Winner of the ULTIMATE Guide to the DANIEL FAST Giveaway

Drumroll please...

The winner of the ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE DANIEL FAST GIVEAWAY IS:

Yelena!  She said: 

Congratulations, Yelena.  Please e-mail me your address.  You have 48 hrs to respond, otherwise the prize will be redrawn and given to another person.

The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast: Interview with Kristen Feola and a Giveaway

Do I have a treat for you!

Last year, while I still lived in WA, our church went on a Daniel Fast. To help others along I was blogging Daniel Fast recipes on my blog and the church's blog; but I also wanted to offer more resources to our church members.  I searched the net for someone I could agree with on the topic of proper Daniel Fast diet.  That is when I discovered Kristen's blog, at that time titled Those Who Hunger.  I liked what I saw.  I added her to my blog roll and sent her an e-mail.  We later connected on FaceBook and our blogging friendship began.

We have come a long way since then.  Kristen Feola is now a published author.  Her brand new book The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast has been published by none other than Zondervan and has already come among Top 50 bestselling Christian books in the United States for January! 

When Kristen is not fasting she adheres to a diet very close to Daniel Fast, although she does consume some animal products. 

I asked Kristen to talk to my readers about her thoughts on Daniel Fast. She agreed and did even more than that--she wants to give one of my readers a copy of her book The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast, filled with recipes and Scriptural reflections.  [Details under the interview].

Without further ado, here is Kristen.

__________________________________________________

Kristen Feola is the author of The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast, an encouraging resource for individuals and groups who are participating in the Daniel Fast. She has worked as a personal trainer, nutritional consultant, First Place 4 Health leader, and fitness instructor. She is also an active member of Moms in Touch International. Kristen lives with her husband and two daughters in Springfield, Missouri. Her blog address is ultimatedanielfast.com.

The Daniel Fast – Not Just Another Diet

With the countless number of fad diets in our society, fasting is often misunderstood and categorized as just another weight-loss program. However, fasting shouldn’t be used as a quick way to shed a few extra pounds, nor is it intended to be a method of self-starvation. In fact, those who undergo fasting to improve their physical appearance are completely missing the whole purpose of this powerful spiritual discipline.

When you fast, you deny yourself food, or certain foods, for a specified period of time as an act of surrender and worship to God. Although there are several different types of fasts, one that is becoming increasingly popular is the Daniel Fast. On the Daniel Fast, commonly enjoyed foods are restricted for twenty-one days as you devote yourself to prayer. Since you’re able to eat solid food, the Daniel Fast is much less intimidating than a water or juice fast. It’s also ideal for someone who is unable to do a liquid-only fast for medical reasons.

The food guidelines for the Daniel Fast are based upon accounts of Daniel’s experiences as recorded in the Bible. In Daniel 10, God gave Daniel a vision of what would occur in the lives of the Israelites as a result of their rebellion and sin. What Daniel saw disturbed him so greatly that he entered into a state of mourning, or fasting. The Bible says that he ate no choice food and had no meat or wine for three weeks (10:2-3). Most commentaries agree that such desirable foods probably included bread and sweets. The English Standard Version of Daniel 10:3 says, “I ate no delicacies.” These verses provide the foundation of the Daniel Fast. Therefore, foods that are allowed are fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and oils. Restricted foods include dairy, meat, sugar, all forms of sweeteners, yeast, refined and processed foods, deep-fried foods, and solid fats.

Since we don’t know for sure what Daniel ate and what he didn’t, the goal is not to duplicate his menu. Rather, we want to imitate the spirit in which he sought the Lord. Daniel ate simple foods, taking in only what was necessary for physical sustenance. His passion for God caused him to long for spiritual food more than physical food, which should be the ultimate desire of anyone choosing to participate in a fast.

In 2009, when my pastor invited our church to join him in a Daniel Fast to pray for the launch of our second campus, I had no idea how that three-week journey with the Lord would change the course of my life. God flung open new doors of ministry for me, which included writing a book called The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast, which was published by Zondervan in December 2010. He certainly did more than I could have ever asked for or imagined in my wildest dreams!

God has amazing plans for you as well. Your mind can’t even begin to comprehend what He has in store for you! Don’t allow fear, laziness, or the excuse, “It’s too hard!” keep you from stepping out in faith and committing to a Daniel Fast. You can do it. God will give you the strength and perseverance you need.

Are you hungry for the Lord? Do you want to know Him more? Fasting, when accompanied by fervent prayer, will help you develop intimacy with the Lord like nothing else can. There’s something supernatural that happens when you humble yourself and pursue God with genuine passion. You’ll experience a greater sense of His presence in your life and the indescribable joy that comes from walking in obedience. Matthew 5:6 also makes it clear that God rewards those who seek Him in this way: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Through prayer and fasting you can have a deeper connection with the God who loves you. There is no greater reward.

Disclaimer: If you have a medical condition or any causes for concern regarding your health, you should always consult your physician before beginning any type of fast, including the Daniel Fast.

_________________________________________________

Here are a couple of suggestion from Kristen for those who embark on the Daniel Fast: 

Daniel Fast Snacks

• Apples with almond butter

• Celery with peanut butter, raisins, and sunflower seeds

• Dried fruit and nuts

• Fruit smoothies

• Hummus and vegetables

• Trail mix

Important Tips for Your Daniel Fast

• Find a friend who will fast with you and be your accountability partner.

• A week before your fast begins, stock up on food items you’ll need.

• Make double portions of recipes and freeze them to use later during the fast.

• Read your Bible and pray first thing in the morning before your day begins.

• Record prayer requests and answers in a journal.

• Use The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast to help you on your journey.

_________________________________________________

The Giveaway!

And now for the giveaway.  Kristen has graciously agreed to give away a copy of her book to one of my readers.  Here is how it is going to work.

To Enter: 

1. Visit  Kristen's blog and then come back and tell me what your favorite post or recipe is. Make sure to link to it. 
2. Sign up for my Newsletter. Click on the link, complete the form, make sure to confirm subscription by checking your Inbox, following through with the instructions, and then come back and tell me you did it. [If subscription is incomplete (i.e. unverified) the entry will be disqualified from the drawing!]

Bonus Entries: 
Yes, you can get EXTRA entries for a better chance to win this drawing.  To do so do one or as many as you would like of the following:

1. Subscribe to my blog via RSS feed or e-mail.  Subscriptions have to be confirmed to qualify. Make sure to come back and leave a comment if you subscribe.
2. Tweet about this giveaway.  Here is the text you can use: "Enter #danielfast #vegan book #giveaway hosted by @fitvegantrainer: http://bit.ly/g6BrQq"; then come back and leave a comment under the post that you did so.  You can tweet about this giveaway once a day, until the last day of the giveaway and get an entry for each tweet, as long as you come back and link to your tweet under this post.
3. FaceBook about this giveaway, then come back, leave a comment with a link to the post and let me know you did so.  You can use this text: "Enter amazing Daniel Fast Book giveaway hosted by Eat Healthy! Be Happy! Vegan Living and Recipes blog: http://bit.ly/g6BrQq".
4. If you have a blog, you can blog about this giveaway, then come back, leave a comment with a link to the post. 
5. Like my page on FaceBook [Vegalicious], then come back and leave a comment under this post.
6. Follow me on Twitter @firvegantrainer, then come back and leave a comment under this post telling me that you did.

Rules:

1. The giveaway will be open until 2/15/11 [Tuesday], 2 pm EST. 
2. You can live in or outside of the US to be eligible. 
3. MAKE SURE TO ENTER YOUR NAME AND E-MAIL ADDRESS in the comment form to be eligible.

Best of all to all of you. Have a fantastic day! I am off to eat my Daniel Fast approved Chickpea Curry.  [BTW, most recipes on this blog ARE Daniel Fast approved, save a few that have sweeteners in them.]

Never Ending To Do Lists and TONS of Vegan Recipes

I feel like I lived in the eye of a tornado for the last couple of weeks--spinning and circling around.  Thankfully, unlike a tornado, I was not destroying everything on my path, on the contrary, I have been creating :).

I have been hard at work on tweaking and beautifying my new blog, which will go live in the next few weeks.  I actually got to the point where I decided to hire someone to do the work for me rather than spend more countless hours on doing it myself and feeling frustrated.  Some things are better left for professionals. 

The latest vegan cooking class [in Dublin, OH] was a blast. Due to our cranky weather [snow, ice and other things not are not so nice] we had a couple of cancellation, but I remained undeterred and still held the class.  And I am so glad that I did.  I and hubby got to make a couple of new friends--we fell in love with them. 

Hubby and I with Angela and Robbin

I met Angela via Twitter.  Who would have thought?  She is a local blogger and it turns out she lives only a couple of miles away from me.  Small world indeed!

In the last few weeks I have also been hosting a lot of dinners, so every weekend was spent in the kitchen.  I think I am finally ready for a break from the kitchen and socializing :)  I do love people, but my introvertish self [I know it is hard to believe but do try ;)]  is crying out for some alone time. 

So, what have I been making for my friends?

Manicotti

Eggplants with Tomatoes

Cabbage Salad

Carrot Salad

Vegan Pizza

Green Salad with Raspberry Dressing

Foonchyozha

Apple Pie

Fruit Smoothies

Banana Muffins [using this recipe, but without pears]

Vareniki aka Ravioli, aka Pirogi

Vegan Potato Salad

Chocolate Chip Cookies

No, I did not make all of the dishes at ones, that would have been suicidal. or could have put me into an insane asylum!  This is my "guest" menu for the last 3 weeks. 

Try some of these recipes--I guarantee that you will lick your fingers clean!

Fitness Classes

My days have also been filled with teaching fitness classes.  I am now teaching 10 classes a week! [yep, you read it right-10!]  I teach: Total Body Conditioning, Flow Yoga and YogaPump [my brainchild!].  The craziest thing is that I actually do EVERY SINGLE move/pose with my students, so it is 10 hours of working out for me, in addition to a couple of hours spent at home preparing my class routines.  As you can imagine, I am now eating a bit more.  I also have to ensure that my recovery time is quick, so I do not collapse on a floor during a burpie, 

or a down-dog ;)

Image Source

Gocha ya! :) Although that is exactly what we humans do for a good stretch!

Image Source

I also have to increase my Green Smoothie intake to reduce my post-workout recovery time.  Today I whipped up a delicious one: 

Strawberry Spinach Green Smoothie

• 3 cups water
• 2 ripe bananas
• 3 cups ripe strawberries
• 1 tbsp maca root powder
• 2 tbsp dulse flakes
• 2 tbsp hemp seeds

Green Smoothie e-Guide Giveaway!

Speaking of Green Smoothies.  A good friend of mine, a blogger, participated in the recent 3-Day Green Smoothie Challenge I held.  She is now running a very special giveaway--a copy of my 3-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse e-book.  So, if you don't have a copy yet, head on over to Lucky Red Hen, follow her instructions for your chance to win.  Or, if you are impatient to get your own copy, head on over to the e-Store and get it today!

 
Raw Vegan Cooking Class 
[Blacklick, OH]

If you are local to Columbus OH metro area make sure to stop by the blog tomorrow.  I will make an announcement for the next vegan cooking class.  This time we will learn how to un-cook--the entire menu will be raw--all fun, and all vegan: drinks, salads, main dishes and desserts!  You would not want to miss the raw goodness!

raw cheesecake

Until tomorrow: Have a Vegalicious night!

Raw Food Detox Giveaway {Spreading Christmas Cheer}

Here I am sitting, sipping on my green smoothie I just whipped up; thinking how I could spread some love and Christmas joy, the time of giving. 

I think I got it!  Remember that giveaway that I was thinking about?  The one where I would giveaway an e-guide for a Vegan Raw Food Detox?  Yes, that one!  Well, I decided to do it. 

Value $10

Here is how it is going to work.  It is quite simple really.  

1. Sing up for my Newsletter by clicking on this link and entering your information.  Make sure to check your e-mail Inbox and confirm the subscription, otherwise you are not signed up.  When your subscription has been confirmed, come back and leave a comment under this post.  You will have to enter your name and e-mail address [e-mail address is NOT visible to anyone but me]. 
2. If you already receive my Newsletter, leave a comment under this post with your name and e-mail address [do not enter e-mail address in the comment, but in the comment form].  I will check my subscriber list to make sure you are already receiving the Newsletter. 

That's it!

Feel free to spread the joy and tell others--you can twitter about it, post it on FaceBook or on your blog.  The giveaway is totally free. 

Here is what you will find inside the e-guide [to see enlarged image click on the picture]: 

Some of the topics: 

• What is Raw Food?
• How to Sprout
• Meal Plan
• Shopping Tips
• Food Combining Explained

You have 48 hours to enter and spread the joy to others--the e-guide will be e-mailed out to everyone after the cutoff time of 12/8/10, 1 pm EST. 

Merry Christmas, everyone!

A Giveaway?

Here I am, sitting, half asleep, thinking if I should give something away?  How about a one-week raw food cleanse guide?  

No tricks, no gimmicks. I would give a copy to everyone who leaves a comment. 

What do you, my readers, think? Tell me by leaving a comment under this post.

Spreading Joy and Gladness {Giveway of Raw Dessert ebooks}

I was totally floored by the gesture of a fellow blogger.  Ingram of Raw Epicurean is giving away two of her amazing RAW VEGAN recipe e-books.  I personally jumped on the bandwagon and typed in my comment as quickly as my fingers would move.  Then I was ready to close my browser and head off to bed... but I felt almost guilty for not spreading the love.  Although I posted her giveaway announcement on Twitter and Facebook,  I would be amiss not to let my dear readers know too.  So, I am redeeming myself. 

HURRY UP AND HEAD ON OVER to Raw Epicurean and enter your information and tell Ingram whether you would like one or both of the e-books. I tried her raw cookie recipes before and they are amazing.  Go on, click on the link. You have until tomorrow, November 30th at 11:00 am, Pacific Standard Time to enter.

and 

Happy Holidays!

Coconut Bliss Ice Cream Winner & Rainbow Chard Green Smoothie

Mr. Random.org helped me to make the decision :)  There were 24 entries for the drawing... and the winner is:

#22 entry was from Melanie Swan

Melanie, shoot me an e-mail with your address and I will send you a coupon for a box of Coconut Bliss bars :)  You will just have to come back and tell us what you got and how you liked it :)  Congratulations!

For the rest, thank you for your entries :)  I hope to make it up to you with this refreshing Green Smoothie recipe:

Rainbow Chard Green Smoothie

• 2 cups water or water kefir
• 1 large Fuji apple, cored
• 2-3 very large rainbow chard leaves
• 2 inch long ginger root, peeled
• 1 tbs maca root powder

The smoothie, because of ginger in it, has a little kick to it, so it's not for the faint of heart :)

Good day to all!

Coconut Bliss Vegan Ice Cream Giveaway

'Tis time to celebrate, folks!  This is my 401st post!  I cannot believe that I have been blogging this long, but... I have. 

To commemorate such a monumental occasion I decided to host a giveaway.  One that is SOOO sweet even I have a hard time to let go of the prize.  

I am naturally not a sweets person, but when I stumbled upon Coconut Bliss Dark Chocolate ice cream by mistake a couple of years ago I got HOOKED!  To this day, now matter what other ice creams I have tried, this one is still by far my favorite ice cream.  My hubby, who was previously hooked on a different brand of ice cream, had also found a favorite flavor in Coconut Bliss offerings--the Cappuccino flavor. 

We both have done pretty crazy things in the past for CB ice cream.  We had our ice cream war between evil and good ice creams :)

and

I had gone so far as to rock a CB t-shirt that happened to be a size too small for me :( :

And I even scored a Coconut Bliss tote... that traveled all the way to AZ with us on our vacation this year... 

OK, go ahead and say it--I am nuts for this ice cream!

Recently Luna and Larry's brand came out with yet a different way to make this ice cream enticing--they now shape the same wonderful ice cream into bars!  They were kind enough to send us a couple of coupons--one we redeemed for a box of dark chocolate flavored ice cream and shared it with our Biggest Winner Challenge participants, who loved it also, and one I am going to GIVE AWAY [just hear my heart crying now...]. 

TO ENTER:

Mandatory entries:

1. Subscribe to the Newsletter and then leave a comment telling me you did it;
2. Leave a comment telling me what your favorite vegan ice cream is and why you would like to win this giveaway;

BONUS ENTRIES:

To increase your chances of winning--since I am thinking about using mr. random.org to help me pick a winner, you can do as many of the following as you would like: 

1. Blog about this giveaway [if you have a blog], linking to this post, then come back and leave a link to your post;
2. Twit about this giveaway, linking to this post; then come back, leave a comment with a link to your post;
3. Post about this giveaway on your Facebook status, linking to this post, then come back, leave a comment with a link to your post.

You can twitter or facebook about this giveaway once a day each day until the day of the drawing and get additional entries for that.  You just have to remember to come back and link to your post every time you do it.

The drawing is open to US residents only [sorry, I don't want to pay for out of the country mailing].  The winner will receive a coupon by mail from me, and will be able to redeem it at any store that carries Coconut Bliss bars. 

The drawing will be open until November 10th, 12 pm EST.

Winner will be notified through a post and e-mail [so make sure to enter your e-mail when you are leaving a comment] and will have 48 hrs to respond. 

Best of luck!

How to Win the 3-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse eGuide

Wouldn't you like a chance to get the 3-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse eGuide for free?  Well, here is your shining moment!  

If you want 30+ green smoothie recipes, list of ingredients with suggestions where I get some of my favorite foods and other great tips that will help you detox physically and mentally AND lose weight, you have a chance to get it totally FREE!

If you are on FaceBook, all you have to do it LIKE the Back to Eden page. Once we reach 250 fans, one lucky fan will get a copy of the eGuide. It's that simple!

RULE: you have to Like the page and LEAVE A COMMENT on the page to be considered for the drawing!

Once we reach 250 fans I might feel like doing the giveaway again at 500 and 750 fans ;)

So, get to it!

Winners of the Raw Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe Announced

Drum roll please... Mr. Random.org helped in this drawing and the two winners are...

comment #9--Melanie

comment #2--Ryan

Congratulations to both!  You will receive your recipe by the end of the day today.  Remember that you now have to make it and send me a review ;)

Sweet eatings!

Delicious Vegan Raw Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe Giveaway [CLOSED]

Hello, loves!

I was creatively inspired during our RAW week, so I feel very generous.

I updated my amazingly tasting Chocolate Cheesecake. It tasted great before, but now it is super fantastic—a sure crowd pleaser, regardless whether you are treating raw vegan, vegan or any other crowd with it.

Check out how delicious it looks:

I hope you are salivating already ;) I know I am… already!

The great part about it is that it takes very LITTLE time to make—less than baking one. You will be forced to exercise a little patience while the cake is freezing, of course, BUT it will be worth the wait.

Now, I KNOW that you all want the recipe now. However, like I said before, I feel a bit attached to it—it is going to be a part of my cookbook [when I have time to finish it], which I will be offering through this blog to everyone. But I do want to share the joy of raw eating with my faithful readers—by on-line friends.

So… you voted, I listened and I decided to give a recipe for this scrumptious raw vegan cheesecake to not ONE, but TWO lucky winners. There is going to be a catch, though—you will have to make it, eat it ;) and then write a review about it and send it to me. If you are generous enough to share it with friends or family, I would love to hear what they had to say about it too.

Is that a deal? I will hound both winners till I get what I need! :)

The giveaway contest will run starting today: Thursday, June 17, 2010, through Sunday night, 10 pm EST. You can be ANYWHERE in the world to enter the giveaway—the recipe will be sent to you electronically, which means that you have to provide a valid name and e-mail address.

Now, here is how you can get a recipe for this slice of “heaven”:

Required Entry:

1. Subscribe to my Newsletter and leave comment under this post that you did it. If you are already subscribing to the Newsletter you can recruit your friends/family/neighbors—use your imagination, to subscribe also. If they do, leave a comment under the post with their first name and the initial of their last name.  If you don't know anyone to recruit--that would make me sad... but you can still leave a comment that you already subscribed.  And DON'T FORGET, you will have to send me a REVIEW of the recipe.

For extra entries you can do one or all of the following—it is up to you:

2. Twit about this giveaway. You can use following text: I just entered a Delicious Vegan Raw Cheesecake Recipe Giveaway: http://bit.ly/bBle8N.  You can too!

3. FaceBook this message: I just entered a Delicious Vegan Raw Cheesecake Recipe Giveaway: http://bit.ly/bBle8N.  You can too!

4. Blog about this giveaway on your blog, if you got one, linking to this post: http://bit.ly/bBle8N. 

5. You can also follow this blog through RSS/e-mail or Google Friends feed and/or Do a happy dance [just kidding] and tell me a wonderful story about pretty much anything food or non-food related. You can get an extra entry for each of these.

That’s it! I will use random.org to draw the lucky winner’s number on Sunday.

Kaia Raw Snacks Giveaway Winner Announced

Winner of Kaia Giveaway
Mr. Random provided his awesome services one more time... And the winner is [drum roll please].

11th comment on the Giveaway belongs to hihorosie!  Please contact me ASAP with your mailing contact to claim your prize!  You have until midnight Monday to claim it, otherwise it will be re-drawn!

The rest of you: Thanks for Participating!  Maybe next time your number will get drawn too ;)

The Biggest Winner Challenge Update!

Meanwhile head on over to the Biggest Winner Challenge Blog and see how our 2nd Week Weigh In went and how our participants fared in their performance.

Blackberry Green Smoothie

No day can go right without a proper Green Smoothie :)

Makes over 60 oz.

• 
  
  4 cups water
• 
  
  2 cups blackberries
• 
  
  10 oz beet greens
• 
  
  2 oranges
• 
  
  7 dates
• 
  
  3 tbs raw honey [you can use less if you like your smoothies on a milder side like I do ;)]

Green Smoothie and Catching Up

Hi, loves! I know I have been MIA, but I just got back from a wonderful vacation in AZ and have been trying to catch up with my life—it does not seem to ever slow down. One day, when I grow up, I will go on a permanent vacation ;) but for now… work, work, work! However it is Work AND Fun!

 

Our Biggest Winner Challenge [BWC] contestants are making an amazing progress: health issues are improving and weight is coming off. Weight loss is achieved easier on a plant-based diet as the body is able to detox and get extra junk out at the same time.

 

If you have not marked The Biggest Winner Challenge blog yet, please do! It seems that we just experienced our first growth spurt overnight since I came back from vacation! Head on over to: http://thebiggestwinnerchallenge.blogspot.com/ and become a Friend through Google Connect [especially all of you my wonderful Friends and Subscribers]. You can also RSS or e-mail feed the blog. I want you to show all the love and support to the Biggest Winner participants you can find in yourself. They are working hard and are doing great.

 

Meanwhile don’t forget to enter the Kaia [raw food vegan snacks] giveaway. It will close at 10 pm tomorrow [Friday], and the winner will be announced soon after.

 

Over the weekend I will be working with the BWC contestant very closely, creating some magic in the kitchen, so I am going to be taking some fun pictures and maybe even videos of us working together!

 

One more thing, if you are a company that supports plant-based and/or healthy living with your products and would like to sponsor the Biggest Winner Challenge, head on over to the blog and find out how you can help the participants.

 

Until… very soon ;) Green Love, you all!

 

Today’s Green Smoothie is named in honor of where I snapped this image…

 

The Green Bag Smoothie

[makes 3 servings]

• 3 cups water
• 2 oranges
• 2 tbs raw honey
• 8 oz beet greens and broccoli greens
• 1 tbs kelp
• 1 tbs maca root powder
• 2 tbs wheatgrass powder

Delicious, nutritious and good to take with you on the go or for lunch, like I had to today!

Raw Snacks: Kaia Foods Review and Giveaway-NOW CLOSED

While I am bathing in the sun in beautiful Tucson, AZ, I thought to share some joy and have a fun giveaway.

Kaia foods was founded with the belief that our health is best supported by eating an abundance of minimally processed whole foods. They sprout, mix and dehydrate their organic foods at low temperatures so that they remain 'raw.' No baking, frying, bleaching, or weird processing steps!

I was excited to receive my little review package from Kaia as was the rest of my family.  After opening the box we swiftly dug through to pull out little treasures: 

Granola was my hubby's favorite--he crunched on it to his heart's desire.

Mom indulged in Fruit Rollups

 I personally  liked their sprouted and flavored Sunflower Seeds and the rest of the goodies:

I was pleasantly surprised by the good taste and flavors of raw vegan snacks--snacks I could easily drop in my purse to take along with me anywhere I have to go to stay nourished. 

Now for the giveaway--Kaia Foods is graciously sponsoring ONE lucky winner to get following: 

• 1 granola
• 2 sunflower seeds
• 4 fruit leathers, and 
• 1 baggie of kale chips 

You must live within continental United States to be eligible to enter!

Make sure to enter your name and e-mail address in the comment form--anonymous entries will be disregarded. 

Required Entry: 

1. To be eligible for a drawing for this giveaway leave a comment under this post and tell me how long you have been following my blog and what has been your favorite post to date.   It's that simple!

Bonus Entries:

1. Post about this giveaway, linking back to the post on Twitter, Facebook or your blog and leave a link for it--separate entry from the first one.
2. Sign up for the Newsletter [on the blog it is located on the right-hand panel at the top] and leave an additional comment under this post. 
3. Add yourself to Google Friend Connect on this blog or Subscribe to e-mail or RSS feed and leave a comment for yet an extra entry.

That's it!  You can pick how many entries you want to make, one or three!

The drawing will be open through Friday, 10 pm PST, May 21st.  I will use Mr. Random.org to make the decision for me :)

Best of all!  I am off to enjoy my last day of blazing sun and get extra vitamin D into my skin :)

Winner[s] of Best Organic Wheatgrass Powder Announced!

Good morning, luvs!

I hope your day is bright and shiny and filled with amazing healthful foods and loving people.

It is time to announce the winner of the Best Organic Wheatgrass drawing giveaway!

[Remember, I did tell you that there is a surprise and EVERYONE who entered this drawing will walk away having won something? To find out what I meant, stick through the whole post—the announcement will be toward the end of this post.]

I can tell you that the decision of who should get this amazing gift was not easy to make. There were many entries that touched my heart. So many that I did not want to make that decision myself. I had to recruit the help of my husband AND my sister to help me.

After reading EVERY single entry and deliberating we reached the decision that the recipient of the Best Organic Wheatgrass powder should be… Shannon M!

Shannon wrote:

“I would really like to win this product because I am a desperate woman!! I need to make major changes in my health, but feel overwhelmed and under motivated. Believe me, if this helped kick start my journey into health; I could be the poster child for turning your health around. Additionally, I would like to have my eldest son (9 years old) take this with me, as he needs some serious detox after having 3 open heart surgeries and more medications that I can list. When we came home from his last 2 open heart surgeries, for the following week when I would go into his room in the morning to get him up, I would panic because his room stunk so bad - I thought it was the smell of death. But God has other plans for him and he's pulled through, but the horrible smell, I believe, was his body sweating out toxins from the hospital. Who knows how many more nasties are still in there! He's so adventurous at trying his mommy's various concoctions :) Please, please, pick us!”

Shannon, e-mail me with your complete mailing address and kind folks at Best Organic Wheatgrass will send you your prize!

 

 

Now, don’t click off yet, my assistant judges and I also determined that to make sure wheatgrass is not the only thing you start doing to help yourself and your son, and to get you motivated toward better health, AND to make you the “poster child” for turning one’s health around [that’s what you wanted, right?] I am also giving you 1-month access to Back to Eden Vegan Forum!!!

Our community will help you get started and keep you motivated, as long as you are willing. Head on over to Back to Eden, click on Sign Up and complete your information. Once that is done you will be approved to become a member of our community [B2E]!

[Shannon, you have 2 days to respond. If I do not hear from you by tomorrow night the prize will be given to someone else.]

For the rest of you lovely people, who entered this drawing, you all also are winners! Head on over to this page http://www.bestorganicwheatgrass.com//, fill out your information and you will receive 7 day supply of Best Organic Wheatgrass Powder! Enjoy it and let me know how you liked it! [you can do that by coming back and leaving a comment under this post].

But… hold on also, I don’t want to leave the rest of you out either. EVERYONE who entered the drawing get 1-week free membership to Back to Eden! All you have to do is head on over to Back to Eden and sign up! You then will be approved for membership and will have one [1] week to enjoy information we have in the B2E community! 

[If you are not sure what Back to Eden is, read HERE.]

I hope you all will have an amazing green day! I hope that “your healing shall spring forth speedily” and “the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.” [Is. 58:8]

Wheatgrass-Benefits, Product Review and Giveaway-CLOSED

Good morning, loves!  I know I have been MIA for a few days.  After celebrating our 7th Wedding Anniversary I have been busy preparing not only a video for this post but also photographing and processing a couple of photo sessions [if you have been following my blog long enough you know that is my other passion in life].  After long weekend now I have stolen away a few moments to prepare this amazing post, to help make your Monday. 

When I first started on the Vegan Path I can honestly tell you that I knew little to nothing about wheatgrass as food.  I was totally ignorant of the benefits this super plant has to offer too.  To me it was just that-grass!  

As the time passed I had learned that it was oh, so much more.  I had tested different ways to drink wheatgrass juice.  My favorite was by juicing it with Grannie Smith apple and adding Ginger to it.  Mmmm... mmmm... GOOD!  However, I personally did not and still do not have a proper wheatgrass juicer. 

Since I did not have a juicer and still wanted to partake of what this miracle plant had to offer I tried blending it in my Vita-Mix, straining it and drinking it that way.  For some reason, and it might be because I diluted it with water and did not add enough of other more pleasant tasting ingredients to it, I did not like the way I felt after drinking it.  I also found it problematic to keep my grass from developing mold, since I have about a million other things on my plate every day.  

So, what a girl to do?  I still wanted wheat grass in my diet!!!

Why?  Check out these facts about wheat grass.

Wheatgrass contains vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino-acids (used to build proteins) and large amounts of chlorophyll.

Wheat grass consists of 70% chlorophyll. Why is this fact so amazing?  Both chlorophyll (as in wheatgrass juice) and hemoglobin (red blood cells) are molecularly similar. The only actual difference is that the central element in chlorophyll is magnesium and in hemoglobin it is iron, so chlorophyll has been shown to build red blood cells quickly after ingestion.

The high chlorophyll content of wheatgrass also acts as a powerful detoxifier cleansing the liver, cells, tissues and blood.

Wheatgrass contains vitamin A, vitamin C, B complex vitamins, vitamins E and K. Wheatgrass also contains over 90 minerals found in soil including calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, Potassium, Phosphorus and Cobalt.

Wheatgrass is a complete protein and provides the following AMINO ACIDS.
Abensic- anti cancer agent
Alanine- blood builder
Arginine- seminal fluid
Aspartic acid- energy
Glutamic acid- mental alertness
Glycine- energy
Histidine- hearing and nerve function
Isoleucine- growth in infants
Loucine- energy and nerve stimulation
Lysine- anti aging
Methionine- kidney and liver cleanser
Phenylaianine thyroid function
Proline- Glutamic acid absorption
Serine- brain stimulation
Threonine- digestion and assimilation
Tryptophane- skin and hair growth
Valine- brain/muscle coordination

Amino acids are the building blocks the body uses to make proteins. Protein found in meat, fish, eggs etc needs breaking down into amino acids before being built into protein [and by the way, animal protein cannot be fully digested by human bodies!]. Wheatgrass provides the body with the protein building blocks so there is no need to expend energy on breaking the proteins down into amino acids. 

Wheatgrass is great for balancing hormones! [Sign me up for that!!!] 

Farmers in the Midwest who have sterile cows & bulls put them on wheatgrass to restore fertility. (The high magnesium content in chlorophyll builds enzymes that restore the sex hormones.)  And, people, if wheatgrass is good for a cow and helps her, it is good for me too [no joking here!].

Want MORE facts about wheatgrass? OK.

• Wheatgrass juice keeps the hair from graying.
• By taking wheatgrass juice, one may feel a difference in strength, endurance and health.
• Wheatgrass juice improves digestion.
• Wheatgrass juice is high in enzymes.
• Wheatgrass juice is an excellent skin cleanser and can be absorbed through the skin for nutrition.
• Wheatgrass implants (enemas) are great for healing & detoxifying the colon walls.
• Wheatgrass juice is great for constipation and keeping bowels open. It is high in magnesium.
• Wheatgrass juice can dissolve the scars that are formed on the lungs from breathing gasses. The effect of carbon monoxide is minimized since chlorophyll increases hemoglobin production.
• Wheatgrass juice reduces high blood pressure and enhances the capillaries.
• Wheatgrass juice can remove heavy metals from the body.
• Wheatgrass is an amazing CANCER FIGHTER because of all of the above listed qualities. 

I hope that by now you are convinced that WHEATGRASS IS GOOD FOR US!

To solve my wheatgrass problems I went to the next best thing after being able to make fresh wheatgrass juice--buying and making a drink from raw organic wheatgrass powders.  I found a couple of different brands and settled on one that I found most affordable at http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/ [I get no kickbacks for mentioning them here-they are not even aware of my existence (sadly :( )].   The powder is fine, but a bit grainy for my taste to drink it by itself, so I add it to mys smoothies.  Yeah for ingenuity!

Recently, however, my view on wheatgrass powder has been altered... in a positive way.  A couple of nice people left a comment on my blog.  Before approving the comment, to make sure it was not spam I headed over to their site [Best Organic Wheatgrass], to make sure it was legit, and to see what they are talking about.  After reading up on the information I wrote them to ask a few questions.  As you know, I would never put a stamp of approval on a product without knowing first hand that it is indeed good for my readers.  So, after a couple of e-mails Ken sent me a sample of their wheatgrass powder.  I was determined to go through the whole container and see how I feel consuming it before considering doing a review.  The product is called Easy Pha-Max Wheatgrass.

I finally finished my sample last week and... well, I LOVED IT!  I am sad, however, that  ran out of it :(

It comes in a box in small packets that can be easily taken ANYWHERE with you.  All you have to have is a glass of water to dissolve it in and you have your wheatgrass for the day!  They offer two different flavors/combos: plain, with just wheatgrass and wheatgrass with honey. 

I also watched a video that was sent to me and checked out their fact.  I saw their organic certification {I am a stickler for ORGANIC!}

Here is the cool part about their wheatgrass: they use not only the green part of the plant but also the ROOT that has many additional vitamins and nutrients.  That's a bonus in my book!

The grass, after being grown for just the right number of days is harvested and freeze dried, which helps it keep more nutrients and insures that it stays RAW.  It is then ground to fine consistency... so fine, in fact, that when you dissolve it in water, you barely taste any grains at all [if any].  I found it easy, once again, not having to add my wheatgrass powder to smoothies, if I did not want to but simply dissolve it in a glass of water and drink it in the morning and before going to bed. 

But, you don't have to take my word for it... I recruited the finest tester of any product I know--my husband--to taste this wheatgrass powder.  Watch to see what he thought of it.

[If you are subscribing to this blog via e-mail and are not able to view the video, please click on this link.]

I personally enjoyed how I felt during the days I was drinking extra pleasant wheatgrass drinks.   Extra energy!

So, you are thinking: "Wonderful to know that you enjoyed it, but so what?!"  Am I right?  Don't despair--I have a treat for you!  Ken and Barb offered to give the two wheatgrass boxes [one is plain wheatgrass and the other one made with honey] to one lucky winner!  The two boxes combined are worth $60!!!

So, I am sure that now you want to know what you must do to be entered into the drawing.  It very simple, actually.

[You have to reside in the US to qualify!]

Please be kind and use at least your first name, so when I announce the winner I can sound nice too :)

1. Leave a comment under this post and tell me why you should win this product and how it would make a difference for you [if you think it will].  Be as creative as you want to be with your story--I read all of them.   This time around I WILL NOT be using a random number picker, so take your time and write something meaningful.  I and my hubby will pick a winner!  [It is much harder than trusting mr. random, but I think it is a great way to do it!]

2. To increase your chances of winning [and yes, it impresses me!] sign up for my Newsletter and leave an additional comment.  You can subscribe by visiting this page, or, if you are on my blog, you can do it by filling out the form at the top of the blog, on the right hand side.

However, and I am kindly requesting this, please do not sign up only to unsubscribe a day or two after the drawing.  When I send out Newsletters and spend extra time on researching and writing about any specific topic and I do it only for the benefit of my readers.  It makes me VERY happy to know that the Newsletters actually get read :)

It is that simple!

If you would like to spread the love and make this post viral, feel free to post about it on Twitter, Facebook, or blog about it, or link to it from your blog.  You will get a huge THANK YOU from me. 

The drawing will be open all this week and will close on Sunday, April 25th, at 10 pm PST.  The winner will be announced on Monday, April 26th.

See you at the winning line.

PS: Almost forgot to tell you, and this is a BIG surprise, don't lose heart if you don't win this amazing package... Ken and Barb have come up with a way to let EVERYONE who enters this giveaway feel like a winner.  That's all I am going to tell you.  You will have to come back NEXT MONDAY to find out what exactly I mean by that and how it is going to happen. :)

BestWheatGrass is also on Facebook, so if you are there, friend them up!

Green Smoothies Challenge: Green for Life Book Giveaway Winner

Good morning, loves!

Our 30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge AND the 3-Day Green Smoothie Challenge are now over.

The results were amazing: weight loss, clarity of mind, better sleep, healing of eczema, improvement of arrhythmia, more energy, healing of anemia... the list can go on.  Those who put 100% into this challenge got 100+% out of it!

Now, on to this week’s GREEN giveaway WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!

I was giving away a copy of Green For Life, by Victoria Boutenko—a book that gave me a jump start on my way to healthier and slimmer body a couple of years ago. [Please visit Green for Life Review and Giveaway post to read all details about the book and how I conducted my own 30-day Green Smoothie Challenge.]

This winner, this time around, was not picked by a random number picker.  I requested that those who enter the challenge would write me a paragraph or two about HOW they will use the book to benefit from it most. 

Everyone did a great job responding, but there were two stories that touched me the most: Carol's and Diana's.

Here is what they said.

CAROL [she participated in our 3-Day Green Smoothie Challenge]: (first entry done before the challenge) I am all stocked up on greens and organic fruits and flax seeds and am getting started in the morning. I would use this book to learn more about eating for optimal health. Here's to our health!

(second comment entered AFTER the challenge): I took part in the green smoothie challenge and I am VERY surprised at how good I feel. I am going to continue to have the green smoothies and just add a few other things like today I am making the split pea soup recipe that is on your blog. This morning when I got up what sounded good was not my normal begal and cream cheese but I really wanted a green smoothie. I feel great and I look forward to learning more about healthy eating and cooking.  Thanks, Carol

What Carol did not say, and she is such a trooper, is that she has been fighting a serious health condition for many years.  I am not at liberty to disclose what that is, unless I get her permission, but it will suffice to say that her tenacity has struck me so deeply that there is not a day that goes by now that I don't think about her resolve to succeed in getting well, and how much whole, unprocessed foods, especially greens, could help her get her health back and help her live a better, more joyful life. 

Second entry that really gripped my heart was by Diana. 

DIANA said: My husband and I have been talking about changing our eating lifestyle and are serious about it. I have a significant amount of weight to lose and my mom, dad, brother, grandparents are morbidly obese as well. I don't have any serious complications yet but I know they are just around the corner if I don't do something now. I have gone shopping and will be starting the green smoothie challenge tomorrow!

I friended Diana up on Facebook and have seen pictures of her and her precious family.  Now I feel like I want to go out of my way to make sure that Diana and her family achieve their health goal. 

Can you imagine how torn I am?  I have only ONE book to giveaway!!!  I could not entrust Mr. Random number picker with such a task, but I wish I could--it would be so much easier!  However, I already made a commitment that I will choose a winner based on his/her entry. 

So, here it goes: THE WINNER OF THIS COPY OF GREEN FOR LIFE IS.... Carol!  Carol, please e-mail me your address and I will get the book mailed to you.

Diana, and the rest of you, don't get discouraged--I have a couple of other awesome giveaways lined up that you can enter.  Diana, I hope that you will start and finish the 3-Day green smoothie challenge, and then report on your results.

For the rest of you, please enjoy this simple and delicious green smoothie recipe... on me ;)

Simply Delightful
(makes 2 large servings)

• 2 cups water
• 1 ripe fuji apple
• 1 head of dark leaf lettuce
• 1/3 cup goji berries

Have a great day!