do the fermentation dance.

I don't know what the fermentation dance is, BUT what I do know is how freaking good fermented food is for you. Boosts your immunity, and gets things goin' plus has the right bacteria for your gut.

What fermented foods do you like to eat or make?

bought this from a local street vendor in Armenia

COLDNESS.

Summer is gone. I have to face the facts and put my gladiators and shorts away. It was 20˚ a few days ago but it was just a tease. Here are my top 3 tips to surviving the first bouts of cold.

1. Go and buy tea. Yes, I know you most likely have mint tea, and rooibos stocked up at home, but just go! Go and peruse, smell each tin, buy a new looseleaf or an old favourite flavour, and get excited about it. *if you are still white-sugarifying yourself, stop: go find an organic honey, a rock sugar, or a cinnamon stick and enjoy the flavour!

2. Start eating more dense foods. In July, surviving on watermelons, peaches, and figs was easy, not that it is nippy, you need a little more 'MPH in your belly. Choose a few root vegetables and steam them lightly, dice them up and create a salad. Remember to continue to fill up your plate with at least 70% produce. Refer to my beet salad recipe below.

3. Workout. If you have an apartment, take the stairs, if you have a house or a big room, do some HIIT and choose a workout from www.bodyrock.tv You will quickly be surprised at how a little extra jumping jack set with increase blood flow and warm you instantly.

Beet Salad: Dill, Cilantro, red pepper powder, chives, EVOO, 2 potatoes, 4 beets. 
Lasts a few meals if placed next to a bigger fresh salad.

 My mom, super-happy. 
We chose "Armenian Blend" with oregano, thyme, and mint.

Birthday Time!!

Warning: The following post contains accounts of a gluten contamination. 

It was my birthday! I turned 23. I have been 23 for a few days now and it feels amazing. I can honestly say that every year of my life keeps getting better, as it should! It was my first birthday spent in Armenia, and couldn't have been more amazing considering we won against Bulgaria 2:1 and the celebrations for Yerevan's 2795th birthday began that night, also helped that I was surrounded by people I loved. To health and happiness!

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." - Henry David Thoreau

 Quickly addressing the cake in the picture. Yes.. it was glutenous, no, I don't know if it had dairy, thought it most likely did. I did eat it. I did feel sick. I did feel inflammation in my joints, a migraine in my head and neck and undisclosed further issues reflected in every other part of my body.

Fresh Salad

Nothing is as simple as an oil and fat free, dairy free simple salad with cucumber, tomatoes, fresh basil and parsley.

Visual stimulation....food style.

Follow me on instagram!

Www.instagram.com/amykazn

In my opinion, a much more satisfying way of seeing recipes and fresh meal ideas...plus personal posts too.

Ginger tea.

Yes, it is still summery here and that means pure humid heat, but I have tons of ginger at my disposal, hence ginger tea. I keep making ginger tea, and it keeps causing me to feel amazing, which in turn causes me to make more ginger tea, and thus a crazy cycle, despite immediate hot flashes upon drinking it.

Back to Canada and back to the motherland.

So I loved Armenia so much, I packed up My life and decided to move there for the next six months I am playing with the opera and ballet Orchestra and it is awesome. In addition to life changing experiences, I have to talk about food in Armenia, because it is unreal. When I returned to Canada for a few weeks in August I could even eat fruit or veggies because of the vast difference, nothing is overly sweet here, just with depth of flavor.

There is an organic delivery service I found called Go Green Armenia, and they bring in organic, local, pesticide free produce and other health products. I will show my first haul with them, I am excited to see it.

In the motherland.

Currently in Armenia, amazing things are happening, I've been playing with the opera orchestra here and taking voice lessons, and seeing every live musical performance EVER. My french horn and I are happy...but on a more DELICIOUS NOTE.

IT'S APRICOT SEASON!!!! They are the tastiest, most succulent things I've ever put in my mouth...it's also watermelon season, and everything is local, and delicious, and eating raw here is SO easy because it's hot, and all you want is a cucumber tomato dill salad, aka. "Amarvayin Salad" meaning 'Summer Salad'.

 

Also, GLUTEN, lurks around every corner, in ever single food plate. I am not addicted therefore, the smell and sight of the puffiest lavash doesn't taunt my soul....but actually, when you eliminate gluten you don't crave it, therefore it's been easy living here without the desire. HOWEVER, it's also shocking to see how it is in EVERYTHING, from chips, crackers, to anything baked, even some hummus/salad if you don't ask, you have to be careful. Bad gluten! *spank*  [haha]

Health and Wellness Party: SPRING DETOX

RSVP to rawveganunistudent@gmail.com if you want to be a part of this health seminar [Toronto, ON]

Cost: $2/bring fruit of your choice.

Organic Food Delivery

Is it sad that produce makes me this happy...because it actually felt like Christmas today when I opened my FOOD-BOX-OF-LOVE.

Nutty..

Made almond milk for the first time in my vitamix!
4 cups water
1 cup almonds (soaked for 1 hr)
vanilla powder (use a real pod if you have)

After the liquid was fully blended (2 minutes on 7-8 blender setting) I strained that elixir of love into the most PURE milky, white, frothy and creamy...goodness ever.

I then took one cup of it and made a smoothie, which was more like a berry sorbet.

1 cup frozen berries
3 medjool dates (pitted)
1 cup almond milk

Saved the almond pulp - cookie recipe to come soon!

Juice Feasting, Raw Snacks and Spring Fever.

I'M ON AN ORGANIC FOOD HUNT: I've been looking for good organic delivery services, and I'm happy to say that 2 years ago, I didn't see as many names on the veg.ca list, however now there's about 10 to choose from! I am going to review the boxes I choose. The first one I have selected is www.organicfooddelivery.com I ordered a family mix box, it comes thursday! We'll see how it goes :D

Tried 2 moms in the raw snacks! I loved it! Definitely not too heavy on the stomach.

Juice Feasting Time!

Arugula Salad

Want to be inspired: www.youtube.com/fullyrawkristina

Quinoa Salad - Transition Recipe

 

On a recent roadtrip to Buffalo, NY (to bring my Vitamix baby home) my mom and I packed this awesome salad to eat instead of making a trip to a restaurant. Making sure the cooler is stocked with snacks helps prevent anxiety about poor food choices when crossing the border to a more unknown area. I've definitely had my fair share of terrible food surprises- in the states especially...pancake mix and fake gravy anyone? NO, thanks! :P

Ingredients:

pomegranate 

red onion chopped

pumpkin seed

cranberries

sweet potato steamed

red, yellow, orange peppers

cilantro chopped

lime and balsamic vinegar

olive oil salt pepper

Urban Herbivore: Vegan Restaurant Review

Urban Herbivore is an independent restaurant that started in the heart of Kensington Market in downtown Toronto. It's now grown successfully into several stores that serve epic vegan food.

My suggestion is the grain bowl + 6 toppings. STUDENT-ESQUE price point, AMERICAN (haha) portion sizes and ALL options made healthy, and homemade - with - love. Colourful, vibrant juices, fresh salad bars, and grain bowls from $9 plus stews and soups. Good option for students, and busy people on the go! Check it out at Eaton's Centre, Kensington, and Dundas West.

 

WHAT DO I GET....lol

How to Go Gluten Free.

I decided to write about this pertinent topic because of history in my own journey to being raw.
The major obstacle standing in my way of reaching that LUSH number of 70, 80, or even 90% raw was my addiction to wheat. [These are personal tips, take what applies to you]

Here are my biggest tips on going gluten free:

1) Analyze your eating habits mentally. Do you eat late at night after work, or do you have regular meals that include wheat. For me, I would eat healthy all day (that means raw and vegan) then at night I would make myself a few pb+j sandwiches on toast. Once you find out where it's sneaking in. . . ISOLATE and ANNIHILATE.

2) You have to be drastic. There's no phasing this out, baby. It's black or white. You're either glutenfree or you're an addict. Create a list of reasons why. It might be longer than you thought. Post it somewhere.

3) Find alternatives. In the beginning, the smallest step might be switching from pasta to quinoa, or from couscous to black or red rice. Yes, it's cooked, but who cares! You are on your way to raw at your own pace, and the more you do it without shaking your mental

4) BE PREPARED. Scenario #1: You go to a sushi restaurant...everything looks yummo, but you want soy sauce. . . bring your own. Scenario #2: All your friends want to go to a bakery. Source out the gluten free ones, and direct them there. Scenario #3: You really want a snack with your hummus that isn't veggies, and it isn't pita. . . STOCK UP on rice crackers.

5) Get a buddy. This is so crucial. I might be making it sound like life or death, but for me it is. When I look at gluten, my brain is trained to say, "CANCER. POISON." and that is because of what it does to my body. Having a friend or two that avoids wheat/gluten as well helps me when I want to get tips or remember why I removed gluten to begin with.

Comment below with your tips!

Health and Wellness Parties: Toronto!

YAYY Here are some pictures from the latest Juicing Party in Toronto I hosted. Once a month a bunch of health-curious people meet and we learn more about antioxidants, how to juice/make green smoothies interactively. FUN + FREE. Anyone interested can PM for details.

Spinach Ice Cream For Breakfast? I THINK, YES.

Used my new vitamix aka Miss Vita. To conjure this loverly breakfast creation.

-half a bag of the BIG LEAF nasty spinach that no one likes to put in salads.
-2 cups water
-2 cups frozen fruit (I LIVE IN CANADA DON'T JUDGE ME. Peaches, pineapple, cherries)
-2 FRESH bananas

PULSE IT. The smoothie setting is REALLY scary in the mornings...very loud.

It should turn into a LUSH spinach green coloured SORBET.

Take a spoon to that and ENJOY :D