Sweet Watermelon Rain!

Sweet and delicious, watermelon rain down on me ! Photo by: sunshinekiddd.tumblr.com

Oh watermelon. Tasty. Sweet. Juicy. Crisp summer heaven. I mean who doesn't like watermelon? It's the perefct light summertime treat and the best part, you can eat as much as you want! A cup of watermelon only has 45 calories!

Sweet watermelon rain. Watermelon, true to its name, has 92% water content and is among the top foods to eat for replenishing the body (which we know is made up of over 70% water itself!)

At 20% of my daily Vitamin C intake, I think we can all afford to get some! Photo by: cikipedia.com

Watermelon requires minimal prep for a worthwhile treat, can be eaten by kids, adults and elderly alike as it's juicy nature make it very easy for all to enjoy.

So here's the skivvy on watermelon...if you have a juicer it's 100,000% worthwhile to juice it! Now I know what you're thinking..."why would I juice a watermelon when I could just eat it??" I feel you, HOWEVER we all know your body can absorb and digest liquids lightyears faster than solids...so why not?

Does it taste as good, light and refreshing as it looks? Yup, it sure does! And the froth happens naturally.
Photo by: healthfoodlover.com

And trust me, you will soon begin to crave fresh watermelon juice. It's all the rave! Be warned however...fresh watermelon juice may cause you to abandon your sugary summer sweet tea or lemonade...just sayin'. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Love watermelon? Yes I do-ooo.
 Photo by: www.thenakedkitchen.com (cool blog, show them some love while you're at it!)

Now while we're all enjoying our sweet crisp watermelon deserts might as well know why it's good for us, right? Well, let me just tell you now, watermelon is just what you need for strong bones, fat zapping, supple skin, good eyesight, healthy pregnancies, heathy heart, and can potentially reverse erectile dysfunction in men. *In case your wondering from 3-6 cups of watermelon juice daily for at least 3 weeks is recommended to see a 12-22% increase in arginine levels*

Seriously want to jump in this picture right now! YUMMO! Photo by: blog.needsupply.com

Watermelon has an unusually high level of lycopene (more than it's cousin fruits tomatoes, grapefruits and guava). Lycopene is a carotenoid phytonutrient which is especially important for cardiovascular and bone health AND an antioxidant! Lycopene is also a well documented inhibitor of inflammatory activity! Watermelon contains Citrulline, an amino acid which converts into arginine. Arginine is a substance that improves blood flow and may help prevent excess fat accumulation in the cells.

See how red-ripe these are on the inside? A good indicator is the underbelly of the melon. Look for a more yellowish color as opposed to white-ish color, which tends towards a more ripe melon inside. Photo by: www.thekitchn.com

Watermelon is full of Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Magnesium (something most women especially are often low in), and Potassium! Watermelons are Even the seeds are good for you! Watermelon seeds provide us with small amounts of zinc, protein and iron too! Watermelon seeds can also be roasted or ground up into cereal to make bread! Ever been warned not to eat too close to the rind? Studies now show there are vital nutrients to get from there too! FYI you can actually eat the WHOLE WATERMELON! Who knew!?

BEWARE SEEDLESS WATERMELONS...THEY ARE HYBRIDS!

TIP: Once you cut your watermelon it is best to enjoy within 2-7 days (max) for optimal nutrition and taste.

Yeah! That's a watermelon. Funky skills huh? Photo by: gallery.asiantown.net

So there you have it my loves. All the secrets to these wonderful watermelon things. As a transitioning raw vegan I LOVE LOVE foods that require little to no maintenance...are easy to eat and require no cooking! Summer is here! Stay light and eat fresh!

Love,
~h

Dino Kale...COLOSSAL!

Look at the pretty kale plant! Beautiful AND delicious! Photo by: home.howstuffworks.com

Hmm...Kale. A cruciferous vegetable. Until recently kale was a relatively secret food. Anyone whose family made "greens" knew about kale but they NEVER would have thought about eating it...you guessed it...RAW~!

Perfect for wraps, dips and general munchies! Photo by: rbgsocialclub.wordpress.com (check their site, these guys are the truth!)

I really really like raw kale. I eat it dipped in hummus instead of pita chips...chopped finely (like you would a cabbage) and eaten as a salad with a nice balsamic dressing...left overnight and it turns into a coleslaw of sorts super yummy! I eat it steamed with a squeeze of lemon juice and almond slivers...ooh and use it in place of "bread" for my sandwiches wraps and tacos. I could go on and on!

Yummy kale salad with blackberries, strawberries, kiwi and a citris dressing! Photo by: nutrition4women.net

I recently put my aunt and uncle on to kale and they were pleasantly surprised at the taste as an alternative to other lettuce options. We mainly eat it as a salad but kale can be blanched (basically quick steamed) also!

You can boil or steam. I personally prefer steaming and using the large leaves as "taco shells" or "bread" and rolling just about anything up in that sucker. YUM! ...recipes at the bottom. :-)

NOTE: Steaming the kale kicks up the fiber-related components and makes them more effective at binding together with bile acid in your digestive tract.

Couldn't get any better than this! Could it? Nah. Photo by: www.karenville.com

Back to our mega dino dose of kale...

Kale! Great for smoothies, dips, patés, pestos, and in place of chips! Photo by: www.alexandracooks.com

Kale makes GREAT SMOOTHIES and the juicing options are seriously endless. This is one of the main reasons why kale is such a staple in my daily food choices, it's just so stinkin' versatile! And yes, I do a green smoothie every* day. (*mostly every day) :-) hey...I'm human too okay.

Kale smoothies for kids (and grown-up kids too!) -Ingredients: (3) Bananas, 12oz. Apple Juice, and 3-4 large pieces of Kale. Blend it, Drink it! EASY! Photo by: www.fortheloveoffoodblog.com

Why do vegans, veggie-tarians and carnivores alike love kale? I could seriously write a mini-series on the benefits of kale there is so much to know, so here we go!

Let me just start by saying KALE CONTAINS: Antioxidants (prevents oxidative stress by boosting our cartenoids and flavonoids), Anti-Inflammatory (prevents chronic inflammation), Cancer-preventing (bladder, breast, colon, ovarian, prostate), detox-activating properties.

Did you catch that? Per Calorie, Kale has more IRON than beef, MORE Calcium than milk AND 10% more Vitamin C than Spinach. Hello! Photo by: fittipdaily.com

Kale also contains crazy amounts of Vitamin K (like somewhere around 1300% of our daily recommended intake!), 354% of our daily Vitamin A intake, 88% of our daily Vitamin C intake and a long list of other vitals like manganese, fiber, copper, calcium, vitamin B1, B2, B3 and B6, vitamin E, iron, potassium, magnesium, protein, omega-3 fats,  folate, phosphorous! ...ALL IN JUST ONE CUP OF COOKED KALE! Which by the way is only roughly 36 calories! Ahem, you do the math here.

Simple, easy and nutritious! Photo by: localfoods.about.com

As a transitioning raw vegan I LOVE KALE for it's yummy taste as an alternative to other lettuces, for its easy preparation and best of all its nutritional content. As someone transitioning to raw veganism it is important to make my meals as nutrient-rich as possible and kale certainly fits the bill!

I hope you will incorporate some kale into your family's diet this week! Just give it a try! Worst case, you steam it and add some toasted almonds, a squeeze of lemon juice and some seasonings...you won't be disappointed.

Vegan mega-salad with all the fixin's! Get it! Photo by: www.thevintagemixer.com

My favorite kale juice recipe to date:
2-3 handfulls of chopped kale, 2 apples (add another one if you need more sweet), and 1 lemon! Easy! 20 more great kale recipes HERE!


Take my advice and eat you some TODAY!

Live. Love. Well.

~h

Holy Apricot!

Holy Apricot! Photo by: anapricot.blogspot.com 

I just love eating apricots. They are the new found object of my desire. They are sweet, a bit tart and just juicy enough. Enjoy them fresh or dried, you will be very  surprised that the velvety skin, smooth and sweet taste, and delicate orange color.

Fresh apricots are generally "in season" from May to October so the time is ripe to get you some APRICOTS! You can typically find canned or dried all year round.

Only 16 calories per apricot!? What's not to love!? Photo by: ybertaud9.wordpress.com

If you like peaches, you will highly enjoy the tiny hands feel of the apricot with a little less mess. Apricots and peaches are cousins, you know. Coming in at only 16....yes that's right...only sixteen calories per apricot...seriously. IDK why I didn't start munching on these little treats sooner!

Apricot nectar (or juice) is SUPER tasty and very filling! Try some today! Photo by: menumanaged.blogspot.com

Apricots have loads of Vitamin A, C, Fiber, Potassium and Tryptophan. These attributes help fight disease (fiber), pack a powerful antioxidant punch (Vitamin A), help protect the heart and the eyes by decreasing the risk for developing cataracts by nearly 40%! and help prevent cholesterol build-up and heart disease (betacarotene).

The average American gets less than 10 grams of fiber per day. Apricots are an easy, simple and tasty way (you know I love that trifecta combo) to add dietary fiber to your day!

"Data reported in a study published in the Archives of Opthamology indicates that eating 3 or more servings of fruit per day may lower your risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults, by 36%, compared to persons who consume less than 1.5 servings of fruit daily."

Source 

Tasty treats! Photo by: www.ifood.tv 

TIP: For optimal nutrition (and taste in my opinion) Apricots are best consumed fresh and raw! Dried apricots often contain sulfur (unless organic) and some people should not consume sulfur. (Sulfur is commonly used along with other chemicals to preserve dried fruits, which is why it can be more beneficial to buy organic dried fruits as well which do not contain sulfur)

See how they are almost kind of red-orange color on the inside? That's what we're looking for. Photo by: myhealthmaster.blogspot.com 

ALSO...the darker and more "reddish" the apricot, the higher the antioxidant level.
HOW TO PICK AN APRICOT: They should be rich in orange color. Try to avoid the yellow, pale-looking ones. They should also by slightly soft and not too firm. Typically you can smell a rich sweetness from them as well. This means they are good for the eatin'!

Start your journey with fresh apricots today! Apricots dying in Cappadocia. Photo by: commons.wikimedia.org -

As a transitioning raw vegan, what was once only a "snack" has become a much more intentional nutritious "one-bowl" meal. I LOVE fruits and veggies are that require little to no prep or clean up and provide my body with vital vitamins and minerals that I need!

Eat up! Photo by: sohappytosew.blogspot.com 

Grab you some fresh apricots from your local grocer today! (Trader Joe's often carries them fresh with about 10-15 in a carton for approx. $2.49 and you can even find Apricot juice or "Nectar" at many local Arab, Hispanic or Indian stores, even Whole Foods!)

Peace.
~h

Pomegranate lovin'!

Who can resist? Not me. :-) Photo by: www.healthtipsexpress.com

Oh yes, I said it! Pomegranates all day bishessssss~ lol

Okay that was a little wild introduction BUT if you have not yet added pomegranates to your life...you are seriously missing out.




Early morning eating! Ready to go! Photo by: taurist.wordpress.com

Aside from being one of the healthiest fruits you could eat, let me just tempt you with this little fact:

"Men and women who drank a daily glass of the fruit’s juice for a fortnight experienced a surge in the hormone testosterone, which increases sexual desire in both genders."Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2139292/Viagra-effect-daily-glass-pomegranate-juice.html#ixzz2W2G5JN9H

Yeah that's right...ladies and gents get your pomegranate on!

I also bet you didn't know (like me until I researched it)...Pomegranates are equal in antioxidants to green tea and red wine, and contain high levels of Vitamin C and Potassium. They are also known to lower risk of heart disease, lower risk of cancers like prostate and breast cancer, reduce cholesterol, help control weight gain, increase memory, fight cell damage and free radicals thus the anti-aging effects and so on.

How to juice a pomegranate. Photo by: www.bhg.com

If you want a natural aphrodisiac and a fruit that's great for your mind body and health...get you some pomegranates and make a date out of it!

How to eat a pomegranate:
You can make a little slit with a knife (don't cut through all the way) and crack it open with your hands. As my grandma says, then "Go for what you know!" There is no official way to eat it in my opinion and everytime it tastes just as juicy and sweet with a touch of tartness like a cherry. Yummo!

You can suck on the seeds, get the juice and discard or You can squeeze them and use for mainly juicing...BUT just know most of the benefits come from eating the seeds so it'd be a shame to waste them. They're like nature's little aspirins! They reduce inflammation and can buffer the effects of free radical damage. What's not to love?!



Try a pomegranate smoothie today! Photo by: positivemed.com

Plus they're fun to eat! Go straight from hand to mouth. Eat them raw. Sprinkle seeds on salads or juice to enjoy the fantastic benefits! As a transitioning raw food eater I LOVE LOVE foods that taste great, are fun to eat and most of all fit the bill on raw simple eating! Try some today!

Live. Love. Well.

~h