cinnamon chia pudding with banana, dates & almond butter

This was what I had for breakfast this morning after finishing my short juice fast last night (I had raw zucchini noodles with kale pesto) because chia is a great cleaning food. Its soluble fire gels up when stirred with water and when you eat it, it literally goes through your digestive system soaking up toxins and junk you don't want in there. Think of it as a sponge. But then that's not very appetizing... hmm. A yummy sponge? No, never mind.

Anyways - it's delicious and SUPER nutritious. It is one of the most nutrient-dense seeds on the planet as a matter o' fact. Just look it up on the world wide interweb and see for yourself! Make it anytime of the day for a filling snack or meal.

cheery chia bowl: serves one

2 tablespoons chia seeds mixed with 1/4 cup water

1 sliced banana

Small handful each of pumpkin seeds, goji berries and hemp seeds

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon maple syrup/raw honey/other sweetener

3 pitted, sliced dates

1 tablespoon almond butter (optional)

The chia seeds and water should make a gel-like substance after sitting for a few minutes. Add in the all the other ingredients - and whatever else you like - and enjoy! 

eat your sprouts

This post is quite short, but important!

On top of greens and fruit, I enjoy home-grown sprouts as a component of my diet. Usually I do alfalfa, but that's 'cause I'm boring and lazy. There are so many things you can sprout, from pumpkin and sesame seeds to chickpeas! They are SO EASY to grow, fun to watch, super cheap, and crazy-healthy.

You probably know a little about enzymes - they are in raw foods and help with digestion. Sprouts are one of the most enzyme-rich foods out there because they are little babies! They have just converted themselves into a totally new being and are teeming with new life. I suggest you do a little research to see what I'm talking about. I quickly found this page. But I've read many a book that praise the health benefits of home-made sprouts. Ann Wigmore was one of the first sprout advocators, and so are many other leading authorities on raw food nutrition. Just look for yourself on the internet or buy/borrow any raw food book.

These are alfalfa sprouts, I've eaten most of them already =)

You can put sprouts in virtually everything (except maybe desserts), even if you're not raw, vegan or veggie. They're great is salads, sushi, with noodles or soups... everything! I need to finish my math homework and start writing a philosophy paper, so I'll just direct you to this site, where I found some basic sprouting instructions. If you want my own directions on sprouting, just ask =) 

Soaking is also an important step before eating other nuts or seeds, as it neutralizes the enzyme inhibitors present in them. I think of it this way: in nature, the seeds/nuts won't be able to start growing a new plant until they soak up some moisture in the soil from the rain. So until you soak and/or sprout, they aren't technically living foods yet.

carving pumpkins; still love gourds

My friends, Eva and Peki (two really wonderful people), came over today to carve pumpkins for Halloween weekend. Eva brought a lovely Kabocha squash.

I usually don't like pumpkin-carving (I know, call me a loser) but somehow it's way funner with friends... and soup! I had a great time and with all the pumpkin seeds, we made a yummy snack.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds:

Drizzle a little olive oil on the seeds, then sprinkle on some salt. Toast them at 325 degrees Celsius for around 15-20 minutes until they smell good and are browning. Take 'em out and eat 'em up! Everybody loves pumpkin seeds. Yay for protein and delicious simplicity!