Friday, September 26, 2008

Nutrition Tips!

You probably already know that at Hip Goddess, our desire is to deliver, “Pure and natural foods in a simple way every day”. We're spreading our wings and now you can catch us around the Chicago land area teaching Hip people how to create simple, nutrient dense and scrumptious treats and meals that are alive and kicking! Our desire is to rejuvenate, energize and beautify your body all according to Mom Nature. We don’t expect you to go all raw with us, but do join one of our many classes forming around the Chicago area and learn just how simple, quick and delicious raw/living food can be.

Join us on line at www.hipgoddess.com under “The Club” or “Events” for upcoming “cooking” class dates, to join the “Hip Goddess Club”, get recipes, and to sign up for our monthly informative newsletter. Also, coming soon, our sassy mini living foods cookbook, “The Goddess in the Kitchen”.

Here is nutritional information for some of the ingredients we use in many of our Hip Goddess desserts! You can find amazing recipes on our website under "The Club" section. Be careful....they are too good to be true and will get your energy flowing!

In Joy!

1. RAW CHOCOLATE: Called Cacao pronounced “ca-cow”
-Magnesium: Cacao seems to be the #1 source of magnesium of any food. Magnesium is one of the great alkaline minerals. It helps to support the heart, brain, and digestive system (it fights constipation). Magnesium is also important for building strong bones...
-Antioxidants: Cacao contains the highest concentration of antioxidants of any food in the world. These antioxidants include polyphenols, catechins, and epicatechins. By weight, Cacao has more antioxidants than red wine, blueberries, acai, pomegranates, goji

2. HEMP SEEDS
-Today, research is being done that will prove that hemp seeds are one of the most nutritious foods in the world. Hemp seeds are packed with omega-6, omega-3, and vitamin E oils and are rich in Iron and chlorophyll as well.
-Hemp seeds are made up of 65 percent of the protein Edestin and are very easily digested and absorbed. Hemp seed is a perfect alternative source of protein for vegetarians because it contains all 20 amino acids (including the 8 essential aminos that adult bodies cannot produce). A great alternative

3. GOJI BERRIES
-Chinese herbalists have prescribed Goji Berries to restore energy and strength, increase stamina and longevity, boost sexual libido and enhance fertility (explaining its name – matrimony vine), strengthen the immune system, treat insomnia, improve eyesight (it's the world's richest food source of carotenoids), and aid in digestion. The polysaccharides in Goji Berries have been found to stimulate anti-inflammatory responses in the body and induce immune system...

4. AGAVE NECTAR
-Our Agave Nectar is extracted from the Blue Agave Tequilana Weber variety. This particular plant has the highest concentrations of minerals as well as a high content of Inulin. Inulin in known to increase calcium absorption and possibly magnesium absorption, while encouraging beneficial probiotic flora.

5. COCONUT FLOUR
-Coconut flour is fiber from the coconut meat after most of the oil has been extracted to make Virgin Coconut Oil.. Coconut flour is high in dietary fiber and protein, gluten free.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Read your label!

Here is some guidance for you when reading your labels in the grocery store. Just putting this out there as it is new education for some! It is a good idea to check the round stickers on your produce. There will be a 4 or 5 digit PLU number on it - when it's 5 digits and begins with the number 9, it's organic. Four digits means it's conventionally grown, and 5 digits beginning with the number 8 means it's been genetically modified! Let's NOT genetically modify ourselves! YIKES!

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Seedless Fruit, Seedless Person!

I just have to reflect with you as a result of a conversation I had yesterday in the produce section. I squealed with joy upon seeing organic globe grapes WITH SEEDS! A woman heard me and obviously saw my joy and asked, "Why do you want the grapes WITH the seeds? Isn't it a pain and too much work to spit them out?" Her question sort of stopped the clock for me and I realized how far away from Mother Nature the general consumer has gone or is going.

My question to her was, "Do you want to be a seedless person?" A human without seeds is infertile right? Do you really want that? When our kitchens become filled with genetically altered and hybridized fruits and vegetables, then we too become genetically altered, seedless and infertile. Let's think about the advice of the saying we all know, "You are what you eat". It is my belief we are only as healthy and vibrant as the food we fuel our body. How about you?

Ponder this. If you stuck a seedless grape or any seedless fruit or vegetable in the ground, would it grow? NOPE! The best food we can eat is food that is whole, alive, full of enzymes, and with SEEDS! It is the original God given food that grows freely according to Mom Nature.

I can remember as a little girl eating grapes and hearing my Mom and Grandmother tell me, "Susie you should chew the seeds, they are good for you!" So I did and little did I know how good they really were for me. Grape seeds are known as a powerful antioxidant and full of bioflavonoids. Antioxidants help protect the body from premature aging, decay and disease. Antioxidants are needed to neutralize free radicals. Bioflavonoids have the remarkable ability to strengthen blood vessel walls. I don't know about you, but couldn't we all use some of that? Think about how much people pay for grape seed extract for their anti aging properties in top shelf skin care! And we are spitting the seeds out, or buying the seedless grapes. Hmmmmm...

So, take a peak a roo in your kitchen and take inventory. Do you see packaged and processed foods that are full of preservatives and chemicals. Ooops if that is the case, but no worries here! Just begin to replace your previous choices with whole foods that are organic when possible, not genetically modified or SEEDLESS! Let's not use our body as a filter or our beautiful rejuvenating cells as the pantry to store the toxins that the body cannot shake off and send on its way. If this is happening in your body, it probably feels like things such as migraine headaches, fatigue, bloated feelings, cholesterol issues, constipation. or finally a diagnosis of some sort of imbalance.

Our goal at Hip Goddess is to teach people how to use pure and natural foods in a simple way, everyday. Add in one new thing a day or each week, and delete something that is simply not the best ever and you'll be on your way!

Wanna learn some quick and easy food prep ideas using whole foods in their raw state? Then join us on Thursday November 6th from 7 -9pm at the Whole Foods on Ashland Avenue in Chicago! To register call 773-244-4200. The class is $20 and please, come hungry!

Also, we'll be at LuLuLemon on Halsted in Chicago this Saturday September 27th from noon to 2pm mixing up and sampling our over the top decadent RAW Goddess Brownies! Come see us and give your taste buds a serious treat while you benefit from some serious nutrition, IN A BROWNIE! Oh stop!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Four Tips to REGENERATION

These days, many are asking me for what I have learned over the years in my quest to regenerate and heal my body from cancer. There is much to be said about the mind body connection to proactively taking care of your health and for healing. One thing I did learn is we must BE OUR OWN LIGHT. Question everything and make it your own. Nobody knows your body better then you. One can get lost in all the opinions, protocols, strategies, and "proven" ways to heal. Everyone has an angle. Just educate yourself and make a decision that feels good to you, not because someone tells you it is the right way.

If you do choose to follow nature, have patience and trust. It may have taken you years to put yourself in a state of dis-ease and imbalance, so it may take you some time to get back into balance. Sure a pill can make it all better at the moment. However, there are usually other consequences that will be knocking at your door in the future as a result of the imbalances that are created from taking that pill. Just planting a seed of thought!

I generally offer guidance to focus on 4 simple things to keep yourself healthy and for regenerating your body temple. You asked so here they are!

4 TIPS TO REGENERATION

DIET

1. Eat Whole Foods. Do your best to eliminate packaged goods with chemicals and preservatives. Our body is 70% water. Organic whole unheated foods are rich in vitamins, minerals and organic water full of energy from the sun that our body needs to stay clean and juicy.
2. Eat Organic. Set your body free from filtering and storing pesticides and chemicals that WILL catch up to you at some point under the title of headaches, colitis, sore joints, bloating, cholesterol imbalances, or some sort of diagnosed disease.
3. Enzymes Enzymes are the catalyst of life-force in your body. They digest your food and are responsible for every metabolic activity in your body. Enzymes are the spark of life! You find them in raw foods and foods not heated above 118 degrees. You certainly can benefit from PLANT based enzyme supplementation taken before a cooked meal to help absorb nutrients and to give your body a break from doing all the work of digesting foods that have lost their enzymes in the cooking process.
4. Acid/Alkaline PH balance. It has been proven, cancer and disease thrives in an acidic environment. Your blood must be alkaline. Sugar, meat, dairy, alcohol, soda, coffee, most grain based foods, and negative based thoughts create an acidic ph balance in your blood. Fruits, vegetables, joy, forgiveness and gratitude are alkaline. Turning your diet to one of a heavy fruit/vegetable based meal will add water and oxygen to create an alkaline state in your blood. The result will be vitality, healing and regeneration. For complete protein or the raw goods of amino acids so your body can create the “protein” it needs, consume soaked raw nuts and seeds, avocado, coconut meat and all green leafy vegetables. Think of all the large and STRONG animals that eats nothing but grass and greens which are loaded with minerals and protein. As the saying goes, "When you are green inside, you are clean inside."

DETOXING

House clean your body temple with the change of every season. You will deep clean your house, open windows and scrub away. Honor your body in the same fashion allowing your organs to shake like a wet doggie, breath and shed the layers of stored mucous and undigested matter that is flowing in your blood from consumed preservatives, additives and chemicals. Our body is 70 percent water. Cooked foods are void of water and most Americans do not drink enough water to give your body and internal shower. There are MANY detox methods available, choose wisely. Consult or seek guidance from a trusted source who glows with health. It can be as simple as fasting for 2 to 3 days consuming nothing but vegetable and fruit juices and consider colon therapy. If you are not comfortable fasting, simply give your body a break from meat, fish, chicken and dairy for a few days, drink plenty of water and get some exercise!!

.

HYGIENE

In addition to diet hygiene is of utmost importance!

Our skin is our largest organ and everything we put on our skin enters our body 60 times faster then what we put in our mouth. Read labels and use botanically based, paraben and mineral oil free cosmetics, soaps and lotions that contain MINIMAL preservatives. Consider salt bathing, dry body brushing and using a sauna to give your cells an opportunity to clean out and breath!

EXERCISE

GET MOVING please! Your lymphatic system needs to be moved and given the opportunity to clean out! Living a sedentary lifestyle creates stagnation at the cellular level. Any debris and toxins that are in your body are just nestling in for a permanent residence if you don’t get your lymph flowing and moving out like a well run machine.

Consider this….we put gas in our car, change the oil, rotate the tires, get it washed and drive around with the windows down on a warm sunny day. Do the same for your body! Remember, you cannot trade this one in!