CHRISTMAS JUICE DAY.

I LOVE CHRISTMAS. But not the bombardment of crazily aggressive people offering me foods that scream diabetes and obesity. [Super exaggeration but...not] So, what better way to restart, than to juice on Christmas Day! I am happy my family is on board too. We had our family dinner last night, and there are two more set after the new year because of our Armenian Christmas. Everyone had a cup of this juice, and I would say it is the perfect litmus test to see where your tastebuds and cells are in terms of health.

Honestly, making this juice, [which consisted of 3 bunches of kale stems, 2 celery heads, 6 beets, a full bunch of carrots with their green stems, and ginger. NO APPLES, NO FRUIT.] was a painful process. I felt nauseated even while cutting the veggies. The taste was overwhelmingly bitter to my mouth, even though I'm sure it was fine, like any other juice I'd have before.

My brother's genuine reaction to the juice. He ended up drinking two beer glasses full. More than I could stomach.

CHRISTMAS (ugly tree at Eaton's)

Montreal Trip

Montreal aka. raw food city. We walked a lot so I'm pretty sure this nut based meal was tots justifiable.

First stop: Crudessence with my veg-partner-in-crime Chelsea

Ohm Burger and Side Salad

Vegan restaurant our friends took us to, secret letters in every table drawer.

MEGA SUCCULENCE IN A CUP...so good.

Chelsea's Brunch Crepe

Chocolate Raspberry Mousse 

BEST BREAKFAST EVA.

I decided today, that I made the best breakfast ever...I'm sure you'll all agree. Don't be turned off by the picture.

Ingredients:

-ground flax
-black chia seeds
-almonds
-maple syrup/agave (I prefer maple...obvi I'm Canadian :P)
-hemp seeds
-buckwheat groats
-frozen strawberries that I slowly warmed and sliced into bowl
-cinnamonize all of it. (Add cinnamon)

MIX ERR'THANG.

It honestly tasted like a strawberry crumble! Who wouldn't want that for breakfast!

humble beginnings...




STRAWBERRY YUMMO CRUMBLE

Aloe MANIA and Winter RAW.

HELLOOOO.

First off: My sincere apologies for deserting this blog. It's as if the more I thought about how I hadn't posted, the more I retreated from posting. Not to say I have stopped my creations, or picture-taking, however my laziness has been in the link between posting and submitting.

Secondly: New experiments. The newest experiment my mother and I have taken up is the dissecting and ingesting of fresh aloe, Jamaican aloe to be exact. I have some pictures, but the purpose of this is for cleansing. So far, I think my mom has experienced far greater benefits than I have.

Thirdly: I have been eating salads for breakfast. YES, it sounds so weird, but the reason has been to see if my blood sugar levels are more stabilized, and I can truly say they are. I get hungrier much later in the day, and don't feel the fiendish need to eat tons of fruit.

Fourthly: It is winter! IN CANADA! WITH FLURRIES! and winter coats! Which means only one thing. Raw gets a little more difficult and requires a tad more creativity. If you have read my pasts posts you know that what gets me through the winter is soup. I make sure I drink my smoothies, keep juicing, but I also incorporate cooked soups throughout the week made with sweet potatoes, carrots, butternut squash, etc. You can tell, these are the starchier vegetables. I have also attempted blanched green beans, (like the string beans, not individual beans), and steamed broccoli and kale. DON'T TENSE YOUR SHOULDERS, this is what works for me :D It might work for you too, I honestly didn't realize I need balancing, warm YANG foods until I spoke with the owner of Cruda Cafe, Claudia Gaviria.

it looks gross, but IT WORKS.

HUGE STALK...not fully shown in picture.

Tell me what works for you in colder weather! Also, how do you feel about eating salads for breakfast?

SUPERFOOD CITAYY.

Fall is here! Which pretty much means people will be focusing more on work, school, and less on health and wellness. Do not be one of the victims of the common cold this fall!

Here are my top 5 picks for immunity boosting, flu-fighting, anti-aging, inflammation-fighting and disease-eliminating. 

1. Astaxanthin

Dr. Oz talked about this recently, and after doing research myself I have confirmed his statements. I do feel he occasionally puts in a good word for certain supplement companies, but astaxanthin is really a product backed by research. Benefits: endurance and anti-inflammatory. We all know that inflammation is the source of many surface issues we may find in ourselves, from acne, IBS, thyroid issues, hyperpigmentation, and even cancer. Astaxanthin heals and repairs on a cellular level to combat the root of these underlying issues.

2. Pine Bark Extract

This is my most trusted antioxidant. I live in the city of Toronto, and I am fully aware of the oxidative effects pollution, non-organic food, and stress have on me. What I have also seen is my asthma disappear from taking this daily. My top choice is OPC-3 which is a bioavailable supplement that is isotonic, meaning same-pressure (for you science geeks out there). It is similar to astaxanthin in the sense that it combats poor circulation and eliminates toxins found in the bloodstream. I can't go a day without this.

3. Aloe

WHO DOESN'T LOVE ALOE. I love it on my face, skin, and in my water. I have lately been using it on my face to minimize sun damage, and shrink pores, as well as detoxing through daily juice shots. My top choice is ultimatealoe's brand because it is 150% concentrate. It really doesn't get much better than that!

4. Spirulina

Do I really have to say much about this?

5. Goji Berries

This isn't on the same level as other antioxidant-like supplements, but it really is important to include some in your snacks during the day. Plus they are SO CUTE and chewy... :)

What superfoods will you try this fall?

Traveling Raw.

Traveling to the States is ALWAYS tricky for me because there are usually no alternatives. So I have to be proactive and plan ahead. I was on a bus for 18 hours from Ottawa, Canada to Greensboro, North Carolina. I made sure to buy nuts, and fruit for the right and made a breakfast granola to eat during breakfast time. An example of what I found at the hotel for breakfast is as follows: (following is in red due to imply potentially threatening DANGER)

-biscuits and gravy
-french toast, waffles
-processed OJ and apple juice
-peanut butter with sugar and hydrogenated rapeseed oil
-quaker oats, and fruit loops
-yogurt and hard boiled eggs (literally hard as a rock, watched my friend gnaw on two)

Sometimes it's an excellent opportunity to give your body a rest, as traveling is already tiring enough.

Buckwheat Granola Recipe

-buckwheat (quickly soaked and rinsed to remove starchy water)
-cinnamon (as much as you like/OR should I say LOVE)
-carob powder 3T
-cranberries
-currants
-almonds
-coconut oil 2T
-goji berries

Mix gently together and dehydrate overnight, flipping occasionally. It will come out crispy, and DELISHUSSSS. What snacks do you bring when traveling?

Raw in Ottawa.

Delicious food from La Belle Verte and Market Fun.

If you're ever in Ottawa make sure you drop by Byward Market to check out the local produce from berries to corn, it's all there and super delicious! La Belle Verte is also my favourite restaurant to visit since I don't have to question anything regarding ingredients. Plus the food always looks beautiful, and their green juices are tasty and SO refreshing.

Salad for Breakfast.

I have one goal: to balance my blood sugar levels. [People who have tried 811 diet, comment below as to how you deal with this, because I literally have felt knees wobble when eating 10 bananas and dates.]

I made this and realized that only two utensils are necessary for a perfect salad!! 1) A pair of tongs and 2) a big bowl, not a flat plate. If you can mix everything together and break down the leaves a bit, your salad meshes flavours perfectly.

Summer Salad aka. YUMMO BOWL.

-strawberries

-blackberries

-spiralized zucchini

-grated carrot

-organic spring mix

-epic Lebanese EVOO

-sea salt

-lemon juice

-sunflower seeds

-Corn sliced right off the cob

AND MY FAVE NEW FRUIT. Texture cityyyy.

I bought one the other day, giddy, and beside myself with EXCITEMENT, I cradled it like a dragon egg, all the way home. LOOK HOW PRETTY.

FIRST TIME EATING DURIAN. EPIC.

I LOVE DURIAN, I've loved it even before I had the chance to try it, I didn't care that it would smell, didn't care that it might have a sweet onion taste, just seeing a picture of Ani Phyo relaxing on a beach eating it has made me crave this for years, AND FINALLY, yesterday my Malaysian friend brought a fresh one from the grocery store and cracked it open.

I'm in love.

Here's a picture.

I couldn't contain my excitement hence all my blurry pictures. Smoothie recipe to follow, with cinnamon and cacao.

EPIC JUICE DAY.

The weather is AWESOME in Toronto today, which calls for a hydrating, luscious, divine, magnificent...pre-mother's day juice.

I have to say, I have been taking amazing care of my mom lately...she's probably reading this now and agreeing. We created a health routine that involved regularizing juicing, and smoothie-making, plus massive salads throughout the day. Obviously, not far from the regular Mediterranean diet, raw is the focus, especially being wheat and dairy free, AND MOM, YOU'RE DOING AN EPIC JOB, if I do say so myself.

I am going to take a picture of the juices we make, today we juiced and made 2 L of beet, apple, kale, celery, cucumber, and carrot juice, it was so beautiful---a giant glass pitcher of fuschia coloured juice with orange foam on top, and it tasted heavenly!

Pics to come!

MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU.

YAYYY STAR WARS SALSA.

Ingredients:
yellow bell pepper
red bell pepper
braggs apple cider vinegar
lemon juice
grated lemon rind
fresh mint from my backyard
tomatoes, diced
green onions, diced

MIX, AND SERVE.

Ballin' Salads.

Firstly, salads should NEVER be boring, ever. I have a few tips to tell that will ensure your salad never remain boring. The key words I think of when choosing TOPPINGS to my salad are COLOUR, TEXTURE, FLAVOUR. Pretty simple, right? You want to maximize your utility of each category.

COLOUR: Think rainbow using fruits + veggies, these are just for toppings.

Red: bell pepper, blood orange, grapefruit, cherry tomatoes, raspberries, beets, swiss chard (stem), cherries, pomegranates, strawberries

Orange: orange (OBVI), carrots, cantaloupe, pumpkin, sweet potato, papaya, mangoes, peach,

Yellow: pineapple, korean sweet potato, yellow beets (BEAUTIFUL!), pickled radish (korean).

Green: Brocolli, cabbage types, green onions, leeks, cilantro, parsley, sprouts, avocado!

Blue: blueberries, raisins, grapes, purple figs, purple potato.

Purple: purple cabbage, plums, blackberries

You get the idea with colour, go WILD. Continuing on to TEXTURE, my favourite category, my favourite thing to do is to use different ways of cutting up veggies/fruits.

TEXTURE: Grate, Straight-slice, Mandolin-slice, food process, peel, spiralize and use scissors!

You may wonder how you could eat the veggies I've listed raw in a salad, as chunks of sweet potato seem slightly off-putting but, when you grate veggies you get an epic assortment of texture in your salad. Grate the carrots, the potato, then food process on the thinnest blade all cabbage types, you'll be surprised at how much more edible your bowl will become.

dried unsweetened coconut

sprouted chickpea hummus

babah ganouj (eggplant dip)

guacamole

artichoke hearts

pickles

red onions finely chopped

garlic grated/minced

grated lemon rind, orange rind

FLAVOUR: 2-step process for flavour.

I used to never enjoy the taste of onions or garlic, and honestly I still don't so much now, but whenever I use them in my salads I feel as if they excite and bring out everything else. [LFRV's, if you're reading this ignore the flavouring part.]

STEP 1-Take a big bowl and put your salad base in (kale, romaine, arugula, watercress, spinach, etc.) Dress appropriately with a citrus juice + oil + salt. I usually use himalayan or pink salt + grapefruit/lemon juice and EVOO. Mix that up, and let it sit while you prepare your toppings.

STEP 2-Take your sprouts, your grated veggies, your fruit assortment, and your crunchy/smooth topping and put on the side. Add all of them together and decorate over top of the preset salad base.

EQN SHEET:

colour + texture + flavour = epic toppings

citrus + oil + vinegar/salt = dressing

salad base + toppings = EPICNESS.

Raw in Miami

I tried to update with my new phone in Miami, but it never worked out properly :( I'm still learning how to use it.

BASICALLY, I was going to make a point of saying how easy it is to be raw in miami. This was without even visiting Coconut Grove, which many people suggested to me. I don't know why but for some reason I pictured carts of fruit on the beach, and it wasn't exactly like that.

At first I was scared I'd starve, but the first thing we found in the street behind our hotel was a fruit shop, tons of fruit, and smoothies to go which I took advantage of.

I went to the same place to eat every day for lunch and sometimes dinner because honestly, their salads were THE BEST. They were so simple, and cheap, but the greens they used (surprisingly this was at a hamburger joint called: Damn Good Burger) were super dark and tough and I always found a clover or two in it!! It was just avocado, greens, and red onion--which I never eat but it did add a great touch. On Mondays the salad is $1.....I bought 12. DON'T JUDGE...It was between me and my mom and dad haha. The people ended up recognizing us by the end, and I think were not used to having people just buy the salad plain. http://www.dgbmiami.com/

One night we ate on Ocean drive, as well as one breakfast, and they had a great fruit platter, as well as quite possibly the most delicious salad I've eaten. It had shredded coconut, mango chunks, pistachios, cherry tomatoes, ginger sesame dressing on the side, and dark spinach.

One night we walked down Lincoln Mall Road, which was so beautiful, an open mall concept with cafe trattorias along side the cobble stone pathway. There was a farmer's market with tons of coconuts, mangos, papayas, melons, and avocados. You can imagine my excitement...

SO all in all, great place to go, obviously the scenery is so beautiful food is the last thing on your mind. Next time I go for sure I will check out Coconut Grove.

Have you ever been to miami? What's your favourite place?

DELISH RAW STUDY SNACKS.

Um. THANK YOU MOM.

She made these for my friend and I. BOMBTASTIC.

generous 1/2 cup of coconut unsweetened

1/4 cup sesame

1T coconut oil

1T lemon juice

1 full cup of medjool dates packed (Seeds removed, obvi.)

grated lemon rind as desired.

BEST WINTER SMOOTHIE.

blueberries

baby organic spinach

2 big cups of water (from my pitcher of ice cold mint tea-bag steeped study water)

1 banana

big handful + of frozen organic mango chunks

Complete Greens scoop: 1 tsp

AHMAZINGGG.

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

RAW 2012!!!

Who is living it up raw!

If you have any goals write them in the comments below, because this year is going to be YOUR healthiest year yet!!

My one goal is to enjoy a green smoothie daily. I feel like I'm taking care of myself in fulfilling this because I not only take time to make it, but I feel better too.