Raw Review’s


Raw Review: Natural Zing
December 10, 2007, 5:46 pm
Filed under: Raw Appliances, Raw Food, Raw Reviews, Raw Superfoods

About Us

People around the world are beginning to realize that organic, vegetarian, vegan and raw foods ways of eating not only make healthy bodies, but make a healthy earth and happier world.

Here at Natural Zing, we feed the mind, body and spirit. Through two decades of research and consulting with numerous nutritionists and vegetarian specialists we have gathered the best products to develop your natural energy and health, your natural zing. Staff members have been 90 – 100% raw for a few to many years and can help you with your transition, lifestyle and advanced questions. Our journey towards better health continues. Let’s get the most possible out of each day.

In Natural Zing’s Market we sell organic food, raw food, vegetarian food and vegan food as well as related chef’s tools and personal care products, only the healthiest products for you and the Earth. We specialize in raw foods, living food, vegan food, organic foods and other products to promote health, including personal care, juicers and kitchen equipment. Our products and resources meet the needs of various dietary and lifestyle choices.

Information is essential to making healthy decisions. Natural Zing’s Education link takes you to health, lifestyle, vegetarian, living and raw food knowledge. To learn more about vegetarianism, hemp, ending world hunger, and the benefits of raw organic food go to our education section. We also sell related health books on topics such as raw food living and raw nutrition. Natural Zing’s Links section takes you to abundant health and alternative knowledge resources which will be updated periodically.

We hope that you enjoy the products you purchase and the information you find. And most importantly we hope your life is filled with natural zing.

Peace, Love and Joy,

Natural Zing

http://www.naturalzing.com/ 



Slow Food Movement
December 9, 2007, 5:23 pm
Filed under: Raw Reviews, Uncategorized

By Sally Deneen

“Slow food” is a direct counter balance to the fast-food culture. Instead of eating fries while driving one-handed through traffic, it means taking the time to enjoy good food raised in clean, safe conditions and sold at a fair profit for the farmer. It means taking the time to know the food you eat is healthy – for you, for the people who produce it, and for the land. And it means encouraging markets for endangered foods you may never heard of but that are part of our heritage – oddities such as the Plymouth Rock Chicken, the Pilgrim Goose, Amish Deer Tongue Lettuce, American Artisanal Cider, Jimmy Nardello’s Sweet Italian Frying Pepper, and the Bronx grape. Slow food is a resistance movement founded in 1986 by Carlo Petrini in response to the opening of a McDonald’s in the Piazza di Spagna in Rome. A nonprofit organization, Slow Food now counts members in more than 50 countries. Local chapters in many US cities hold events such as picnics featuring local foods prepared by chefs.Many foods we love (specific grains, vegetables, fruits, animal breeds) are disappearing due to the pervasiveness of convenience food and industrial agriculture. What’s grown by industrial agribusiness is based on what’s hardy, easiest to grow, and easiest to ship across the continent – not necessarily taking taste and variety into account.

Just 30 plants feed 95 percent of the world’s 6.5 billion people, according to Slow Food, which is encouraging a global effort to broaden that diversity. Get this: Corn, a favored ingredient of agribusiness, isn’t just in corn chips; it’s in many processed foods found throughout the center of a traditional supermarket, including ketchup and tonic water.

Some people are tired of the degraded flavor of our foods and of health issues raised by an industrialized food supply, so they find the “slow food” message appealing. Preserving our resources, tradition and culture ensures that food is produced for taste and variety. This is ultimately what makes food enjoyable.

The Daily Green embraces the Slow Food manifesto that promotes taking the time to teach and share the rewards of raising and eating food that is good, clean and fair. Our New Green Cuisine helps people who want to slow down, eat right and cook responsibly. Oh – and let’s not forget – love what we eat!

More info:

To read more about the Bronx grape and dozens of endangered foods whose markets are being fostered by Slow Food USA, go to: www.slowfoodusa.org

To read the first chapter of Michael Pollan’s book, “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” which explains where food comes from, check out: www.michaelpollan.com.

Is your state located in Pinyon Nut Nation, Wild Rice Nation, Acorn Nation or somewhere else? Check here: www.slowfoodusa.org.

Reference: http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/definitions/slow-food-movement



Seven most popular diets in the world today
December 8, 2007, 5:55 pm
Filed under: Raw Food, Raw Reviews

The seven diets below are not in order of popularity; they are just the seven most popular diets.

ATKINS

THE SCIENCE: The body metabolizes carbohydrates first; cut down on carbs, and your body will burn fat. So you can eat all the protein and fat you want and still shed pounds.

SAY GOOD-BYE TO: Sugar and carbs. After a stringent regimen during the first few weeks (including no more than twenty grams of carbs a day), gradually up your carb intake and ease into a diet low in trans fats, sugars, refined flours, and processed foods.

ATKINS IN NEW YORK: The Atkins Center is located right in midtown. There, an Atkins counselor will develop a personalized regimen for you (212-758-2110).

READING UP: Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution, by Robert C. Atkins
www.atkinscenter.com.

THE ZONE

THE SCIENCE: Balance the basic food groups: 40 percent carbs, 30 percent fat, 30 percent protein.

SAY GOOD-BYE TO: Caffeine, artificial sweeteners, one-dimensional meals.

THE ZONE IN NEW YORK: Zone Gourmet delivers three prepared meals and two snacks daily-all perfectly balanced according to the 40-30-30 ratio (800-diet-308; $34.95 per day).

READING UP: The Zone, by Barry Sears
www.zoneperfect.com.

PERRICONE PRESCRIPTION

THE SCIENCE: Pounds are shed and wrinkles prevented by eliminating foods over 50 on the glycemic index and by increasing your intake of antioxidants (dark leafy greens, blueberries, cantaloupe) and omega-3 fatty acids (nuts, olive oil, salmon).

SAY GOOD-BYE TO: Rice, pasta, bread, refined sugars, potatoes, and juice.

PERRICONE IN NEW YORK: Dermatologist Nicholas Perricone practices in Meriden, Connecticut; if you can’t make the trip, pick up his antioxidant skin-care line, Cosmeceuticals, at Saks Fifth Avenue and Sephora.

READING UP: The Wrinkle Cure and The Perricone Prescription, both by Nicholas V. Perricone www.perriconeprescription.com.

LIFE CHOICE

THE SCIENCE: The antithesis of Atkins: a low-fat diet that comprises fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and soy products in their natural forms.

SAY GOOD-BYE TO: Cut back on meat, sugar, alcohol, and high-fat foods.

LIFE CHOICE IN NEW YORK: Dean Ornish, the man behind Life Choice, is 3,000 miles away. But if you need hands-on coaching, the Avon Salon & Spa’s nutritionist, Gayle Reichler, is an Ornish guru (212-310-6363).

READING UP: Eat More, Weigh Less, by Dean Ornish
www.ornish.com.

WEIGHT WATCHERS

THE SCIENCE: Foods are assigned point values based on their number of calories, grams of fat, and grams of fiber. Eat anything you want, but stay inside your daily point limit.

SAY GOOD-BYE TO: Five-course tasting menus and supersize McDonald’s meals.

WEIGHT WATCHERS IN NEW YORK: There’s a Weight Watchers group for everyone: Creative types meet at 14th Street; fashionistas migrate to 38th and Broadway; at 51st and Sixth, you’ll find folks from NBC; and so on.

READING UP: Weight Watchers Stop Stuffing Yourself
www.weightwatchers.com.

MACROBIOTIC

THE SCIENCE: Eat only when you’re hungry, chew slowly, and divide your daily proportions along these lines: 10 percent brothy soup; 30 percent veggies, 10 percent beans and sea vegetables, and 50 percent whole grains-plus a bit of seafood, fruit, and nuts. And lots of twig tea.

SAY GOOD-BYE TO: Meat, dairy, artificially or chemically treated foods, and caffeine.

MACROBIOTIC IN NEW YORK: Keeping a macrobiotic kitchen can be a full-time job. Restaurants like Souen, Ozu, and Angelica Kitchen can ease the burden. Or contact the Natural Gourmet Cookery School to hire a personal chef, available full-time or for the occasional dinner party (212-645-5170, extension 103).

READING UP: The Macrobiotic Way, by Michio Kushi
www.macrobiotics.org.

RAW FOODS

THE SCIENCE: Cooking food destroys its nutritional value: Enzymes begin to degenerate; the body has to use its own enzymes to digest food, hastening aging and sapping energy.

SAY GOOD-BYE TO: Anything heated past 118 degrees.

RAW FOODS IN NEW YORK: Unless you’ve got a personal chef able to whip up coconut-meat noodles, familiarize yourself with one of the city’s three Quintessence restaurants, which serve raw-vegetable soup, raw ‘pasta’ (thin strips of squash), even raw wine.

READING UP: Raw (came out May 2003), by raw-food guru Roxanne Klein and four-star chef Charlie Trotter.

Reference: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/5847.php



Yummy Apple Cobbler
December 7, 2007, 9:45 pm
Filed under: Raw Recipe

Serves 6-8

Pie Filling Ingredients:
5 medium apples
1/2 cup raisins soaked in water for 2-4 hours, or overnight in fridge
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
juice of half a lemon
2 T honey
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Cobbler Topping Ingredients:
1 1/2 C pecans, not soaked
3/4 C dates, pitted and not soaked
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Preparation:
Peel and chop one of the apples. Place it along with the drained raisins, cinnamon, lemon juice, honey, vanilla, nutmeg and salt in a food processor or high-speed blender. Puree until completely smooth and creamy. Set aside.

Peel, core and slice thin remaining apples. Place slices in a large bowl and gently toss with pureed mix. Place in a medium-sized glass or ceramic dish.

For the topping, in a food processor pulse the pecans until finely ground then add the dates. and continue to grind until evenly mixed. Crumble an even layer of the pecan mixture over the apples.

Place your pan in the dehydrator at 115 degrees for about 4 hours. Serve with coconut creme or as-is warm from the dehydrator. This dish only gets better after a day or so, that is, if you have any left after the first serving.

Recipe can be found at: http://www.therawtable.com/recipecoll/applepie.htm



Organic Food Bar
December 6, 2007, 7:50 pm
Filed under: Raw Food, Raw Reviews

Tried and proven to be Absolutely De-Li-Cious!!

Organic Food Bar
www.organicfoodbar.com

      

http://www.organicfoodbar.com/contacts/faq

  • Your packages say “RAW & Organic.” Exactly what percentage of each of your products are indeed raw? Read Answer.

We categorically believe that the inclusion of raw foods into one’s diet will enhance one’s health. New research has verified this repeatedly, and the anecdotal evidence overwhelmingly supports the science. Raw foods contain enzymes which greatly aid in digestion, freeing the body’s own enzymes to do the work unimpeded of regulating all the body’s many metabolic processes. Raw foods contain bacteria and other micro-organisms that stimulate the immune system and enhance digestion by populating the digestive tract with beneficial flora. Raw foods also have higher nutrient values than foods which have been cooked. Here are the precise percentages of raw ingredients for each ORGANIC FOOD BAR:

 

  •  
    • Omega-3 Flax (68g.) — 100%
    • Cranberry (68g.) — 100%
    • Wild Blueberry (68g.) — 98%
    • Vegan Bar (68g.) — 90%
    • Original Bar (68g.) — 90%
    • Active Greens (68g.) — 90%
    • Cinnamon Raisin (50g.) — 90%
    • Active Greens Chocolate (68g.) — 80%
    • Protein Bar (68g.) — 80%
    • Chocolate Coconut Bar (50g.) — 80%
    • Chocolatey Chocolate Chip (50g.) — 80%
    • Belgium Chocolate Chip (68g.) — 70%
      Chocolate Delight Fiber Bar (50g.) — 70%


Honeycrisp Apple
December 5, 2007, 8:09 pm
Filed under: Raw Reviews

Remarkable! There are certain characteristics that make Honeycrisp remarkable among apples. It has a first-of-its-kind crispness that no previous apple has ever possessed, its juiciness is un surpassed, and it can be held for an unusually long period of time, compared to other apple varieties, in prime condition.

Honeycrisp is at top of apple basket

By Steve Kaufman
Who’s found the apple of his eye

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071117/FEATURES/711170352

If you’re like me, you can never quite get that apple that tastes just right — the one that’s firm and crunchy and tart but sweet. Every year, I find a type I think I like and then, the next fall, I can never remember which one that was. Last year, I struck it rich. Fresh Market on Shelbyville Road in Middletown was selling a variety called Honeycrisp. Rarely has an apple been better named. It’s crisp, it’s sweet, it’s about perfect.According to honeycrisp.com, it’sa product of cross-breeding at the University of Minnesota: mating a Macoun with a Honeygold. It’s grown in Minnesota and is available usually from mid-September until early to mid-December. Last year it was only available around here at Fresh Market. This year, it seems to be available practically everywhere. On a recent shopping expedition, I found it at Whole Foods, Paul’s and Kroger too. There were plenty at each store, but that bounty will run out. At Fresh Market, at any rate, they’re never put into cold storage, as other apples are. Manager Steven Smith told me they go from the orchards to the retailer’s distribution centers, then to the stores. That’s one reason the season’s limited; there’s no excess inventory. They’re not cheap. At Fresh Market on a recent Sunday, they were selling at $2.48 a pound, nearly 50 percent more than other apples. Whole Foods and Paul’s had them for $2.99 a pound that day, Kroger at $1.88.

Are they worth it? Depends how picky you are. The apple is big, it sprays juice down your chin when you bite into it, the taste is as sweet as … and the texture is as firm as … well, honeycrisp, just as the name says.

 



The Tartan
December 5, 2007, 6:08 pm
Filed under: Raw Reviews

The raw hype
Why so many celebrities skip the stove

Pillbox |   Alicia Silverstone, Demi Moore, and Bill Cosby are all enthusiasts for the raw food lifestyle, which promises health, natural beauty, and a sound state of mind through eating uncooked foods.

The raw food movement began in the 1930s and has grown in popularity over the years — followers are commonly referred to as raw foodists. Essential to the raw food lifestyle is the belief in the power of enzymes; raw foodists believe that cooking zaps the food of nutritional value and enzymes. They eat fruits, vegetables, seafood, dairy, and meats that have not been cooked at temperatures higher than 120ºF to avoid destroying enzymes and nutritional value.

Opponents of the raw food lifestyle believe that most raw food enthusiasts are not realistic about the long term effects of eating a 100-percent raw food diet. According to an article in Wellness Foods, Dr. Mark Anthony asserted that a 100-percent raw food diet can lead to nutritional deficiencies. “The usual argument against the all-raw diet is that there are risks for deficiencies, particularly calcium, iron, and B12,” Anthony wrote. “The risk of deficiency is present with any restricted diet….That’s why ‘variety, balance, and moderation’ is not merely a cliché but a solid nutritional defense strategy.”

In her book Eating in the Raw, supermodel Carol Alt describes her experiences crash dieting, which often made her sick. Frustrated, Alt began eating raw foods. “Unlike the millions of people who deprive themselves on diets, I eat as much as I want — so long as it’s raw,” she wrote. “I don’t weigh anything. That’s something I let my body dictate.”
Once a person decides to switch to a raw food lifestyle it is essential to have fresh food sources available and a positive attitude about eating raw foods. “Once you begin to think about food differently and to see raw food as food and cooked food as garbage it becomes easy,” Alt wrote, describing what kept her motivated. “Practically speaking, it’s all a matter of changing habits.”Ready to eat raw? Below are a few tips to ensure that your raw food journey will be a success. These steps can be applied gradually to your current eating habits.

1. Start step by step.
Switching from a typical American diet to a raw food diet requires a major shift in vitamin and caloric intake. Your body will welcome the change, but a gradual change will ease your mind and taste buds into the process.

2. Stock up your pantry with basic raw food needs.
The beauty about the raw food diet is that it requires a lot of creative ideas to create new meals from scratch. Not having basic raw food cooking necessities can make both the transition and food bland. The website www.rawfood.com offers a variety of raw food essentials, including appliances and supplements.

3. Find raw food recipes you love.
During the transitional phase, you may be faced with moments in which you miss your favorite foods. Still, no matter what that food may be, chances are there is a similar raw food recipe. Whether you love falafel, milk shakes, or cookies, you can find great recipes in raw food cookbooks, including Rawvolution by Matt Amsden, Eating in the Raw by Carol Alt, and Eating for Beauty by David Wolfe.

4. Plan out your meals.
Create weekly menus to help map out your food’s nutritional value. Planning your meals will also ensure that you are getting variety in your meal choices.
1.Do your homework. Before starting the raw food lifestyle it is important to make sure that the lifestyle is right for you: Do you have enough time to prepare your meals from scratch? What is your motivation? To research, read books and articles about the positives and negatives of the raw food lifestyle. Helpful websites include www.live-live.com, www.living-foods.com, and www.rawfoodlife.com.  



The G Living Network is all about a next-generation lifestyle simply called “G.”
December 5, 2007, 7:34 am
Filed under: Raw Reviews

The “G” Lifestyle is about products and services that are so well designed they become objects of desire.

The “G” Lifestyle is the next generation’s preferred lifestyle. It’s all about design, technology, knowledge, style, food, having fun and re-thinking how we live now and how we should live in the future. This includes the way business will be conducted and how products will be produced. It’s also about the story behind the products, enabling us to make informed choices as consumers.

The G Living Network is more than a media entertainment network for a new generation. We are a lifestyle company. We focus on all the elements that make this lifestyle possible. Currently, G Living creates original innovative content, and works hands-on to create “G” products, contemporary designs and original programming from our Venice California studio. The G Living Network produces various online media, including streaming broadband shows, a multi-media cookbook, cooking shows, featured editorial content, daily blogs, and an interactive social networking community.

For the last 24 months we have focused exclusively on business development and defining and promoting our brand, as well as establishing our company’s methodology for conducting business. We created our signature branding, style, logo, web magazine site, and filmed over 50 shows, with pop culture stars, social critics, world famous chefs, athletes, film directors and business leaders. Our shows and web magazine have been seen by over 20 million people in the last 12 months.

Why Create A Contemporary Green Lifestyle Company

We are living at a very exciting point in time, an awakening period, where real change seems to be possible. Things that only a few years ago seemed very fringe and extreme, something only the most motivated individuals would even consider, are now looking very normal. But the flip side is the worldwide crisis’ we’re experiencing at the same time… from global warming, to wild habitats destroyed, to natural animal populations collapsing, and of course, nations fighting each other in bloody wars.

We started G Living to focus on the positive and creative side of green. We look for green solutions that are practical and easy enough for anyone to incorporate into their own lives. The solutions, ideas and products have to have the same (or a higher) standard than the traditional options everyone is used to.

You can look at it like this: G Living is not about just Green Living, it’s about smarter living. Here is the equation to figure out if something is “G”: it must have, The Green factor + Quality + Function + Design + Style + Price = “G”.

If the object or service has the highest end of all those factors, then it’s “G”. If it is sustainable, but poorly made, that is not “G”, it’s simply a green item.

I am bringing this up because we are at that tipping point. A point where the mainstream corporations are jumping on board, which is great, and not so great. If the public doesn’t understand what the definition of “Green” is, the mainstream companies will define it for us. They will produce products that fit their own financial needs and maybe not really the planet’s or our needs. So, our goal here is to bring clarity to what is and what is not “G” and the reasons behind it. This gives you easy access to the information, so you can quickly make a buying decision based on all the factors that make up a product or service, and not just the desirable appearance or the buzz word on the tag.

Why are we Unique?

G Living is the only modern green lifestyle company with a combination of unique market advantages. The only new media network to produce shows which cover all aspects of this lifestyle space. The only company with a dedicated production staff and facility to produce timely and high quality content for this new audience. The only company with a name and branding that actually means what the lifestyle is all about. A person can be “G” or do “G” things or say within a natural sentence: That car is so “G”.

 http://gliving.tv/



Tuna Salad Sandwiches
December 5, 2007, 1:43 am
Filed under: Raw Recipe

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(click on image to enlarge)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups almonds
  • 3 stalks raw celery, diced
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 teaspoon pink or celtic salt, finely ground
  • 2 dashes cayenne pepper
  • ⅓ cup soaked, chopped seaweed (nori or wakame are good)
  • 1 cup pine nuts
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 4 pitted dates
  • 1 clove additional garlic
  • 1 teaspoon additional celtic sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon additional lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon each dill, thyme, basil (optional)
  • 1 large avocado

Preparation

place almonds, parsley, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, cayenne pepper and seaweed in a food processor. process the hell out of it. you CAN make it chunkier if you want, but chop the garlic first. you don’t want to bite into that! place into a bowl and stir in celery and green onions. set aside.

now make the avocado mayonnaise- my favorite part! place pine nuts, avocado, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, dates, 1 clove garlic, and spices in the food processor. blend it like you never blended before…it becomes really smooth and creamy.

now, mix 1/2 of the mayo with the almond mixture. you can add more if it’s too dry. an option here: i marinated some sun-dried tomatoes for a day in olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and italian spices and then chopped them and added about 1/4 cup. it rocked.

now, build the sandwich! take a big collard leaf and spread some of the mayonnaise in the center. add as much of the ‘tuna’ as you like, and top with sliced avocado, sliced tomato, mesclun greens or sprouts, raw black olives if you like, and freshly cracked pepper. you can sprinkle a little salt on the collard if the mixture isn’t salty enough also. roll it up, cut it in half, and try not to stuff it all into your face at once! EVERYBODY loved this!

 Recipe: http://www.goneraw.com/recipes/1908-tuna-salad-sandwiches-
www.goneraw.com



Bill Maher
December 5, 2007, 1:35 am
Filed under: Raw Weight Loss