with a tall glass of delicious green juice. (My revitalizing Ginger Green Juice is a favorite.) If you don’t have a juicer or simply find yourself in the mood for a more substantial meal, a blended green smoothie—which, unlike juice, retains the fiber of the fruits and veggies it contains—is a fine alternative. Experiment with different fresh leafy greens or green herbs—spinach, kale, parsley, dill—they’re all good. Cilantro really makes the flavors pop in this Pineapple-Grapefruit Green Smoothie. Enjoy for breakfast or lunch.

½ red grapefruit, peeled and pitted
1 cup chopped pineapple
½ lemon, peeled and pitted
4 leaves of kale, chopped
1 cup cilantro, leaves and stems
4 slices fresh ginger root
½ cup water or cooled lemon balm tea

Rough chop all ingredients, add to blender and blend on high until well combined. Add additional liquid or ice to reach desired temperature and consistency. Makes one pint.

Recipe inspired by Green Fairy’s Lemonade in Raw Fusion Recipes by LindaJoy Rose.


afternoon...

Lunar Kale Chips

When I was a kid, people used to say the moon was made of green cheese. These days, everyone knows the moon is made of rocks and dust, but we can still make our own green cheese using sprouted pumpkin seeds and seasonings. The classic approach to making pumpkin seed paté is tweaked here to create a savory Lunar Sauce for these out-of-this-world kale chips.

1 bunch Red Russian kale, or other flat leaf variety
½ cup raw pumpkin seeds, soaked 4 hours, drained and rinsed
1 lemon’s juice
½ cup water
1 clove garlic
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp chipotle chili powder
¾ tsp Himalayan pink salt
2 Tbs. nutritional yeast

Rinse kale leaves well and remove stems. Save stems for juice and set leaves aside. To make sauce, put pumpkin seeds, lemon juice, water, and all seasonings except nutritional yeast into blender and blend on medium to high speed until well combined. Pour sauce into a large bowl, add a little more water to the blender and blend quickly to loosen the remaining sauce, then add this to what’s already in the bowl. Stir in the nutritional yeast by hand. Taste and adjust salt or seasonings if desired. Coat each kale leaf on both sides with the Lunar Sauce. Arrange leaves on dehydrator trays lined with Teflex sheets. Avoid overlapping leaves to permit air circulation. (My bunch of kale contained twelve leaves and I needed four trays to lay them all out.) Use up all the sauce—you should have just enough.

Dehydrate kale chips for one hour at 145 degrees, then reduce temperature to just under 110 degrees and continue dehydrating for about four hours. At this point, gently flip chips off of the Teflex and onto the mesh trays, dry sides down. Dehydrate another two to four hours or until desired crispiness is reached. Keeping them slightly moist and flexible is a fun option and keeps the kale a bit more lively, since a plant’s vitality is primarily contained in its water-containing portions.

If you don’t have a dehydrator, you could try making Lunar Kale Chips in a very low-temperature oven, perhaps with the door left slightly open. If using this method, use a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and keep an eye on the chips as they dry – they might be crisp within 20 to 30 minutes.

Recipe inspired by Cheezy Chili Chips in Raw Fusion Recipes by LindaJoy Rose.


evening...

Kale Fudge Torte

I was planning on making Kale Brownies with this adapted recipe, but I overdid it on the food processing and things got pretty sticky fast! Luckily, my mistake yielded outstanding results, and a Torte was born. There are two whole cups of chopped kale in this recipe but you really can’t taste them at all, as confirmed by my Sunday Yoga test group. (Maybe once you know it’s there you THINK you can taste the kale, but nobody guessed the secret ingredient.) In fact, this torte may be the most decadent way ever to “sneak” greens into the diet. Consider it a stealth health strategy for people like the mom I met last week at the Greenfield farmer’s market, whose son refuses to eat green veggies. Mom, your secret is safe with me!

1½ cup walnuts or pecans
½ teaspoon sea salt
10 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
2 cups chopped kale leaves, loosely packed (stems removed!)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup raw cacao powder, plus 1 teaspoon
1 Tbs coconut butter (not coconut oil)
1 or 2 Tbs maple syrup

In a food processor, pulse nuts and sea salt until finely ground. Add remaining ingredients and process until dough comes together. You may add a tablespoon or two of water to facilitate things if necessary—the dough will be extremely thick.

Place dough on a piece of parchment paper laid flat on the counter and press into a square or round shape, one inch tall. The dough is VERY sticky so moisten your hands with water or use a second piece of parchment paper on top of the dough to help you press and shape the torte. When shaped, wrap in parchment paper and chill until firm, about one hour or longer. Before serving, sprinkle top with additional teaspoon of raw cacao powder by sifting through a fine mesh strainer, such as a tea strainer. (To sift, hold strainer over the torte and “stir” the cacao powder with a spoon or chopstick to sift the cacao onto the surface of the torte, covering the entire surface with fine powder.)

Store Kale Fudge Torte in the fridge and consume within three days—the raw, living kale in the recipe leads to a short shelf life. If you can’t or don’t want to finish the torte in only three days, I suggest freezing individual sized pieces, each tightly wrapped in parchment paper and sealed within a freezer bag. Then, when you feel like a treat, just take out a packet and let it warm up on the counter. Yum!

Recipe inspired by Family Favorite Flourless Chocolate Cake in Raw Fusion Recipes by LindaJoy Rose. Many thanks to LJ for sending me the books and for being so patient while I prepared this post! ♥

Lemon Cream Pie (in a glass!)

Spring! Here it comes lightly, on blue jay wings and purple crocus petals. And look what's popping up in my garden. Could that be a rare variety of... Green Smoothie?!

Well, I confess that was a staged photo. But what fun I'm having, and hopefully, you are too as warmer weather finally, finally makes a tentative but unmistakable appearance here in New England.

On the menu today, a fruit-free, sugar-free green smoothie. This is a rare variety indeed, as typically, I always put fruit in my smoothies. But I'm experimenting with eating less fruit, so this is a departure for me. And I am pleased to report the results are most satisfactory.

So, how do you sweeten up a smoothie without fruit? There are a few options: agave, raw honey and maple syrup are obvious choices. All are low glycemic but still contain sugar calories as fructose, which can feed yeast and lead to bloating. If I wanted fructose, I'd use fruit. So that leaves me with stevia, lo huan go and the happy members of the polyol family. I went with the latter, using a relatively new-to-market sweetener you may not have yet heard of: organic erythitol.

Organic erythritol is a naturally-occurring compound that, in this case, is derived from organic sugar cane juice. Erythritol has a spotless safety profile, contains zero calories and has zero impact on blood sugar levels, making it zero glycemic. Best of all, it's delicious, without any of the weird bitterness or licorice aftertaste that plague some healthy sweeteners I know.

As a polyol or sugar alcohol, erythritol belongs to the same family as xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol, etc. The unique advantage erythritol has over it's cousin polyols is that erythritol does not cause any digestive upset (gas, bloating, diarrhea). That's because unlike all other polyols, erythritol is absorbed by the small intestine. However, once absorbed, it doesn't do much of anything in the body. In my booklet Natural and Healthy Sweeteners, I liken erythritol to a polite tourist, absorbed by the villi, taking in the anatomical sights as it travels through circulation and then leaving the body as it entered, without changing a thing.

Erythritol is sold in a white crystalline form and is half as sweet as table sugar. The organic brand I use is called Zero, by Wholesome Sweeteners. Whole Foods carries it in 12-pounce packages for $13.99, a bit steep, so I special ordered a case from my local coop and have it available at Community Superfoods for a couple dollars less. Still pricey, I know, but worth it for someone like me who really—I'm sorry—can't stand the taste of stevia, and wants to enjoy a neutral, low glycemic, safe and healthy sweetener in my tea.

Or smoothies, as the case may be. Turns out, I don't even miss the fruit in this delicious Lemon Cream Pie smoothie which is smooth and sweet, refreshing and nourishing all at the same time. High-protein hemp and chia seeds make it creamy and rich with omega-3s. Fresh lemon and green veggies give it an alkaline charge, helping to neutralize acidity in the body. Optional ginger offers anti-inflammatory benefits and vanilla powder plus erythritol make it sweet as pie.

Lemon Cream Pie - a Sugar-Free Green Smoothie

3 Tbs hemp seeds
1 Tbs chia seeds
1 cup water
1 lemon, peeled and pitted, or 2-3 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla powder
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 handful baby spinach
1-2 Tbs organic erythritol
a few slices of fresh ginger root (optional)
4 ice cubes (optional)

Add hemp seeds, chia seeds and water to blender while preparing remaining ingredients, allowing seeds to soak and soften. Put everything in the blender, including optional ginger and ice if you want a colder, frothier smoothie. Blend on high speed about one minute, until fully blended.

Substitutions & Variations:
If you don't have vanilla powder, substitute vanilla extract.
For Banana Cream Pie smoothie: add banana, reduce erythritol.
For Chocolate Cream Pie smoothie: add 2 Tbs raw cacao powder, omit lemon.

Lemons and greens in juices & smoothies help alkalinize the body.

Simply Green Juice

This is my new favorite juice. Four green ingredients, fast to prep, incredibly refreshing, totally yummy & very little waste. (Celery and lettuce are mostly juice, apples are practically all juice and ditto for limes. So: just a small handful of pulp for the compost bin.) Simply Green has become my breakfast of choice this summer. And just look at that color! The color of life itself, growing right out of the garden...

Simply Green Juice

1 head organic romaine lettuce (the kind that comes in a 3-pack)
1/2 bunch organic celery (about 6 stalks)
1 small organic lime, peeled
1 granny smith apple (also organic, of course!)

That's it. Alternate feeding apple and lime through the juicer with feeding celery and romaine to facilitate the process. The fibers in the greens push through the juicy pulp of the apple and lime.

This recipe makes 16 to 24 ounces of juice. Cheers!

Warming Winter Smoothie

Love raw food but hate being cold? The solution is simple: Don’t eat cold food!

Everything that goes into you, including the air you breathe, must be brought to body temperature in order to maintain homeostasis (balance). Consuming very cold food and drink pulls heat from your body, it’s true. (The same may be said for consuming very hot food, ironically.) For this reason, perhaps the most useful tip for staying practically raw in winter is this: eat your food at, or slightly above, room temperature.

In practice, this means: avoid eating food fresh from the fridge. Let your salad veggies warm up on the counter before you prepare them, and use lukewarm water to rinse and scrub. Gently heat soups to 110 degrees or so. Warm prepared dishes in the dehydrator if you are so inclined. And be sure to include warming spices like ginger and cayenne in your soups and smoothies. Finally, consume a little bit of fat (chia, hemp, coconut oil, avocado, nuts/seeds, raw goat cheese) with every meal to provide slow-burning fuel and stoke the digestive fire.
Here are some healthy raw food fats that I sell at my Community Superfoods store! I also have Hemp Seeds and Really Raw Cashews. (The store is open tonight and every Wednesday from 5-7 PM, or by appointment.)

Your body will always thrive on fresh, living food – all year long. Even when it is cold outside, the truth is that we live in warm houses – meaning it’s quite temperate indoors. The “I need cooked food to feel warm,” argument just doesn’t cut it! Incredibly, as long as your raw food isn’t chilled, it won’t make you feel the least bit cold!

In winter, freshly blended room temperature Green Smoothies are a breakfast staple in my household. The following recipe - inspired by my dear friend Cathy's famous Burmese Green Smoothie recipe - is sure to please on every level, starting with your palate! Featuring tart cranberries and pucker-sweet grapefruit to wake up your mouth, living sprouts and greens to alkalize and enliven, and fiery cayenne to warm your blood.


Those with blood sugar concerns or mild candida symptoms will be glad to see this Warming Winter Smoothie uses low-sugar fruits exclusively. (Severe candida requires nixing all fruits for a time.) The addition of high-fiber veggies and raw coconut oil take the glycemic index down another notch. Begin with all ingredients at room temperature (exception: frozen cranberries, if using. No whole cranberries on hand? Replace with one small peeled & pitted lemon or lime.)
Makes two pints.

Warming Winter Smoothie

1 pink grapefruit
1 Granny Smith apple
½ cup whole cranberries, fresh or frozen
4 stalks celery, chopped
half bunch cilantro, chopped
1 handful alfalfa sprouts
1 Tbs raw coconut oil
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¾ cup room temperature water

Prepare ingredients and add to blender. If your blender is not high-speed, chop celery into a small dice to facilitate break-down of long stringy fibers. Ditto for the cilantro.

You don’t need a high speed blender to make smoothies, but you do need to prep accordingly. For instance, in my pre-Vita-Mix days, I peeled apples for smoothies because the skin did not blend thoroughly. Now, I can skip this step. You know your blender – do what you need to get everything blended smoothly and enjoy!

3-Day Mini-Cleanse: Day 3!

Ah the joys of a 3-day mini-cleanse! On Day 1, motivation is super high. On Day 2, you only have one day left to go. And on Day 3, you're done!

I know many people who set out with the best intentions to do a week-long juice fast or a long detox program only to fall by the wayside when cravings strike. But THREE days? It's easily doable, because the end is always in sight!

Day 3 was actually a few days ago as I write this but I remember: Breakfast Juice was the leftover Pineapple-Apple-Collard-Celery juice from the day before. (Day old juice is not as alive as freshly-pressed juice, true. But it is still pretty darn clean and healthy - not to mention already made!) Lunch Smoothie was a basic Ultimate Green Smoothie, a la Teri Kerr's Ultimate Detox Diet's Breakfast Drink plus greens. Dinner was divine: A beautiful Sprout Salad with fresh lentil sprouts, two kinds of lettuce, grated carrots, black olives and cherry tomatoes, served alongside of Kelp Noodles warmed in Organic Marinara Sauce and topped with grated Raw Local Cheese.

This Kelp Noodle dish was the first (and only) non-raw food of the cleanse. My Community Superfoods store (where I sell kelp noodles at cost, btw) was open that night from 5-7, and I was very hungry and chilled when I got home. Convenience raw foods like kelp noodles come in quite handy in such situations, and I am not averse to eating cooked foods from time to time, especially in winter (hence my "HIGH raw foodist" moniker. Not to be confused with monocle, lol).

Anyway, the dish came out quite tasty. I sauteed some red onion and garlic in a little coconut oil first, then added the marinara and Italian herbs, simmered a few minutes, then added the kelp noodles, turned off the heat and stirred till coated. Transferred to two bowls and garnished generously with grated raw cheese. It was delish. Even Zack approved (much to his surprise - his dubious expectations for the kelp noodles pleasantly reversed upon tasting).

So that was it. The 3-Day Mini Cleanse had come to a close. Kudos to Zack for hanging in as long as he did, and I feel happily lighter and alert. This is good, since many deadlines and responsibilities have convened at once in my life, including two talks in two weeks, the first of which was today!


This morning, I gave a free talk and taste at Green Field's Market on Energizing Raw Breakfasts. I brought soaked almonds for everyone to peel (so easy!), freshly made Almond-Chia Milk, Sprouted Buckwheat Cereal with Cinnamon-Coconut Oil and assorted dried berries and superfoods for people to try. At the end of the talk, I made some refreshingly alive Ginger Green Juice in my Omega 5008 juicer - and of course, everyone loved it! Lots of fun.

My top recommendations for energy-boosting raw breakfasts are any one of the following options. Eat or drink as much as you need to feel satisfied but remember: the lighter the better for maximum energy to carry you to lunch. (FYI, I don't take grains in the morning, but the sprouted buckwheat makes a wonderful dessert, especially when stirred into a mix of raw cacao, coconut oil and stevia or sweetener of choice, as shown me by my raw friends Jude & Jontz Johnson!)

Raw Breakfast Suggestions (choose one)

Fresh Fruit as desired
Raw Vegetable Juice
Fruit or Green Smoothie
Bananas or Dried Fruit with raw nuts/seeds or raw nut butter
Nut Milks and Nut-Milk Based Smoothies
Sprouted Oatmeal or Buckwheat

If you'd like a copy of the recipe handout from the talk, please let me know!

In love and light, Diana

Ginger Green Juice

The fudge didn't last long but green juice continues to be a daily drink, even after my new year's fast! Here's a favorite recipe with lots of ginger to help keep the internal fires burning in wintertime. The taste is tangy with a hint of sweetness; the bonus is oodles of nutrition, including eye-healthy lutein, blood-fortifying iron, bone-building calcium and other minerals. If you have an Omega or Champion-style juicer like me, try alternating the squishier items (apple, cuke, lemon) with the more fibrous celery and greens to help keep everything moving smoothly through the gear.

Ginger Green Juice

1 large hunk of ginger (up to an inch long, or more!)
1/2 large cucumber
2-3 celery ribs
2 large leaves kale OR equivalent - use any dark green or blend of leafy greens (parsley, romaine, spinach, chard, etc.)*
1 granny smith apple
1/2 lemon, peeled and pitted

*For the juice in the photo I used about 10 sprigs each dandelion, watercress and curly parsley in place of kale