Stuffed Tomatoes

I was shopping at the local nutrition store a few weeks ago. It was after I had made the decision to go gluten free. During the first couple of weeks I had cravings for bread, so I decided to explore my options. While at the store I was asking store staff about my options. One of them suggested something that was not gluten free. I politely told her that I am not looking to add that specific product to my diet. She looked at me funny and said: “Girl, you need to live a little!”

I find it interesting that people associate food and happiness. I do enjoy food very much—delicious food, but I never thought that my happiness should be so closely tied to it, not the way I observe people feel about food. I am one of those people that would eat anything that is good for my body, whether it tastes great or not [although I prefer the former]. I intake food based on what it does for my body. Once in a while I do enjoy a little bit of dark chocolate, but it is not because I am unhappy at other times, it is because I know that eating the way I do I can get away with it, and yet, I am very selective even about the chocolate that I eat. Leaving disease free and being full of energy is LIVING A LITTLE for me. Actually it is not A LITTLE—I live a full life—a healthy life. I had detached my sense of happiness from what goes into my mouth a long time ago, and I would suggest that my readers do the same, as much as possible, so that they can LIVE A LOT :)—i.e. live longer, healthier lives.

Having said that I do like eating well, and I like DELICIOUS FOODS. I use whole organic foods to make dishes that entertain my pallet and make my taste buds do a little cha-cha dance :)

The recipe that I will share today is another favorite of mine, because it could be limited only by your imagination… You can use any filling that you like to stuff a tomato and it will taste delicious. Experiment with recipes that you find on my blog. Change up the ingredients and make them taste good to your pallet!

STUFFED TOMATOES

Ingredients
· Ripe red large/medium size tomatoes (I used 6)
· 2 cups of your favorite grain, cooked (I used millet. Brown rice is also a great filler.)
· 2-3 pickles, cubed OR
· 1 large cucumber, cubed
· 1/3-1/2 cup soaked sunflower seeds or pine nuts
· 1 cup diced celery
· 1 clove of garlic, pressed through a garlic press
· Sea salt to taste
· ½ cup cilantro or basil
· Your favorite seasoning (optional)
· 2-3 tablespoons of vegan mayo or hummus

Preparation
· Cut tops off the tomatoes, clean out insides
· Cube skins (hard parts) of tomatoes; blend insides (soft parts with seeds) with garlic
· Combine all ingredients, season to taste
· Stuff tomatoes (you will have extra filling, but it will taste great either way)
· Let tomatoes sit for 15-20 minutes to marinate
· Garnish with celery
· Enjoy!

Vegan cooking is easy. Raw cooking is even easier. Mixing grains with vegetables is a great way to get more nutrients, fiber and calories into your system.

Stay Healthy! Enjoy Life!

What You Has to Know about Cellulite Massage

Cellulite massage is a type of massage, which is aimed on cellulite reduction and control, improving the condition and look of the skin in problematic areas, relieving muscle tension and improving overall health. The main effects of cellulite massage caused by stimulation of blood and lymph circulation in problematic areas of the body. Besides, massage stimulates metabolism in the top layers of the skin, resulting in cellulite reduction and lowering the amounts of extra fat. Therapeutic effects of cellulite massage also include elimination of various toxic substances and elements from the body, as well as a great assistance in putting off weight. Finally, cellulite massage stimulates collagen, elastin and protein production in the top layers of the skin, resulting in improving skin elasticity and firmness.

Carrot Salad

It is time for the next "new" recipe. This salad has been a favorite of mine for MANY years. I can't even tell you how far back it goes as a traditional dish in our family. I only "healthied it up" a bit--it is good on so many levels :) And it is extmely simple to make. You need very few ingredients and a julienne peeler or a mandoline slicer. I prefer julienne peeler--I get away without slicing a finger or two when I use it ;) Julienne peelers are wonderful and cost anywhere between $5-8. You can find them in any local store, a kitchen specialty store, or on-line.

Here is my "old faithful".

CARROT SALAD

Ingredients
● 3 large carrots, julienned lengthwise
● ½ green bell pepper, cubed into small pieces
● ½ red bell pepper, cubed into small pieces
● Handful of chopped dill or green onions, or cilantro—it is absolutely up to your taste buds :)
● Sea salt to taste
● Black Pepper or all-purpose seasoning to taste
● 2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)
● 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
● ½ cup soaked sunflower seeds (optional)
● ½ medium-large onion, thinly sliced (optional)
(If optional ingredients are not added in, you won’t lose any taste or flavor)

Preparation
● Julienne carrots
● Mix with garlic, and lemon, tossing with your hands. Squeeze lightly to let the juices mix faster. ● Sauté bell peppers and onions for no more than 3-5 minutes on low-medium heat.
● Add remaining ingredients and sautéd veggies to carrots, and let salad sit for at least 20-30 minutes before serving.
● Enjoy! It is that simple!

The dish is elegant and simply and is sure to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters (it does in my family).

Until next time: EAT HEALTHY!!! BE HAPPY!!!

Polenta

Going Gluten-Free almost two months ago really pushed me to explore new foods and grains. I still have an occasional craving for bread, I was a true bread eater most of my life. I always enjoyed home made breads and my bagels. The bagels were such a delicious treat! I can barely wait when one day I will be able to make AND eat them again. I am just holding out until I can buy a mill to grind my own grain on AS NEEDED basis. Until then... I am only going to have memories...

I have tried a couple of gluten-free flowers, and they were OK. However I do not look to create a substitute. I want to see if I can do without for at least 6 months. I will, probably, try substitutes once in a while, but not on regular basis for sure.

As I mentioned above, I have been trying new grains. Although polenta is not a grain (it is made out of corn), it really gives me the same nice and warm feeling. It is probably one of the easiest to me--takes less than 10 minutes. I cook it with only water and a pinch of salt. The results are delicious. I do combine polenta with a good green salad, so that it can be digested easier. I had also tried it with a hint of honey. The result was delicious. It actually reminded me of scrambled egg with cheese, although my husband, a true ex-egg lover disagrees with me on this one.

This was my dinner. There is really no recipe to post--just an idea. The salad was very simple: mixed greens and garbanzo beans, sprinkled with a spoonful of honey mustard dressing. Polenta was made with water and salt. That is it! That is how simply it can be to eat Vegan Style.

I have been more diligent to sticking to my 80/20 rule (80% raw, 20% cooked diet). I started to juice! (yeah for me!!!) I found a juicer at my Mom's house and I could not have been more excited. I wanted to add fresh juices to our diet for a while now. I did not want to spend money yet on a juicer I really wanted. I might actually have to get a couple of them--one to juice hard fruits and veggies (carrots, apples, etc.) and one for greens. So, if you have any suggestions, send them my way. However, I do not want to pay an arm and a leg, or give my firstborn to have a juicer.

For the last few days I have been starting my morning with a simple Carrot/Celery* Juice, which gives me a good start on the day. Then I follow up with a fruit or a green smoothie (mostly fruit for now, though, to get my energy up). For lunch I eat a good portion of a green salad, loaded with delicious vegetables and, at times seeds or beans. Dinner is the only time I eat a cooked dish now. Snacks vary between fruits, nuts and dried fruits.

*Carrots are full of Potassium, Calcium and Phosphorus, among many other wonder vitamins and minerals. It is great for eyes, hair nails, teeth, jaws, etc.

*Celery, incidentally, is also full of Potassium, Calcium and Phosphorus. It is great for arthritis, neuritis, rheumatism, acidity, high blood pressure, nerves, and a great blood cleanser.

Nest week I am planning to change up juice ingredients. I might try beets, apples, cabbage and various greens (if I find an easy way to juice them, otherwise they will be blended in smoothies).

There are more recipes on the way. I have not been sitting idle :) Make sure to check them out. Just to give you an idea what to expect in the next few days (post are already ready and schedule to go), here is what's to come: Stuffed Tomatoes, Carrot Salad, and Pasta Salad (for those who can eat wheat pasta.

Until next time, BE HEALTHY!!! LIVE HAPPY!!!

Benefits of High RAW Diet

I don’t often weigh myself, as I do not measure how I feel about myself based on weight, but rather on the way my body feels. It just happens that a healthy living will most certainly ensure a healthy weight. If you feed your body clean, nutritious, wholesome foods on a proper schedule, it will have no reason to store fat. It will burn calories that you put in, and detox itself, as needed.

Today was that rare day when I decided to step on a scale. I certainly have not felt that I had lost any weight recently, however numbers showed something different. Again, I do not strive to achieve a certain weight. I exercise and eat right, and expect for the extra weight, that is unhealthy for my body, to come off all on its own.

I am certain that if you are reading this article, you most likely are waiting for me to tell you how much I weigh. I am not sure if that is important at all, but I will give you a little background on my “weight history”, and I might even tell you the unspeakable—my weight :).

When we moved to the US 16 years ago, I was not even 17, and weight about 115-118 lbs. We explored new foods as we were getting accustomed to the new country. There was no lack of food in the US, as we at times experienced in the former USSR, especially in the late 80’s, early 90’s. However, the quality of the foods here was different. It all looked beautiful and appetizing, but artificially uniform. Let’s take apples, for example. If in Kyrgyzstan our apple trees bore apples of different sizes and shapes, in American stores they all were the same caliber and nearly all of the same shape, as if someone was growing them in a mold. American grown apples were also covered with wax, for some inexplicable reason.

I don’t think that we ever overate on foods, since moving to America, however we all started to change in sizes. Mysteriously, our waist-lines started to grow. By the age of 19 I had expanded to about 135-140 lbs. Not big, by comparison to many, but slightly uncomfortable, until I had learned to “live with it”. Interestingly enough, when I went to Kyrgyzstan for a month long visit, before starting college, I lost all excess weight, and came back slim and healthy. The cycle repeated itself, as I was going through college years. My weight went up, and then went down to about 125 lbs, as my life became busier and more demanding (demanding=stressful). It was not until later that I became aware of chemicals, additives, hormones and steroids in the foods that were causing harmful weight gain, among a host of many other perpetrators.

I met Demetrye, my husband, at about that time in my life. As we started courting, he had to undergo a brain surgery. I was his primary caregiver. My sleep was scarce at that time—actually it was a luxury; I barely had any time to slow down and actually cook a meal, so I ate whatever came my way: hospital food, fast food, etc. Joggling a full-time job, long hospital visits and handling responsibilities for two people left my body with little energy to heal itself, when there was need for it. In less than 6 months I went from size 5-6 to size 10-12. I felt uncomfortable with the extra weight, as I had never been that big in my entire life. I was more tired, I did not like the way I looked, but there was little I could or knew how to do at that time. Even after Demetrye was released from the hospital, my time was split between my job, everyday responsibilities, doctors visits, and being a full-time nurse to Demetrye. I was weighing in at about 156 lbs at the time. I am sure that you would agree that this is a long way off from 120 lbs frame.

As my weight increased so did a list of physical problems I started to experience. I am not going to go into that list at this time, there will be another day for it, but I will tell you that my “expansion” did not stop there. In another year, I maxed out at 168 lbs.

I will spare you the description of my feelings about my weight through those times. No need to dwell on something that is so predictably easy to guess. Let’s fast forward to 3-2.5 years ago.

Demetrye was healing, which meant that he could start exercising. We made it a goal to get in shape as a family. We worked out religiously 3-4 times a week. The stress was slightly reduced in my life as well. The weight started to drop. I watched as it fell to 150, and then to 145 lbs. I seemed to reach a plateau at that point. No matter what I did my weight did not budge. 145 lbs is better than 168, but was not good enough, because I still was not feeling well. It was around that time that we changed our dietary lifestyle and became vegan. Demetrye started to drop weight at a rate of a high speed car, mine was dropping too, but at a rate of a crawling turtle… I reached another plateau at about 140 lbs…

It was in the last year, as I became more RAW (eating unprocessed, uncooked foods) that my weight had finally reached the 130 lbs mark, which made me very happy. I was almost back to normal. I was hoping to drop at least another 5-10 lbs, although my husband started to mention that he would like for me to stop “slimming down”. But who am I to say “No” to my body healing itself? I don’t refuse food when I am hungry, and I ALWAYS eat until I am satisfied. If my body needs to lose a few pounds on a healthy, nutritious diet, it is more than welcome to help itself. I am certainly not planning to start stuffing my face just to keep weight on!

Let’s fast forward to a couple of months ago, when I went “Gluten Free”, i.e. cut all wheat [flour] products and do not consume any gluten grains. I was not really expecting to lose any additional weight, but less than 2 months later my body seems to have lost another 4 lbs. (just found it out this morning). It was a pleasant surprise, as I was not expecting or looking for it. So, for those of you who wanted to know my weight, if you do the math, you will be right if you got 126 lbs. I feel great. I personally would like to lose at least another 5 lbs, but I am certainly no longer concerned with my weight. I have regained control over my weight, and for that I am grateful.

So, here is the moral of my story, if you looked for one: eating whole, unprocessed foods, with living enzymes intact, will help you lead a healthy lifestyle and achieve your body’s goal weight (your body will make that progress and decision all on its own, if you provide it with all the right tools). You won’t have to count calories ever again or go half-hungry, since right foods will signal your body when to stop or start eating.

There are numerous benefits to eating the WHOLE WAY. Weight loss is only one among them. I will post about other benefits throughout the year, limiting this post to only one.

Enjoy your day! And remember: EAT HEALTHY!!! BE HAPPY!!!

Healthful Competition

I have not posted in a while, but it is not because there is nothing to post about, it's actually the opposite. I have been staying busy with taking better care of myself. I actually had my first colonic [I will write about that later], bought and started using dry body brush, invented new recipes, and... I keep staying away from Gluten and Soy products.

But there is more... About a week and a half ago we had my husband's friend, Brandon, over for dinner. In the course of our conversation we got on the subject of walking around our local lake. Brandon mentioned that he walks it a couple of times a week. The lake is about 3.6 miles. Somehow, and my memory fails here, but I believe it is Demetrye's fault, I was asked how long it takes me to walk the lake. Not having done it in a while, except for an occasional late afternoon stroll, I told him that it used to take me 45 minutes. Brandon thought it was impossible. My husband, the instigator, suggested that Brandon should challenge me. Before I knew it, the day was set and my destiny was planned for me. We were scheduled to compete last Saturday.

Throughout the week of the competition I planned to train for at least a couple of days. Unfortunately for me, things kept coming up one after another. By Wednesday I ended up with a pinched nerve on my back and could barely move. I was only hoping that we would still be able to compete--I am not the type to bail out. By Friday I felt good enough to get out and give it a try. I should have fallen the golden rule--rest the day before any competition. Needless to say, I was SORE Saturday morning... and tired. I did push myself to get to the gym and stretch for almost an hour. I also downed a couple of glasses of green smoothies and kept my diet clean of any heavy foods that would make me tired or slow me down in any other way.

By 4 p.m. we headed to the lake. It was raining, but neither one of us wanted to back out. I told Brandon that he was going to lose and that he still had time to concede, but, as any other red blooded male, he refused.

We set a wager: if I lost, I would buy him a book, if he lost he would go FAST FOOD FREE for 2.5 weeks. I did try to get him to go Vegan for 30 days, but he could not imagine doing that. I then tried to have him go Junk Food free, and then we settled on Fast Food free, as he tends to have fast foods at least 5 times a week.

Oh, what a competition it was! I am not going to boast too much, but will only say this--I beat him by 10 minutes. I walked the entire distance in 44 minutes! [No running or jogging was allowed!]

So, here is to the sweet moment of victory, right after Brandon caught up with me. [I am grateful that my niece Anastacia came out and snapped these couple of photos with her iPhone.] I was wet and tired, but... I WON!

And here is one with my Sweet, Sweet Man! He was so supportive. He acted as my manager and even gave me a 2 minute body rub to get my body relaxed and blood flowing.

I was sore for a couple of days after the competition, but I am certainly glad that we did it. Now Brandon has an opportunity to get "clean" and feel better and more energized, even if it is for a short time. I am hoping that he will like the way he feels and will dump his love affair with Fast Food for good.

The positive aspect of it all is that Brandon is really serious about sticking with his commitment. I spoke with him a couple of days ago and he said that he will try to stay fast food "free" for at least a month. His father and his boss were inspired by his commitment and decided to join him in the effort. Who knew that a 44 minute race could be so productive?! Not only that, but is sounds like I am going to have more challenges coming my way. Apparently there are more hot-blooded males, who would love to prove that they can be faster than I. But it is not only speed, that counts, my friends! Endurance is a major key as well! And let me tell you that it is easier to stay the course when there is nothing clogging your pores :) I know what my wager is going to be if I am challenged, and, I am sure, you guessed it :) Maybe I can convert the entire town this way to a healthier lifestyle!

Last night Demetrye and I joined Brandon on a grocery-shopping "trip". I showed him what foods to buy and how to combine them into meals to benefit from these 2 weeks. He was amazingly open-minded, and we all are expecting great results! I will make sure to keep you posted.

I wish everyone a wonderful day! Stay Healthy!!! Live Happy!!!

Making A Killing The Untold Story of Psychotropic Drugging

I just watched a video. Perhaps it is not the most soothing thing to watch right before going to bed, but I could not stop once I started. I was not shocked or amazed by the information, since it is something I have come to expect in our society, but I am appalled, regardless. If you have time, I urge you get it and watch it. You can find it on Amazon. We all should know the truth about desease making and the force behind it.

Big props to the film makers!

The Best Salad Dressing EVER!

I have never been a fan of store-bought salad dressing, with the exception of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing [before my diet change]. I find most of them to be too oily, too artificially flavored, and the color of most of them scares me—I surely would not want to have something like that floating around in my body.

In the last week, after reading Raw Food Detox Diet, by Natalie Rose [I will be posting a review shortly]; I decided to restructure my daily food intake, following her “quick-exit” meal combination suggestions. I started to add even more greens to my daily intake, which means more salads. Chewing on green leaves on their own, with no dressing, is really no fun. So, what a girl to do? Invent, of course!

Over the weekend my sister and I were cooking and I decided to make my own Honey Mustard dressing, since there were no alternatives in my fridge. Now, if you are like me, even the thought of mustard in your food makes you shudder. So, for me to even consider making something with mustard as an ingredient is a huge step.

After throwing a few ingredients together I tasted the dressing, and… I could not believe how wonderful it was. I had my sister taste it as well… She enjoyed it too! My hubby fell for it too :) I had in instant hit!

If you are not a mustard lover, give this dressing a try—you might change your mind forever!

HONEY MUSTARD DRESSING

Ingredients
• 3-4 tablespoons of organic raw honey [I used clover honey for my recipe]*
• 1 tablespoons fresh organic lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons organic roasted sesame seed oil**
• 3 tablespoons of organic yellow mustard or
• 2 tablespoons of organic yellow mustard and 1 tablespoon organic Dijon mustard
• 2-3 tablespoons of filtered water
*depending on how sweet you would like for your dressing to be
**if you are not a fan of sesame seed [or anything that has to do with it, as I found out that one of my family members is], feel free to substitute it with olive oil, or another light and aromatic oil.

Preparation
• Combine all ingredients and shake until well blended.

Go ahead—give it a try! I can just see you licking your fingers and then going for second and third serving of your salad!

Enjoy!

Healing Cancer from the Indside Out

A couple of days ago I watched HEALING CANCER FROM THE INSIDE OUT for the first time. I must tell you that it is an absolutely wonderful, revolutionizing, thought provoking documentary. It is a must see!

My husband was so troubled by watching it, that he immediately started to share the new-found information with everyone who would possibly listen. He even invited a friend of his and a couple of our relatives to watch it with him.

Here is Editorial Review from Amazon:

Mike Anderson s documentary exposes the failings of conventional cancer treatments and how the medical establishment and the cancer industry wildly - and deceptively - exaggerate the benefits of treatments. Interviews with people who have beaten the disease demonstrate how cancer can be successfully healed with dietary treatments and natural supplementation.System Requirements:Running Time: 127 minutes Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY UPC: 881394104822 Manufacturer No: CLS1048

Make sure to get out and watch it! And spread the news to others!