Easy Ways to Be More Eco-Friendly

We all try to protect the environment, but without a large paycheck, that can seem difficult, if not impossible, especially in this economic climate. But doing your part doesn’t have to be hard or expensive. Small steps add up to a big difference, you just have to know which ones to take. Conserving resources also helps save you money, which is something most of us are happy to live with. 

Use Less Water.

Saving water is all about small steps, here are a few that will help save big.

• Turn off the water while you brush your teeth
• Take shorter showers
• Only flush the toilet when you need to
• Put a brick or two in the tank of your toilet so that you use less of a volume of water
• Only run full loads of laundry and dishes

Buy from sustainable producers. These are farmers, ranchers, and other producers that use techniques that pollute less and use less water. You can do some research online or ask at your local organic market to find these products.

Use Less Energy.

If your monetary circumstances won't allow to buy a hybrid car or convert your home to solar power, you can make a big difference with these small changes.

•  Buy energy efficient appliances.  They may be more expensive, but make up for the increased cost in lower energy bills.
• Line dry your laundry instead of using your tumble dryer. Sometimes we have the dryer on for 30-45 minutes at a time and that is a LOT of wasted energy if it's warm and sunny outside.
• Unplug chargers when you’re not using them.  Cell phone and other chargers use up powers even if there’s nothing attached to them.
• Put devices with remotes, like T.V.s, VCRs, and stereos, on a power strip and turn it off when you’re not using them.  These devices use a lot of power to run the remote receiver even when the device is off.
• Walk or ride your bike for short trips.
•  Buy local products. It takes energy to transport food and other products across the country. Buying local not only supports your local economy, it helps them use less energy.

When it comes to saving energy and water, it’s a great idea to get the kids involved. You can even make it a game! Have them track how much water and electricity everyone in the home is using. You can compete to see who uses the least water.  You can often count on your kids to help keep you on track when given the task.

Reuse. 
Most of us know the three R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle, but when we work on conserving, we often leave 'reuse' out of the picture. While you can often find tips on how to reuse common products from other people, what you need most is creativity. With a little thought there are very many items around your home that can be reused – toilet paper holders can be used to sow seeds for the vegetable patch. And old yogurt containers can be cut into strip to make plant labels. Old food jars can be refilled with homemade foods or can make great impromptu vases.

Use environmentally friendly products. When you go to the grocery store, you probably see more and more “natural” or “eco friendly” products every time.  There are generally two big problems with these products:

1. Just because they say they’re more natural than regular products, doesn’t mean they are entirely natural.
 2, They’re often expensive.

If you want to use inexpensive, natural, safe products, make them yourself. Vinegar is a great way to clean and disinfect glass and other surfaces, among cleaning many other things. Need to remove stubborn stains? Just add some baking soda to your vinegar cleaner. Some quick searching online will lead you to hundreds of other natural safe home-made cleaning products and recipes for your own concoctions.

Rawcession :(

And again, I'm back on the blogroll!

   I've been on a 'little' hiatus due to the family's needs.. Haven't had a lot of time for anything else except the facebook page (please like) & lots of  tiredness, lol. I also miss the sunshine... badly. Lately I feel as though I can't actually get down to the wire because I KNOW I will be interrupted for motherly duties at least 20 times every 15 minutes, haha.. I'm trying to get my business going, but I feel discouraged when working alone, trying to organise myself and my time, getting stuck on the website, etc... I've been working on the new site (or sites, as there's more than one) and a recipe book for kids, but progress has been really slow, though, as a lot of things have to be on the back burner for now... I have a family and that comes first before anything else, no matter what.

 A snapshot of one of my projects, my son's site 'DinoRAW', lol...
(unfinished, so there's no link)

   I was starting a business with a really good friend if mine, and EVERYTHING seemed to fall into place perfectly when we worked together, it was awesome! Ideas flowed infinitely, copious amounts of appointments seemed to fall into our laps, and with little preparation, and almost being late because we had the wrong address, we even STILL won a competition for £1,000.00  to get our business started AND appeared in the paper!  We were so close to success and so in-tune to what we were about, we had our  services mapped out, and even have an awesome healthy product pitch, which helped us win the competition I think. Only thing was, as it turns out, it was a "... you get what you need and we'll reimburse you for it..." kind of thing, which is a bit ridiculous seeing as the reason we did the competition in the first place was because we didn't have any of our own extra money to spend on our start-up! *sigh* With my business partner going to college full time and working, then me with family and school-run duties it seemed like we never had the same days or times available to work on it, and it stagnated from there. :(

   I'm trying to do things on the side now, but I really miss the progress and focus that working with a like-minded person brings. But now, since that biz is no more, I'm now expanding The Raw Panda as a brand... my ideas are still flowing, but all I can do is add them to the business plan and hope to recognise an opportunity when I see one to do my pitch. I really want to follow my passion, but the money is so tight now that it's strangling, and we simply cannot afford to get a loan, especially with today's economic chaos.

So, yeah... that's where I've been. Now I'm just trying to organize my time so I can get these other projects off the ground. I know what I'm supposed to be doing, but how do I get there NOW, after that stagnation is the question... Everything fell into place, now ideas are being stunted at every turn. I just want to put good out into the world but I hate that 'life' and 'surviving' is getting in the way. But now that I've vented this frustration I should start changing my thoughts to more positive ones, hehe... I am grateful for the things I do have, my family, a roof over our head, food, internet access, lol... I will make good things happen.

What's Going On Here? Part 1

"Supplements & Superfoods... Should We Take Them?"

Well, this may be an ongoing article as there is so many points I keep finding about this, and similar subjects, that I NEED to get out of my head and into the world... I will also say that if I write about any particular makes or brands I am not getting ANY money for mentioning them... I am speaking from my experiences I've had throughout my life... so, well.... here you go:

   I've been noticing that a lot of people in the raw food movement are swearing off supplements and superfoods calling them ‘unnecessary’. I'm not sure why there has been such an increase in this mode of thinking, but I wanted to highlight some of the reasons I've come across and why I believe that such a cut and dry belief like this about supplements is not in the best interest of health without some form of research. I’m still researching my own conclusions when it comes to my well being, keeping in mind that (although we are all one;) everyone is physically different:

A) "My diet is natural and nutritious, so I don't need them.."

B) "Supplements and superfoods are all a ploy to make money, they don't work."

C) "I don't like [insert raw guru here] because I think he/she is a snake-oil salesman."

D) "Well, Dr. [insert raw guru here] says we don't need it. I don't trust anyone else."

     Ok, looking at Point A... I personally do not agree, and this is my humble, common sense opinion as to why: Because the majority of the population cannot get food that has been grown in nutrient rich, mineralized, virgin organic soil away from potential GMO contamination, Agri-biz runoff, etc... If we normally ate natural, whole foods grown in that kind of pure environment, then yes, I WOULD agree... BUT Agri-biz being what it is, farming methods, fertilizers[organic or not], selective breeding for ease of harvest and not for nutrition, aerosol particulates sprayed into the sky c/o weather modification experimentation, landfills, water fluoridation/chlorination among so many other factors, means that we are not living in the ideal environment that is conducive to avoiding supplementation. If you want to find out more info on vitamin additives research supplement ‘excipients’.. ß [Keywords] As long as your multivitamin is from whole food sources you’ll be ok as long as you avoid un-natural additives. Now, ALL that being said, the TYPES of supplements, or the integrity of the brand and quality of the supplement, if you will, that you put into your body is what is important. DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!
  If you’re not supplementing, or even if you are, what we can do is keep track of  nutrient intake from food for a couple of weeks or so by using a nutrition tracker on sites like SparkPeople.com or ‘Cron-O-Meter’ so as to see what nutrients you do or don’t get on a regular basis and correct any deficiencies you may notice. You’d be surprised at what you don’t get enough of.

 Point B Although this can be true in some cases, it is not true in EVERY case, so it’s a little ridiculous to make such a blanket statement. I have personally taken both supplements AND superfoods. With certain supplements, I have noticed SIGNIFICANT changes, for the better, in my health and well being.  Some have the quality expected and some are little more than a cheap brand. Case in point: B12... for example, I’ve used the NOW Brand Chewable Methyl-B12 and it is the ONLY B12 supp. that has made a noticeable physical difference in how I feel...  now there is a possibility that I could have been deficient at the time, but that’s how I know it worked... at least I know which brand I will choose if any deficiency (pernicious anaemia) rears its ugly head anytime in the future. On the other hand, I would not rely on "fortified" processed foods of any kind to make sure I got my intake of any particular BIO-AVAILABLE nutrient like B12... this is an example why!

Now we're at C & D which kind of go together... with C, I just want people to be reminded that constant criticism of another person says nothing about them and EVERYTHING about you... meaning > AGGRESSION DOES NOT EQUAL PASSION!! You're fooling yourself if you think otherwise. Becoming full of yourself, actually saying you are better than others is, quite frankly, superficial, ridiculous and makes you ugly regardless of your outward appearance. You will definitely make people go in the opposite direction and eat a big cheeseburger [or get smacked by 'karma'! lol..] just because of your attitude, and anyway, how is that even remotely close to 'helping people'? And anyway, I thought we in the raw food world were supposed to be loving and accepting of each other regardless of the path we're on! It makes no sense... Which is why I've become a Cult Co-Leader, lmao...

And, finally we have D... and this is where it goes with C... Raw Foods is not a religion, it’s a lifestyle. Not everything is ideal for everyone, (which is where 411 comes into play). Listen, there is no one specific raw foods bible. What you consider your raw bible is definitely not the same as the one that inspired me!! If you want to “spread the vegan message”, then great! It’s more of a healthy and clean lifestyle than most... but it is not a religion! And oh my Holy G-d if someone isn’t vegan... I mean the venom that gets unleashed, even when someone agrees with you! Maybe there is something to this whole ‘not enough minerals’ with you fruities, lol... I kid! I’m kidding, lol.. My point is, relaaaaax.... you lower your B12 when you get wound up! We’re all ONE! Just BE! We all need to go on a ‘BE’-tox sometimes. Maybe now’s a good time for a lot of people with all this agitation I see.

I hope no one is offended at anything in this post... taking offense is a choice, let’s choose to let others have their opinions and practice some ‘agreements’... we need more calm in this world, not more chaos.

Harriet & Lisa on raw Foods...

The Raw Panda Presents Harriet and Lisa on Raw Foods
by: TheRawPanda

Have YOU heard about the 411??

Ok, we've just discovered something that's ALWAYS been part of a healthy RAW lifestyle, yet we didn't even know we were a part of it! And you know what? YOU might even be a part of it, too!!

What is the New 411 Cult?

First off, what is a 'cult'?
"a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc. "

Now for the 411 - You know when you dial 411 to get 'information' on your telephone? It's just like this except the concept is, instead of dialing your phone, you're dialing into the conciousness of your own body to 'feel' and 'know' what is right for YOU to make YOU feel healthy...

It's AB-SOUL-UTELY THE MOST POPULAR RAW FOODS concept on the web, and no one even knows it or realizes they do it! If you feel ab-soul-utely amazing and healthy with your raw choices but you're not '100% raw' or struggling with your '811' path, it's ok... we are NOT all the same. Nothing is EVER 'One Size Fits All'. It's easier for some, harder for others. BUT - it's difficult to FAIL on the 411 diet... in fact, 'failure' doesn't even exist on the 411, not even as a word... but what DOES exist... are RESULTS!! Use the 'information' you have to make 'healthy' choices, move your body, get RESULTS. 411 will never demand, criticise or disown you from the vast 411 community if you didn't 'fruit yourself'.

If you want the 411 about the 411, check it out at the source on facebook!
Follow Your Intuition And Make Adjustments As Needed! No Right or Wrong

Empowerment, NOT criticism!
We are human Super Beings, not Robots!

You can "Fruit Yourself" into an OCD tizzy, or use the info to get healthy!

YES!!!

It has finally happened... NEW laptop!!! No more shared computer!!! And that means more blog posts from ME!!! WOOOOT!!!

Mike Adams Talks to Alex Jones About the FDA

Why Eat Whole Foods Instead of Processed Foods? Here's an Example...

How are these "fortified" elements in any way bioavailable to the human body? If we are to absorb minerals like iron they have to be in natural ionic form, like in green leafy vegetables, or in an appropriate dietary supplement... not actual metallic filings. Even colloidal minerals are to big for absorption in most cases...

And just like that, I'm back...

Needless to say I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, lol... but I've gone from this:

To this:

So, yeah... been busy, lol.... This is Aiobheann Isabella, aka 'Evie', and she's BEAUTIFUL, welcome her to earth!! Born 5am Halloween morning, (fun birthdays ahead ;) at 10lbs. 12ozs *yikes*... yep, ya heard me, she's already a toddler, lol... :/

   Anyway, I couldn't find the energy for barely anything the whole 9 months almost and, unfortunately, also couldn't be bothered to type any new posts with the way I was feeling, BUT I am feeling better now that she's OUT.

    I must say, though, she's the best thing to happen to my anemia,(and me) my body took over and, although I had to keep taking my iron tabs, the whole not bleeding every month thing kinda helped (sry, TMI) as well as the internal boost in absorption of nutrients from the state of just being pregnant. I did make sure I got the vitamins and minerals I needed: iron, vit D3, b vits etc. and, regardless of my cravings, I was very concious about getting AT LEAST 5 a day of fruit & veggies and I made sure they were raw... I didn't deny myself most of the cravings but I was aware of what was an 'addiction' craving (and adjusted/substituted accordingly) & what was a 'baby' craving...

Example:

Chocolate bar w/ nuts = addiction

Sardines mixed w/ avocados = baby

Yes, I did eat that... on crackers... and, yes, ew. <><

BTW, before my hiatus I was awarded the undeserved 'Beautiful Blogger' Award by my friend Evelyn Parham from naturalrawliving.com and I never was able to thank her properly, I need to make a post about it soon.

   I will be back to posting relevent material that inspires me(and you, too) to get on/back on the healthy choices wagon working up to high RAW... I am making the commitment again, starting out slow because I'm breastfeeding the wee one. See you soon!

Where Have I Been? Well...

Well, THIS has been what's going on:

My cravings have been HAYWIRE and it's been sooo hard to stay raw, I wouldn't have felt honest being 'The Raw Panda' and posting things with all these cravings I've been having... the stomache upset is *almost* over, though, give or take another week or 2 then I will be back onto my RAW foodie-ness! (WOOHOO!) I have been unable to tolerate apples, bananas, lettuce, zucchini(spell check?) and any of the usual good stuff... I had a salad w/ fresh fennel in it and got reeeeally sick, then caught some stomache bug which gave me diarrea(TMI, & more spell check, lol) for, brace yourself, TWO WEEKS! the only thing that kept me from throwing up was organic baby food... apples&bananas, oatmeal etc... I have been craving pasta... yeah, I know.. and BOILED spinach and, get this, a 1 inch thick steak, MEDIUM-RARE?! Haven't had it, I resisted, but I'm beginning to think the anemia has something to do with those last 2. Needless to say it's been a weird first tri-mester... what I have also been craving, thank goodness, (and yet cannot FIND) recently are MANGOES!!! I need a fricken mango, daggummit.

Anyway, I have been feeling wierd and crappy and only have the patience for facebook... I haven't even been playing my FB games either, which is weird for someone like me, lol... so in a nutshell, I'm still alive and The Raw Panda still exists, just having some slight delays ;) I also was given an award from a dear fellow blogger which I will post about soon! (I ♥ you, woman!)

Much love to all,
Me

Not Taking a Hiatus... Just Been Busy :)

Had a huge post I was working on then the computer crashed, went back to my post to continue, accidentally published it, deleted it while having it open in another tab, wrote some more, but I didn't notice that the draft stopped saving after the [delete] and when I closed my browser... I lost it... grrrr.... also I haven't been on my blog for several days because my 4 year old was sick with a fever AGAIN... I guess he has to get used to these english germs, then he gives them to me. It's not like Florida, lol.. I've been giving each of us daily doses of ionic minerals and I've noticed we're going through shorter periods of illness. The lack of sunlight is bugging me as well, but there is SUN OUT TODAY!! WOOHOO!! When you spend your whole life in a sunny state you get aggravated at the constant heat, but now I realise how much I like the sunshine!

That's all for now, will be more forthcoming with posts when I catch up on my 'chores' lol..

Just Thought I'd Say...

I almost forgot how great Alissa Cohen was... I FINALLY got around to watching her Living On Live Food DVD (see below) and was happy to see that she used the food processor for 95% of her food prep. I've been thinking about #4 of my 'Things I've Found Difficult' list... I like that the food processor is one of those things that isn't too expensive, if at all, and yet is so versatile. Mine was less than £20 and comes with a citrus juicer attachment(among others, hehe) AND a rubber spatula, hehe *woohoo!* I REALLY want to try her mock tuna with the sprouts... I would just like to get a hold of some raw Kelp powder... Alissa makes everything on her DVD look so easy and after watching it I don't understand now why I thought RAW was difficult, lol..  I did make a 'something' the other day, don't know what to call it, but it was 2 carrots in the FP, 5-6 sprigs of parsely, garlic, onions and sun-dried tomatoes and I WISHED I had some lettuce to wrap it in, but I just ate it out of the bowl *teehee* It was GOOD! Saying that, I must admit I haven't been very good today because we do need to go shopping... I've got lots of bananas and apples, dates, raisins, parsley and cilantro and onions... there's only so much you can make with that :/... ;) and I'm over carrots right now... I've tried processing bananas & apples together, and, well, did I like it? .... not so much, lmao ... I still ate it, I hate wasting food ;) I did, however aquire a sprouting jar which my lovely sister-in-raw gave me(Thank you!!) and I've got some alfalfa sprouting in it already!! You can see the teeny root feet coming out of the seeds, lol.. I can still make a smoothie, although I am out of Maca :((( ... sorry, I just LOVE the stuff!! I've been through 1 1/2 kilos of it since December!! I'm telling you it's amazing!

Well, that's it for me for tonight, gonna watch a flick with mah hubby! ♥ U!

Part 3...

 Finally, the 10th difficulty on the list:

10. Living/working/socialising with non-RAW-foodies!

•  This can be the major trip up(for lack of a better term, lol..) for most starting out on a raw diet. I consider myself lucky because my husband is supportive, but I have had judgemental comments and a lack of  support from some (but not all) members of family & friends... usually from those who have a cosistant diet of meat and bread... not that I'm judging, of course ;)  

    I've heard "If God wanted us to be vegetarians he wouldn't have made animals out of meat!" or "Your body NEEDS meat!" and "Well, where did you get that from? How do you know if that's true?"... (personally I think they thought I was still just a kid believing everything I hear because it sounded good, not realizing that I'm very much into doing my own independent research as well as being a 35 year old woman with a family of her own, lol! BUT... I'm not bitter ;) Anyway, there is pressure, but you HAVE to stick it out. You are the only one who keeps yourself on or OFF the wagon, no one else! Choose health or choose dis-ease. If you find yourself in a debate, instead of arguing about nutrition, don't say a word! Show them! If anyone asks about your clear skin tell them RAW foods! If they ask about your new svelt body shape, say RAW foods! You get the idea.

   Well, there you have it... the things that make it kinda difficult for me on the RAW, but I am perservering(sp?) !!! The key is motivating yourself... listen to podcasts, watch the movies and documentaries, have a raw food party, lol... mp3's and putting the movies on while you clean the house is what I do a lot... even if you can only get involved on a forum on the net you're still getting involved! Remember you don't HAVE to have the most expensive appliances, you just have to be determined! Really, all you need are your hands and mouth... your MOUTH is the BEST JUICER IN THE WORLD! And... it's FREE! Think about it... want some wheatgrass juice? Chew on some wheatgrass until all the flavor's gone and you've had your wheatgrass juice for the day! If you've had the same difficulties I have, do something about it, don't just give up!

There is a way around EVERY obstacle! So FIND IT!!

Be happy and 'Have the 'Best Day Ever!'

♥x♥x♥x♥x♥x♥x♥x♥x♥x♥x♥

-The Raw Panda

Things That I've Found Difficult Being on the Raw Path and What I've Learned..... PART 2

 Cont'd...

6. The Detoxification Process

• Now, the 'Healing Crisis' is a little hard to take... but as long as you keep taking your mineral supplements you won't have to worry and assume that what you're feeling is a mineral or vitamin deficiency or that you're dying, because you're not! I've realized I can get through it if I keep myself mineralized and get a colonic or, if you're poor like me, eat lots of organic fruit like apples... apples have LOTS of pectin and helps your body clear out the waste products in the colon...  If you don't clear out your colon the best you can during this process then those waste products from your liver can end up in your blood and thicken it into something almost like a sludge... this happened to me. That's why I kept feeling my extremeties getting numb, I could also feel 'things' flowing in my blood... that may not have been the case but that's what it felt like.  I believe the order for cleansing is: Colon, Kidneys then Liver. I am NOT an expert, I'm still learning, and doing so by experience. You can find out more about the healing crisis here, and here and here.

7. Getting off of Wheat and/or Bread!!

• This is, I believe, the HARDEST thing to try to do. Almost everything is made of bread or wheat. It's just WHEAT WHEAT WHEAT(and corn and soy) all over the place! I never knew how when, before, I could eat so healthy and yet be fluffy in the middle with that womanly 'pooch' on the stomach... since cutting out wheat and other grains(as well as sugar)  I've gotten rid of the pooch, the air bloated-ness and have felt clear headed and actually 'awake'. I believe this also maybe due to candida... There is a whole lot of info about candida, just google it(or use scroogle.org if you can't stand google) or even watch some youtube videos on the subject (which google is slowly ruining)
• So, why the wheat thing? Grains have been so inter-bread and hybrid-ized to a point that they're easy now to harvest(un-naturally with machines) and yet without the nutritional value they once had, if any. Gluten intolerance is SO MUCH MORE widespread than we think... I think at LEAST 80% of humans are suffering from gluten sensitivity and don't even know it!

Articles about wheat: RawFoodExplained, guardian.co.uk, celiac.com,

 
8.Getting off SUGAR!

• This one's a doozy... Getting off of it is one battle.. but finding a suitable replacement is entirely another! Sugar itself can be ok in certain forms.. Organic Blackstrap Molasses is good because it's chock full of minerals, that is if you can still eat sugar. On the other hand the replacements of the past have turned out to be horribly toxic... Splenda(or sucralose), Aspartame(now renamed 'AminoSweet' and can now be labled as 'natural', so beware!), Saccharin(just, eeeww..), High-Fructose Corn Syrup (commonly genetically modified with an even bigger EEWW!) and whatever OTHER wool they try to pull over our eyes... baa-aa-aa... if it's made by a pharmaceutical company, or immediately approved by the FDA, I usually don't trust it. Agave used to be great, now there's a controversy about that, too! What's left?! Well, Stevia leaf and Stevia extract is still on my list as ok, (it's 30 times sweeter than sugar so you don't need to use a lot at all) Stevia isn't a sugar, or rather, the molecule doesn't end in '-ose'. Then there's Yacon Syrup. Yacon syrup is made of fructooligosaccharide, which cannot be absorbed by the body and is a prebiotic, meaning it feeds the good probiotic bacteria in the gut (WOOHOO!)

Well,  I have some house cleaning to do so I will see you cats later!  =^x^=

Things That I've Found Difficult Being on the Raw Path and What I've Learned

1. Location

• ... not necessarily WHERE I am, but knowing where to get the things that used to be easy to aquire while living in Florida... There was a locally owned whole foods grocery store called Native Sun that had almost everything organic you could think of... (even daipers and toilet paper, hehe) not that I don't like where I am living, I guess I just took it for granted because I can't just hop in the car and go pick it up anymore, lol... I'm having to improvise! The interwebz is invaluable for this.

2. Getting to know the seasonal veggies.

• Things change ALL the time! It will be root veggies for a while, then greens then herbs... sometimes I can find cilantro, sometimes I can't (and it's called coriander over here... both the seed AND the leaf, not just the seed, lol) Anyway, you should know what the seasonal veggies are... eating seasonally is important!

3. Eating raw foods sometimes WITHOUT exotic ingredients!

• There's the whole superfood thing, which is great to supplement your more 'normal' veggies, but if you run out of Maca you gotta use normal food... I know it can be boring but we've got to get into the habit of eating normal veggies and then supplementing with the exotic, not the other way around... I'm guilty of it because smoothies are my thing... you can put anything in a smoothie and I have a habit of using Maca and spirulina in EVERY smoothie... maybe I can cut down to a teaspoon instead of a tablespoon, lol, otherwise the rawfood lifestyle gets expensive! Although I do think these things should be more 'normal' and more readily available... We should be able to have a tablespoon of Maca or other superfood everyday BECAUSE they are so nutrient dense, but it's not finacially feasible for those of us starting out. Save up some money and get a bunch of superfoods at one time, or ask for them for birthdays or xmas.

4. Not having the right tools

• You don't HAVE to have THE Vitamix... there are others out there that will do just fine for you untill you actually NEED a Vitamix... You don't HAVE to have THE Champion Juicer... the same goes for this thing. You don't HAVE to have THE Excalibur Dehydrator... Through the magic of my own cheapskate-ness, I have found plans on how to build a dehydrator with cardboard and masking tape and a little screen, with the help of the Sun(for summertime) or the radiator(for the wintertime... no, the radiator in your house) these other machines are all 200-300 dollars/pounds a piece!!! NO WONDER there are people falling off the wagon and not eating raw because they can't do the MAJORITY of the recipes that are out there... Just IMPROVISE! :))  If you start small and work your way up you'll be better off for it. When you get the hang of the raw food lifestyle, THEN you can invest in THE machines... And, really, you can only get the hang of the raw food lifestyle if you work with what you DO have.... That's why I've had to start from the beginning, think about what I can do with what I got and go from there.

And also, if you don't know what to make other than a try of veggies and some dip, then get the right BOOKS! The BEST ONE for beginners is 'Raw Food Made Easy'. What this book has that not many others do is a shopping list... Basically what you should have in your kitchen.. (for the recipes, too)

This wasn't supposed to turn into a book review, lol, but I just find this book great for being the first one on your shelf to use while you're researching the next step... the many superfoods in existence, that is.

5. Getting the trace minerals your body needs from doing 'RAW' wrong....

•  Even if you're eating organic foods you are still not getting the proper minerals you need. Make sure you have a good trace mineral supplement and that you are absorbing the nutrients you are getting as well as eating those foods in the right combinations

Well, the hubby is home from work so I will continue this later :)

To Be Continued...

Liquid Iron..

   Happy February everyone! It's the month of love and you don't need a significant other to celebrate love in all of it's forms! <3 Let's celebrate love by taking care of our hearts and giving it the oxygen and mineral rich blood that it needs... we do that and it will give us, and others, the love we need! So, about MY blood, as you've seen in a previous post, I've gotten a liquid iron supplement which seems to be helping immensely. It's not vegan because it contains honey and it's not from raw whole foods, I don't think, but only because I can be finacially challenged at times... which, since I only have 2 teaspoons per day, I don't think it really matters if it's made from whole foods as long as it is a higher quality supplement. I'm not going by the 100% RAW rule, because if I start with rules that are, in my head, made to be unbreakable, then I will fail... and I refuse to fail, so I am not going to set myself up to do so! HA!

   Anyway, the iron supplement is called Feroglobin, and it contains iron, zinc, vitamin c, and B-complex... it has made a remarkable difference because it also contains some trace minerals that also help with blood formation. That time of the month, when Aunt Ruby visits, is a LOT more tolerable and the panic attacks are getting fewer and far between, and with shorter durations and milder symptoms... so it IS working. WOOHOO!

   Iron supplement PILLS have not been as effective for me.. Their benefits are barely noticable. When I ran out of the iron pills my doc gave me I felt the low iron and attacks within about 48 hours, but when taking this stuff and then running out, it took more than a week to feel the effects of low iron again, and by that time I got my package in the mail. I will be eating iron and mineral rich whole foods still and taking the 2 teaspoons per day as long as I can until my iron stores are back to optimum levels... not just good enough, but OPTIMUM levels. We should never settle for "good enough". Saying that, I am still looking into getting this Angstrom Iron as well as the Angstrom minerals because anemia is a deficiency and getting minerals is extremely important, but this will do for now and it's much easier on my wallet really, lol..

Heal yourself in 15 days by transforming your blood (part four)

Haven't been around because the computer died, lol... New computer, new post! This article is one of the most important in this series because it has to do with the blood... a very important article if you're anemic like me.. enjoy!
Heal yourself in 15 days by transforming your blood (part four)

Whoa...

Ok, I'm going to try to stay positive in my thoughts, and I won't dwell on it after I write this post, I just have to vent this and I'll try not to be negative, lol... so... well, I had a big attack Tuesday. I was feeling a bit off all day, but usually I can 'think' my way back to normality :/... so as I was drifting off to sleep I felt that intense cold, liquidy feeling and the sensation of all of my blood rushing away from my skin at the same time... it didn't last very long, but it was long enough to freak me out a little. I took a chewable 1000u B12 and felt a little better...

THEN last night my son was on my lap at the computer and I started to feel weird again, so I thought "Hmm, maybe I should get the phone so I can call the in-laws just in case, they're good at talking me through..." and AS SOON as I had that thought then WOOSH it hit me, I tried not to panic if front of the wee one, called Dad-in-law and he came over and talked me down as I was crying my eyes out...

This sucks. I don't want to be a burden but worrying about having an attack or anything else actually zaps your B12 and I don't need another deficiency that's going to cause more of these things... *sigh*  They say anxiety attacks are mostly psychosomatic yet can be caused by anemia, but I wonder why they're so intense, is it REALLY a 'mind-game' your body plays with you or are these episodes more serious? My doctor says no, people who've written books about them say no... it's just normal! Ok, so it's normal...  what can I do about it, how do I make them stop? Still looking for that answer because NOBODY KNOWS!

It does seem to help when I listen to Doreen Virtue or Abraham-Hicks on audio... I feel good after that... I did that last night before bed and I slept like a baby... my unusually firm matress didn't even bother me and I was up before the alarm a refreshed! Woohoo! maybe that's what I'll do when I feel it coming on :)

Happy 2010!

Happy New Year to all of you, and have the best year ever! ....no matter what the circumstances you can decide how this year goes... every situation is an opportunity to spread love and warmth to others. Stay in a place of love every moment, always!

"Make some small effort, every chance you get, at looking at where you stand NOW and doing your best to soothe and appreciate you NOW, to soothe and appreciate your NOW."

Love
The Raw Panda

Anemia Panic Strikes Again!

WOW... Panicking, so I'm staying focused by writing...  I'm out of iron tablets that my GP gave me for the past week, which were ferrous fumarate and are easier to absorb, so I took my ferrous sulfate which is all I have... I couldn't find them for a while either :O

Here's the lowdown... We were doing the usual wind down before bed, watch a show or 2 etc., I noticed my back and the back of my head were getting that numbness again, and when I stand up i'd get a teeny bit dizzy, and my head has been aching for a few days now but I figured it's the PMS rearing it's ugly head again...I feel whatever blood I do have is centering itself in my lower abdomen as it usually does around this time... it's almost as if my blood volume is low, or rather I KNOW it is because I lie down and get pressure owies (for lack of a better term) from my matress and they're not fun. As I lie down for bed and try to relax I got a little breathless, so I did my breathing techniques, and then the wave hit! The faintness while lying down, coldness in the extremeties, dizziness low blood pressure... I HAVE to get this iron thing under control!

And, of course, it ALWAYS, ALWAYS happens on a weekend!! It's not like the US where you can just hop in the car to the corner 24 hour Walgreen's or CVS and get what you need, I live in a small village... there are no 24 hour anythings.... except internet :D

So, I hop onto the interwebz to Detox Your world to find the Angstrom Ionic Iron, but they're not back in the office to resume business till the 4th!! [insert nail-biting desperation here!]  I will still purchase this... I mean it... Really, Angstrom Iron, Water of Life and the Angstrom Silver is what it's all about! Anyway, instead I went to Amazon and purchased Vitabiotics Feroglobin-B12 Iron Supplement Liquid
I've heard good things about liquid iron supplements so hopefully this will help with adding to my stores and absorbability... I've been doing the whole Spirulina thing but I must not be digesting these things properly or something... or it could be the whole falling off the wagon during the xmas dinner thing [yeah, duh ] ... I ate bad chocolate, bread and had some Bailey's.... I know, but it was real BAILEY'S! Never again.

Now, needless to say, I am BACK on the wagon... I WILL TO STAY RAW AND BE HEALTHY AGAIN!!