10 Great things about Bee Pollen and Raw Honey

Here are some great things to know about Raw Bee Pollen and Raw Honey. Both of these foods are receiving significant attention these days for being Super Foods and rightfully so. They are both delicious and very versatile. They can be incorporated into many different recipes. Enjoy abundant and radiant health!!

10 Great Things About Bee Pollen

-It is an alkaline food considered by nutritionists to be one of the most complete foods found in nature.

-Super High antioxidant levels that help increase longevity by eliminating free radicals.

-Potent Aphrodisiac and improves fertility. Can restore deficiencies in sex glands.

-Increases strength, endurance, energy and speed.

-Increases muscle growth and definition.

-Reduces the production of histamine, neutralizing many allergies.

-Abundant in B vitamins, it builds up our defense against stress.

-Increases longevity, helps clear up acne and assists in reversing aging and wrinkles.

-Helps relieve type 2 diabetes symptoms, by restoring mineral and metabolic deficiencies.

-According to research by European doctors, pollen is one of the richest sources of bioavailable protein in nature. It is approximately 25% protein. Gram for gram, pollen is contains an estimated 5 to 7 times more protein than meat, eggs and dairy.

10 Great Things about Raw Honey

-It is a universal medicine, sweetener, and nutrient source.

-Unprocessed honey is natures richest source of live healing enzymes and it increases reflexes, mental alertness and even IQ!

-It has been shown to provide relief for, or to cure, a number of different disorders, including; diarrhea, ulcers, infections, irritable bowel syndrome, gastrointestinal problems, cancer and staphylococcus infections.

-It has an antibiotic effect on infectious diseases. It has been used to treat anthrax, diphtheria, ear infections and urinary tract infections.

-It can be used as a topical to heal wounds. It has been used to heal abscesses, bed sores, burns, infected wounds and cervical ulcers.

-It is a great food for athletes, because it is high in sugars like glucose and fructose. It is also high in mineral s like magnesium, potassium(an essential electrolyte), calcium, sodium chloride, sulphur, iron and phosphate.

-It is high in vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and C. B vitamins are our central nervous system vitamins which help insulate us from stress.

-It is great for hydrating your skin and it can be used as a moisturizing face mask.

-It is also great for your hair and can be used as a conditioner when mixed with olive oil(of course be sure to rinse your hair thoroughly before you go outside).

-Eating local honey has been beneficial in treating and preventing seasonal allergies. Bees use the pollen from local plants and eventually it ends up in your honey.

Raw Grawnolas, Power Bars and Fruit Roll-ups

Here are some recipes from a class I taught on Raw Granolas, Power Bars and Fruit Roll-ups. These are great for feeding families or for people new to the raw lifestyle who want more delicious familiar foods. Make huge quantities and store them in containers. They'll keep for about 3 months.

Raw Power Bar

Indgredients:

2 C rolled oats

1 C sunflower seeds

½ C flax seeds

½ C cashews

½ C pumpkin seeds

½ C almonds

1 C raisins

1 ½ C date paste (soak 1 ½ C dates in water for 1 hour. Remove water and then process in a blender until smooth. You may need to add a small amount of the soak water.)

1 T vanilla

1 C olive oil

Directions:

Using a coffee grinder(your blender or food processor would work also) process the rolled oats and flax seeds into a powder. Process ½ cup of the sunflower seeds into a powder and keep ½ cup whole. Quickly pulse the cashews, almonds and pumpkin seeds in the coffee grinder making sure that most of them stay large and chunky. In a large bowl add the processed nuts and oats, date paste, vanilla, raisins and olive oil and mix well by hand. Measure out ¼ C of the mixture, form into bars or squares and place on dehydrator trays. Dehydrate at 105 for 6 hours, flip over and dehydrate for another 6 hours. These bars store well in a sealed container. Great for snacks, kids lunches or for a mid workout snack. I like to pack them for long bike rides.

Variations:

For a Chocolate version add 3 T of Raw cacao. For different nuts you could use hemp seeds, chia seeds, brazil nuts, pine nuts, hazel nuts or sesame seeds. Add a tablespoon of bee pollen, green Superfood powder, or maca root powder. Instead of raisins you may want to use goji berries, dried cherries, dried blue berries or dried currants. You can also substitute raw honey or maple syrup(which isn’t raw) instead of the date paste.

GRAWnola

Ingredients:

3 C rolled oats

2 C sprouted buckwheat

1 C sunflower seeds

½ C flax seeds

1 C raisins

1 ¼ C date paste (soak dates overnight, drain water and blend until smooth)

2 t vanilla

Directions:

In a large bowl combine the oats, sprouted buckwheat, sunflower seeds, raisins, vanilla and date paste and mix well. Spread the grawnola mixture onto dehydrator trays lined with teflex sheets or unbleached parchment paper. Dehydrate at 105 degrees for 24 hours. You can store this grawnola in glass jars at room termperature or plastic containers in the freezer.

Variations:

For a chocolate coconut grawnola add 3 T of raw cocao and 1 C dried coconut. Add dried cranberries, dried apples or dried bananas instead of raisins. Add a teaspoon of cinnamon or ½ teaspoon of nutmeg. Put 1 ½ C of this basic grawnola mix in a bowl and add 1 banana sliced, ½ C fresh berries, mango or other fruit of your choice and almond milk.

Almond Milk

Ingredients:

3 Bananas

4 dates(soaked) or 2 T raw honey

½ T vanilla

2 T raw almond butter

1 ½ C water

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and liquefy. This will keep in your refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Raw Oatmeal

Ingredients:

2 Cups of oat groats soaked

1 apple, cored but with the skin on.

2 Tablespoons of your favorite Raw sweetener. I suggest Raw Honey or 4 soaked dates. Some people use maple syrup also even though it’s not raw.

1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1 Tablespoon raw coconut oil

½ cup of water

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients in a blender or high powered food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. This comes out to the consistency of cooked oatmeal, but way more nutrient packed since none of it’s enzymes and vitamins have been cooked out of it. Sooo delicious!

Raw Muesli

Ingredients:

4 C rolled oats

1/2 C sunflower seeds

1/2 C dried coconut

1/4 C flax seeds

1/4 C slivered almonds

1 C raisins

2 T raw honey

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. This will store well for months. Enjoy with fresh fruit and almond milk.

Variations:

For a soft muesli, add 1 C of water and let sit for an hour. You can also add other dried fruits, cinnamon, dehydrated cane juice, cashews, walnuts, pecans or sprouted grains such as quinoa, rye, or amaranth.

Raw Fruit Roll Ups

Cinnamon Pear

Ingredients:

4 ripe bartlet pears

1 t cinnamon

Directions:

Blend the pears and cinnamon in a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth. Spread out on dehydrator trays lined with teflex sheets or unbleached parchment paper. Dehydrate at 105 degrees for about 6-8 hours.

Apple Banana

Indgredients:

2 large apples, cored

2 ripe bananas

Directions:

Place the bananas and apples in blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth. Spread out on dehydrator trays lined with teflex sheets or unbleached parchment paper. Dehydrate at 105 degrees for about 6-8 hours.

Apple, Banana, Pineapple, Pear and Strawberry

Ingredients:

1 apple

1 C pineapple

1 ripe banana

1 ripe bartlet pear

½ C strawberries

Directions:

Place the all of the fruit in a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth. Spread out on dehydrator trays lined with teflex sheets or unbleached parchment paper. Dehydrate at 105 degrees for about 6-8 hours.

Variations on Fruit Roll-ups:

Add nuts after you’ve blended the fruit for a crunchy variety. Sesame seeds, ground almonds and sunflower seeds work great! Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to bring out the fruit flavor more.  Add dates to sweeten it up a bit. Make your favorite fruit or vegetable smoothie and pour 4 Cups of it onto teflex sheets and dehydrate to make your own concoctions.  Slather a large piece of fruit roll up with raw almond butter and cover with sliced bananas and walnuts. Roll it up like a burrito and devour! Enjoy!!

RAW and COOKED Summer BBQ Kabobs

RAW Ginger Garlic Marinated Vegetable Kabobs

For the Veggie Kabobs:

Portablello Mushrooms

Red Bell Peppers

Avocado

Papaya

Radish

Zuchini

Vadalia Onion

Grape Tomatoes

For the Marinade:

½ C Tamari, Coconut Liquid Aminos or Nama Shoyu

¼ C Red Wine Vinegar

¼ C White Wine Vinegar

2 TBL Honey

1 TBL Fresh Ginger Root, minced

4 Cloves Garlic, minced

½ tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl combine the Tamari(Coconut Aminos, or Soy Sauce), white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, honey, ginger, garlic and crushed red peppers and whisk until all ingredients are blended well. Set aside.

You want to marinate the vegetables overnight. So cut the portabella mushrooms, red bell peppers, vidalia onions, and Zucchini into pieces a little smaller than a golf ball. You can use the radishes and the grape tomatoes as a frame of reference on how small to cut them. You want to be able to put them on a bamboo skewer and be able to bite them off and have them fit into your mouth. Places these cut up veggies in the marinade and mix well to really coat them. Put a lid on the vegetables in the marinade and place in the fridge over night. The mushrooms are particularly absorbent and taste amazing when left to marinate all night.

When you’re ready to make and eat your kabobs, take your marinated vegetables out of the fridge. Cut up your avocado and papaya to create large chunks that will fit on your bamboo skewers. Using the grape tomatoes, radishes, avocado, papaya and the marinated vegetables, alternate placing each of them on the skewer, doubling some of them up to completely fill your skewer. You should have a beautiful and delicious looking vegetable kabob. ENJOY!!

Mexican Fiesta BBQ Grilled Veggie Kabobs

Ingredients

2 Large Organic Zucchini (1/2 inch slices)

2 Large Organic Yellow Squash (1/2 inch slices)

1 Organic Red Bell Pepper (1 inch squares)

1 Lb Organic Cherry or Grape Tomatoes

1 Organic Red Onion (1 inch squares)

2 Organic Sweet Potatoes (1 inch cubes)

1/2 Lb Organic Portobello Mushrooms

Mexican Fiesta Marinade

3 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Cup Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice

1 T Cinnamon

1 t Cumin

1 t Coriander

1 t Freshly Minced Garlic

1 t Sea Salt

1/2 t Black Pepper

1/4 t Cayanne Pepper (optional)

Directions

Mix all of the ingredients for the Mexican Fiesta Marinade into a large bowl or large resealable bag. Place all veggies into the bowl or bag. Let marinate for at least 2 hours. Once marinated, place the veggies onto kabob skewers. I personally recommend placing all of the veggies on the same skewers in a rotational pattern, but some people like to separate each type of veggie out. Either way has its advantages and disadvantages. Once veggies are ready to go heat grill to a medium to high heat. Place kabobs on the hottest part of the grill and turn a quarter turn every two minutes. After every quarter turn, brush the top side of the kabobs with the leftover marinade. Once every side of the kabobs has been exposed to high heat for two minutes, move the kabobs to low or indirect heat for an additional 4-5 minutes until all veggies are cooked through but not mushy. 

Serve this meal with a side of seasoned Black Beans, Grilled Corn on the Cob and Grilled or Fresh Veggie Kabobs. This is a great meal for any summer cookout or BBQ and is extremely kid friendly.  

Week 2 Menu

Monday Breakfast- Green Smoothie + 1 Apple

Monday Lunch- Salad Topped with artichoke hearts, olives & tomato

Tuesday Breakfast- Green Smoothie + Raw Bar 

Tuesday Lunch- RAW Veggie Wrap

Wednesday Breakfast- Green Smoothie + Pineapple & Blueberry Fruit Salad

Wednesday Lunch- Cucumber & Tomato Salad with Asian Dressing

Thursday Breakfast- Raw Oatmeal + Green Smoothie

Thursday Lunch- Spinach and Beet Salad

Friday Breakfast- Green Smoothie + Raw Bar

Friday Lunch- Salad Greens Topped With Red Pepper & Zucchini

Saturday Breakfast- Raw Granola

Saturday Lunch- Quinoa (Sprouted) Salad topped with Raisins and Dried Cranberries 

Sunday Breakfast- Raw Oatmeal + Green Smoothie

Sunday Lunch- Raw Pizza

Feel free to follow along on my journey as I experience my transition towards feeling and looking better!

 

-Cooked

RAW Chard Wrap vs. COOKED Zucchini and Yellow Squash Wrap

COOKED Zucchini and Yellow Squash Wrap


Ingredients
1 Large Zucchini diced
1 Large Yellow Squash diced
2 Artichoke Hearts quartered
3 Leaves Fresh Chopped Basil
1 Red Bell Pepper Roughly Chopped
1 Red Onion Roughly Chopped
Sea Salt, Pepper and Garlic Powder (to taste)
2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2-4 Organic Whole Wheat Wraps


Directions
In a large pan, preheat 1T olive oil. Fold in the red onion and red pepper. Once onion and pepper are beginning to soften, add in the zucchini and yellow squash. Once all veggies are cooked, but not mushy, remove a set aside. In a blender add in 1T Olive Oil, Garlic Powder, Artichoke Hearts and Basil Leaves. Blend to create a paste. Spread paste on a Whole Wheat Wrap, add veggies, salt and pepper to taste, roll and eat. For a twist, cook all of the veggies on the grill.

Papaya Chard Wraps with Tahini Almond Dipping Sauce

Ingredients: 

FOR THE CHARD WRAPS

5 Large Chard Leaves(the type of Chard doesn’t matter.)

Sweet pea or Sunflower sprouts

Papaya

Zucchini

Cucumber

Avocado

Directions:

Cut off the stems and de-vein the chard leaves splitting them in to two. Cut those in half, so that you have four large pieces per large chard leave. Cut your papaya into four inch by half inch slices and place in the center of one of the pieces of chard leaves. The zucchini and cucumber work best julienne sliced, but if you don’t have a julienne slicer you can just cut them into thin 4 inch strips. Place two or three pieces of zucchini and cucumber in the center of the chard leave with the papaya. Slice large pieces of avocado and place one each in the chard leave with the zucchini, cucumber and papaya. Top off with some sprouts and roll it up like a burrito.

Ingredients:

TAHINI ALMOND DIPPING SAUCE

1 cup raw almond butter

½ cup pine nuts

½ cup chopped cilantro

1 clove garlic

¼ cup fresh orange juice

1 ½ Tablespoon honey

Directions:

Blend all ingredients together until smooth. 

Take your chard wraps and dip into your tahini almond sauce with abandon. This recipe was inspired by my friend and amazing Living Food Chef, Jubilee Jen(www.jubileejen.com) who introduced me to the amazing and delicious diversity of using chard to wrap all sorts of tasty things. 

Week 1

After a week eating Raw Breakfast and Raw Lunch, I am still going strong. I have been averaging a Green Smoothie and some Raw Oatmeal for breakfast and an ever changing salad for lunch. By varying what goes into my salad, it keeps life interesting and healthy. A few surprises that I have had have been that I am not constantly hungry. One advantage of eating raw is that I can eat until I am completely full. When eating cooked food, I am constantly thinking about the number of calories I am consuming. All week long, I have felt energized and focused. At the end of week 1, I now weigh 168 pounds. That is a 6 pound decrease from one week ago.

Looking forward to the upcoming week,

Cooked

Day 1

Day one was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be! I anticipated feeling hungry and a bit light headed. For breakfast, I had a green powerhouse smoothie and a banana for a mid-morning snack. For lunch, I had a very large salad topped with cucumber, tomato and raw sunflower seeds. For a snack, I munched on some carrots and sugar snap peas. Overall, I felt pretty good and quite alert all day. My starting weight is 174 pounds. I am interested to see how that changes!

That's all for this morning! Check in later to see how day two went!

Cooked