Check out more videos like this one at http://reneoswald.com/videos.html I've also just published two new ebooks. "Living Cuisine for Happy Holidays" with Raw, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Wheat-Free, Sugar-Free, Soy-Free and Dairy-Free Recipes. My focus has been Raw Food for quite some time now, but I’ve recently published a book with Cooked recipes, for those that aren’t 100% raw and are looking for a healthy Transitioning Book. It’s called "Wholesome Cooked Creations" and all of the recipes are Vegan, Sugar-Free, Soy-Free, Dairy-Free and about half of the recipes are Wheat-Free and Gluten-Free. I'm offering a fantastic "Healthy Holiday Gift Package" if you'd like to check it out at http://reneoswald.com/ebooks.html
Hi Everyone,
I wanted to share my recent Cashew Cheeze Pate video with all of you. This is a dairy-free, wheat-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, soy-free, vegan, raw, yummy recipe! Hope you enjoy!
This is a great way to enjoy the great sauces that you make with your Vita-Mix by making Veggie noodles in a fast and easy way!
If you’d like to recieve a new video newsletter every month, email me at rene.oswald@att.net with “request newsletter” in the subject box. To view previous videos, newsletter and blogs, go to http://reneoswald.com
This was a recent question from my blog at www.reneoswald.com/blog
Hi Rene,
I’ve been eating lots of spouted wheat berries in so many recipes. I use them in crackers, cookies, burgers, as a breakfast cereal—tossed with raisins and bananas or other fruits or just tossed into a salad. I notice that you don’t use many grains in your TLC program. Is there a problem with eating wheat berries? They are so easy to sprout in a jar, so I sprout them every day.
Marcy from Ontario
Hi Marcy,
Thanks for the great question!
I too loved sprouted grains when I first started on this path. It was exciting for me when I started eating foods in their natural state and noticing the major improvements I was having in my health. Suddenly I noticed I was really tasting the essence of food for the first time. After eating healthier and becoming more in tune with my body, I become more aware of the negative effects some of the foods had on me. I noticed I was very sluggish after eating a meal that contained grains, often feeling bloated and congested with a headache. After eliminating and reintroducing grains I found they were the problem. Since most people do better with less grains in their diets I chose not to use grains in the “Transitioning to Living Cuisine” (TLC) Program. However, it’s great if they are working for you and you are getting positive results. We are all different and we need to do what works best for each of us.
I once read that in nature, only animals with a gizzard consume grains, which makes more sense that they are not a natural part of our diet and why so many people have trouble digesting them. However, if we soak and sprout them, like you have been doing, we can break them down with our teeth and they are much easier to digest.
Another important factor is to alternate your grains. Many people develop allergies to foods that are over-consumed. This is seen in the US, where wheat is the most highly consumed grain and there is a direct correlation in the increased incidence of wheat allergies here. Great alternatives to wheat are quinoa, millet, buckwheat groats, brown rice, oat groats, amaranth, barley, corn, kamut, rye and spelt, . Check out my "Resource" page at www.reneoswald.com for links to companies that sell these grains if you have trouble finding them in your area. You can also find information about sprouting grains on page 214 of the “Transitioning to Living Cuisine” (TLC) Book.
For those that eat cooked foods, it’s best to dehydrate the sprouted grains before grinding them into flour. It seems like a tedious process, but I think you’ll see positive health changes for your efforts. The majority of the grains eaten in the US have been ground into flour and highly processed, removing all the valuable parts, like the wheat germ and the bran and replaced with chemical additives. There are a few reputable companies that sprout their grains and use minimal processing that I recommend for those eating cooked foods. http://www.foodforlife.com/ and
http://www.alvaradostreetbakery.com/
It’s important to listen to your body and eat the foods that work best for you. The cleaner your system becomes, the easier it is to listen to the cues it give you.
Further reading on this subject: “The No-Grain Diet” by Dr. Joseph Mercola and “Grain Damage” by Douglas Graham
Post your great comments and questions here or email them to me at rene.oswald@att.com I love hearing from all of you!
Learn how to incorporate Chia seeds into your diet and enjoy the benefits!
Hello Rene,
I have enjoyed viewing your videos and am curious if any of your raw food creations and smoothies are suitable for the Type 2 diabetic? I have been watching closely my diet for many years and have arrived at the place where types of foods and there preparation seem to be my last chance at good control of my blood sugar. I started looking at your videos to see how you used the Vita-Mix Blender and then became very interested in a raw food diet. I use very little meat in my diet now and could easily remove it entirely. I hope you may have some suggestions because I love fruit and vegetables but know that most fruits are too high in natural sugar. I am also looking into Dragon Fruit and Dried Dragon
Fruit. Do you know about it’s use in salads or smoothies.
Thank you,
Robbay
Hi Robbay,
I’m sorry to hear that you have diabetes, but am excited to hear your interest in this lifestyle. I’ve seen many diabetics decrease or stop needing insulin shots completely after adding delicious living foods to their diet. I know many people will benefit from your question. Thanks for asking!
Fruits are a valuable food for all of us, including diabetics. They are high in vitamins, phytochemicals, and fiber. The fiber allows the fruit to breakdown in our bodies at the perfect speed. When fruits are juiced and the fiber is removed from the fruit it changes the way the fruit is metabolized in our bodies. This faster assimilation can cause the blood sugar to rise too quickly, therefore diabetics should refrain from drinking fruit juices. That’s where the Vita-Mix becomes an essential part of the diabetic’s kitchen. When making fruit smoothies, the entire fruit, including the fiber is present. In it’s “whole” form, it is a very acceptable part of the diet. Adding greens to your fruit to make a “green smoothie” helps to slow the absorbtion of the fructose and decrease the chances of blood sugar elevations. The only precaution that diabetics need to take when eating fruits are to eat those that have a low glycemic index. The Glycemic Index measures how fast the food is converted to glucose. Those fruits that score a Glycemic Index below 55 are the best ones for diabetics.
Here are some examples of the Glycemic Index in specific fruits:
Food Glycemic Index Value
|
Cherries |
22 |
|
Grapefruit |
25 |
|
Prunes |
29 |
|
Apricots, dried |
30 |
|
Berries (Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries) |
30-40 |
|
Apple |
38 |
|
Peach, canned in juice |
38 |
|
Pear, fresh |
38 |
|
Plum |
39 |
|
Orange, Navel |
42 |
|
Peach, fresh |
42 |
|
Pear, canned |
43 |
|
Grapes |
46 |
|
Mango |
51 |
|
Banana |
52 |
|
Fruit Cocktail |
55 |
|
Papaya |
56 |
|
Raisins |
56 |
|
Apricots, fresh |
57 |
|
Kiwi |
58 |
|
Figs, dried |
61 |
|
Apricots, canned |
64 |
|
Cantaloupe |
65 |
|
Pineapple, fresh |
66 |
|
Watermelon |
72 |
|
Dates |
103 |
Low Glycemic Index food for diabetics are less than 55
Foods with GI index between 55 and 70 are consider intermediate
High Glycemic Index food have a glycemic index above 70
You can see by this list, there are plenty of fruits that diabetics can eat.
This is just a chart of the fruits, however most of the other foods that I use in the recipes in our “Transitioning to Living Cuisine” book are low glycemic, such as Nuts—GI of 15-30, Tomatoes—GI of 15 and Green Leafy Vegetables with a GI of 0-15.
Interesting that you asked about dragon fruit, also know as pitaya fruit. There have been health claims that dragon fruit helps to control glucose blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes and some with type 1 diabetes. Dragon fruit is also high in dietary fiber and Vitamin C. I normally recommend fresh fruit rather than dried fruit, but since it’s often hard to find the fresh fruit, you may have to purchase the dried variety. Another benefit of eating dried dragon fruit is that the dried fruit has about 10x more Vitamin C than the fresh fruit. Fresh dragon fruit or dried dragon fruit both are great additions to a healthy diet. Fresh dragon fruit is best eaten by cutting the fruit in half and scooping the flesh out. They are a wonderful addition to smoothies, or just eaten by themselves or in a fruit salad.
It is also important to pay attention to the way you combine your foods. Fruits should always be eaten alone or only with greens or celery. Fruit should never be combined with fat, this includes avocado, coconut, olive oil, nuts and seeds, etc. Not only does this slow the assimilation of the sugars from the fruit, which is harmful to diabetics, it also causes unnatural fermentation, often causing a candida albicans overgrowth, which is the origin to many negative health issues.
Remember, everyone is different in how they assimilate fruit. This also changes as your body becomes healthier. You should monitor your blood sugar level to determine when it is the best time of day for you to eat fruit. The majority of the people that I have worked with find the morning hours to be the best time to consume fruit. They then eat the vegetable, nut and seed dishes for lunch and dinner. This allows for proper food combining, without having to think much about it. If you do east fruit at a meal when you will also be eating vegetables/fat in your food, it’s best to eat the fruit first, about 15-30 minutes before you eat the rest of the meal.
For more details about the "Transitioning to Living Cuisine" Program, go to www.reneoswald.com
Enjoy the journey!
So sorry, the video was not included in the previous post! Here goes again!
This is an essential part of making your life easier when preparing Raw Food Recipes. Your food prep time will be so much more fun and fast when you make the effort to have a sprouted, dehydrated staple stash of the commonly used nuts and seeds used in these recipes. You will be amazed at the difference it makes! Enjoy!
Email me at rene.oswald@att.net if you'd like to be the first to receive the monthly videos, newsletter and weekly blog post! To view previously posted videos and blog posts, go to www.reneoswald.com/videos.html and www.reneoswald.com/blog
If you have been thinking about purchasing our "Transitioning to Living Cuisine" book, now would be a great time to do it! For the next 12 days (until midnight on June 30th) we’re offering a “Way Cool” Deal just for all of you!
Buy the Complete “Transitioning to Living Cuisine” eBook Program for only $29.95 and get a free Printed book (the total value of this package is $106.87). I’ll even pay for the postage* (within the Continental US) and any applicable sales tax.
Many people that already own the printed book, order the eBook special and ask me to send the free printed book as a gift to a friend. I’d be happy to do that for you (within the Continental US).
Others share the cost with a friend!
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Why We Like eBooks:
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That's a photo of some buckwheat crackers that I just made!
Some of you have asked why I use buckwheat groats in so many of my recipes in the “Transitioning to Living Cuisine” book. Others have had trouble finding them. Following are some of the benefits of including buckwheat groats in your diet and some places to purchase them.
· Buckwheat groats contain all eight essential amino acids and are therefore a complete plant-based protein source.
· They are high in calcium, iron, phosphorus and potassium and B vitamins.
· They are low glycemic, low in fat and high in fiber, making them a very healthy food and extremely beneficial to diabetics.
· They contain Rutin, which helps lower cholesterol levels.
· They are much less expensive than the nuts used in many raw food recipes
Many people who are newly diagnosed with Celiac are nervous about consuming buckwheat groats because their name has the dreaded “wheat” in it. Buckwheat is not a form of wheat. It is not even a grain! It is a seed from the rhubarb and dockweed families. It is gluten free, but it is still very important to talk with the manufacturer before purchasing as it is often processed in the same machinery as the wheat products.
Here are some sources for Buckwheat groats (they are often listed under “grains”, however they are a seed)
http://www.sunorganic.com/
http://www.organicfruitsandnuts.com/
For other “hard to find” items, please check my “Resources” page on my website at www.reneoswald.com and let me know if there’s anything else you are having trouble finding that you don’t find listed there.
For more videos like this one, and to get a discount on the "Transitioning to Living Cuisine" Book through June 30, go to www.reneoswald.com
Question of the week:
My question is about the so-called “toxic ‘ things found in raw leafy green veggies, like the oxalic acid in spinach. How much is too much of this stuff to eat? I’m feeling well and the drinks are tasty. Thanks for the help.
Terry Fischer
Hi Terry, There are small amounts of natural toxins, called alkaloids, on all greens. However, each green contains a different alkaloid, so generally, if you eat a variety of greens you won’t have any problems. Some scientists believe that these alkaloids are there to prevent us from eating the entire crop , so that there will always be more for future generations. You will find out, naturally, how much is safe to consume. When you eat a green in moderation it tastes great, but when you’ve had enough, your body will tell you by the taste. It generally starts to taste bitter, can cause nausea or you may notice your mouth becomes very dry. This bitter reaction is very obvious to most people when they eat the stronger greens, like chard, collards, arugula and dandelion. Sunflower greens and spinach taste very mild to most people until their body has had enough, then they tend to make the mouth feel very dry. Listen to your body and only eat the amount you need, then go on to a new green for your next meal. You’ll notice that when you blend greens in a recipe with lots of other ingredients (like in greens smoothies or blended salads) your body doesn’t always tell you when you have had enough. This is because your body is picking up on all the different foods at one time and it is confusing. I recently worked with a woman who was consuming large amounts of spinach every day in her green smoothies. She suddenly started feeling very light-headed and nauseous, she said she felt like she was going to faint all day long. When she stopped eating the spinach and substituted it with a different green in her smoothie every day, her dizziness went away. I suggest typically adding the amount of greens you would comfortably eat in a salad when making a smoothie, energy soup or blended salad. It is very important to rotate your greens daily, which is the natural way to prevent any problem with over-consumption of one green. If you eat a new green every day, you’ll typically rotate at least 7 greens in your diet. The typical greens that are available to most of us, are romaine, red or green leaf lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, kale, Bibb lettuce and bok choy. The highest quality greens are those that are dark green in color, organic and locally grown. Add small amounts of the stronger varieties, such as dandelion, arugula, mustard greens, beet greens, etc. See page 165 of our book, “Transitioning to Living Cuisine” (or in the Level VI eBook on page 14) to read what happened when my husband, Allan, and I ate too many buckwheat greens. Please email me at rene.oswald@att.net with your question for the next blog post. I can post your name, your initials or you can remain anonymous, it’s up to you!
This morning I did my first veggie juice.... put some carrots, apple, celery, parsely, cilantro, ginger in with some water and ice cubes and gave it a whirl.... the result was pretty thick but pretty good... the cilantro and ginger added a nice taste. It will take a bit of an adjustment getting used to the thickness of whole food juicing...but i'm looking forward to it. Years ago I had a juicer and didn't feel good about all the pulp that was thrown away...I found it expensive and wasteful to have to buy a super sized bag of carrots for a little bit of juice. Now, I'm ready to explore organic foods knowing that I'll be eating all of it.
I also got Rene's ebook yesterday - Transition to Living Cuisine - looks pretty interesting...not sure if I'll ever go completely raw ... but I definitely want to incorporate more raw foods in an easy to eat way...lots of recipes and helpful info in there that i've seen from my first looks...can't wait to try some of the recipe's. I'm just finishing (in another week) a detox cleanse thing...so I need to keep my sugar really low right now...but in another week I'll fire up the blender with lots of fruits and greens and give those recipes a go.
Yesterday I picked up a "Prepara Herb Savor" (http://www.amazon.com/Prepara-PP01-HS100-Herb-Savor/dp/B000YMOXKC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1241787447&sr=8-3) in order to find a way to keep my fresh herbs lasting longer. I was able to fit half a bunch of cilantro in one...so I think I'll go out and pick up a couple more today so I can keep an ample supply of herbs on hand for cooking and blenderizing.
Question of the week:
Hi Rene
I found your site by watching a video from a friends site and I checked out your website and all the great links to other health sites. I want to learn as much as I can about this new way of living and eating . It is a bit difficult right now. I don’t have the money to purchase all the right organic ingredients as well as all the gadgets I need to make all the great recipes that u and all these other raw foodies make. So what is your suggestion for the folks who have finance problems and to keep up this kind of lifestyle? It does get quite expensive. I want to do whatever it takes to do all the right things. Thank you in advance for any advice you will send for me. Have a wonderful day.
AZ
Hi AZ,
Thanks for the great questions!
Now that I have been eating this way for quite a few years, I find this way of life to be the most affordable way to eat. When you first start on this path, it seems like your food bill goes up because your body is asking for large amounts of fruits and vegetables as you clear out the toxins of your past. As your body starts to get “cleaner” you become more efficient and your appetite decreases since you are now assimilating the nutrients from your food thoroughly and you therefore eat less than you did originally.
A less expensive and healthier way to eat organic produce is to search for the local organic farms in your area. Go to the local farmer’s markets on the weekends. Many organic farms give tours of their facilities and it’s fun to get to know the people who are growing your food!
It’s also much better for you to eat locally, the sooner you eat the produce from the time it was picked, the higher the nutrient level. It is usually 8-14 days since harvest by the time most grocery store produce reaches your plate.
If you do purchase any conventionally grown produce, beware of the “dirty dozen”. These are the 12 conventionally grown foods that have been found to be the highest in pesticides by the Environmental Working Group. This list has changed over the years. For the latest update, go to www.ewg.org.
This is their list as of this writing:
Foods Highest in Pesticides:
Apple
Bell Pepper
Celery
Nectarine
Strawberries
Cherries
Kale
Lettuce
Grapes (Imported)
Carrot
Pear
Foods Lowest in Pesticides:
Onion
Avocado
Sweet Corn
Pineapple
Mango
Asparagus
Sweet Peas
Kiwi
Cabbage
Eggplant
Papaya
Watermelon
Broccoli
Tomato
Sweet Potato
This is a nice list to take with you when you are in a situation where it’s difficult to find a large selection of organic foods.
I help you save money in my recipes by using the least expensive, most nutrient dense ingredients. I have seen raw food recipes call for as much as 6-8 cups of high-dollar nuts. I use more of the lower-cost sunflower seeds and buckwheat groats in place of some of the nuts to save money.
You can also save by buying nuts, seeds and dried fruit in bulk and freezing them. Check my “Resource” page for some of my favorites.
Many stores offer discount prices on ripe bananas. Just peel and freeze and they are ready to use in your smoothie.
Go berry picking during your season and freeze or dehydrate them to use year round. We found a “pick-your-own” organic blueberry farm and had a great time picking berries last year!
As far as equipment goes, I have a list of the essential tools for the kitchen in the book, with ways to use less expensive appliances and ideas of how to turn your oven into a dehydrator with as little as $4.
I do strongly recommend the Vita-Mix high-speed blender as an investment in your health. In the 20 plus years that I have been recommending the vita-mix, I have never had anyone tell me they have regretted their purchase. Vita-Mix even offers a 30-day, money-back guarantee and I don’t know anyone that has returned it. I have often heard the response, “I wish I had bought it sooner. It not only makes this way of eating easy, but it’s so much fun!”
I hope you continue to reap the benefits of your new lifestyle and learn more ideas to keep it affordable!
Please send your “money-saving” ideas and more of your great questions to rene.oswald@att.net or post below for everyone to see!
This is a question that I hear often, so I thought I'd post it for all to read and please share your thoughts!
Question: What is the best way to store veggies in the fridge, so they don’t go bad so fast?
Thanks,
Richard
The best way to ensure fresh produce is to purchase from local, organic farmers that has been picked that day. The majority of produce from local grocery stores is 1-2 weeks old by the time it’s purchased. To extend the life of your produce, store in Green Bags (Ever Fresh at http://www.evertfresh.com/ or Debbie Meyer at
https://www.greenbags.com/?cid=587724 or www.hsn.com) or use the new E.G.G. (Ethylene Gas Guardian, found at
in your refrigerator crisper. I also wrap the end of my greens with wet organic paper towels and that seems to help them last longer and keeps them from wilting.
I take my green bags with me to save time and to prevent using the plastic bags at the market.
Mushrooms, jicama and Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes) should be store in paper bags to prevent them from molding. Tomatoes should be kept at room temperature and avocados should stay at room temperature until they ripen, then refrigerate.
Keep those great questions coming! You can post yours below, or send to rene.oswald@att.net.
Have an amazing day!
Rene