Sweet, Sticky and Gooey

These words describe one of the world’s healthiest and most renowned sweeteners, honey. Just the word itself makes people happy – and is used commonly in expressions of endearment and love. Nutritionally, honey loves to do sweet things to make your body just as happy on the inside.

It has been around for centuries and there are thousands of varieties. No matter what essence or flower based honey you choose, blueberry, clover, wildflower, buckwheat or orange blossom – just be sure that it is local, pure, unpasteurized or raw. Some people rule it out honey because it is a sugar or because it comes from an animal, but if you choose to savour in its incredible taste and healing properties, just enjoy and use it in moderation, as with all sweeteners.

Why is Honey so good for you?

1. Honey helps to heal the stomach, pancreas and lungs – as it tonifies, soothes and nourishes the linings of these organs.
2. Even though honey is a sugar, it is loaded with nutrients, enzymes and minerals – so you are getting more than just a sweet flavour.
3. Honey contains antibiotic properties that can help to protect against various diseases, ailments and illnesses. From a sore throat to diarrhea – honey can help to build up your immunity and keep your body strong.
4. Honey can be used topically to heal wounds (especially Manuka Honey) like abrasions, burns, sores and chapped skin.

How to use honey:

1. Be sure to use honey raw or at very low heat temperatures to preserve its natural properties. High heat can destroy its natural enzymes and minerals.
2. Honey can be stirred into herbal tea, spooned on hot cereal or smeared on sprouted bread.
3. Honey can be added to dips, spreads, sauces and dressings.
4. Since honey retains moisture – when it is used for baking instead of sugar – your baked goods will stay fresh longer.

Buying and Storing:

1. Honey is available in liquid form but is also available in the comb or creamed.
2. See your local grocery or health food store for different varieties. If you are able to get your honey fresh from a farmer’s market or honey farm directly, that is always the best!
3. Store honey at room temperature away from direct sunlight. Do not refrigerate as this speeds crystallization, which thickens honey and turns it cloudy and grainy. (To liquefy– remove the lid place the honey container in a saucepan with water and heat slowly until crystals dissolve).

One of my favourite ways to use honey is raw by putting it into a salad dressing. See one of my favourite summer dressings below!

Raw Waldorf Salad

What’s In It?

1 cup of arugula, spinach or mixed greens
1 large head of red leaf lettuce (or two cups arugula)
1⁄4 cup peeled jicama or carrots
2 stalks celery, diced
1 apple, diced
1 cup sunflower sprouts or mung bean sprouts

1 avocado, peeled and chopped
1⁄2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon hemp seeds

Dressing:
1⁄4 cup hemp oil
2 tablespoons raw tahini (or 1⁄2 cup if no hemp oil)
2 tablespoons Filsingers apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Nude Bee honey
2 tablespoon Bragg’s Aminos
2 tablespoons to 1⁄4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Filtered water (add slowly, only if needed without hemp oil)

How It’s Made

1. Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. 2. Pour over salad ingredients and toss until well coated.

Delicious Knowledge by Marni

When making a salad it’s important to think of colour, texture and flavour to make it interesting and enticing, and this salad has it all. Change up the veggies based on season, maybe use pears instead of apples, spinach instead of arugula, or try olive oil instead of hemp oil. There are endless possibilities. There is enough sustaining energy in this salad to make a complete spring or summer lunch or dinner.

Contest Alert!

I’m giving away a bottle (330g) of Blueberry Nude Bee Honey! Tell me why you love honey and your favorite uses, and I’ll enter you in the contest for a chance to win the bottle! At the end of the week, I’ll choose the best answer to be rewarded with the prize. Good luck Torontonians! Contest closes June 7th, 2012. (Winner must be in Toronto).

In health,

 

 

 

You can get more delicious knowledge by checking out Marni’s Purely Fit e-book, available here:http://www.marniwasserman.com/ebooks/

Looking to buy a bottle of Nude Bee Honey? Just email gethealthy@marniwasserman.com.

 

 

 

I love what I do!

I am still just coming down from my high after leading another successful retreat in Collingwood, Ontario. This is now the 4th one I’ve led and each time they just get better and better! I have this pure, positive feeling of satisfaction that I’m making a difference in people’s lives. I know this because my participants couldn’t stop sharing with me all weekend how good they were feeling, how much they were learning, how their perspective on nutrition has changed. This is all as a result of fully immersing themselves in a power-packed intensive weekend that was completely catered to their needs.

I also didn’t expect to come out of this retreat having them affect my well being. It has only just enhanced and justified that what I do with passion everyday, and the fact that I am someone that’s contributing to people shifting their views on their health and well being. I know that each and every participant on my retreat is going to make significant change in their life – and there are just no words to describe how rewarding that feels. I know I’ve got at least two ladies starting a juice cleanse this week. Another couple is thrilled to have more raw recipes to tackle and then there are those that just feel so good, they are going to continue to eat a pure, clean, and predominantly, a plant-based diet with emphasis in raw food.

I know that in my heart this is why I do what I do. I love to teach, period. I love to educate and share my knowledge about food, but more importantly I love to show people that this can be done! It is easy to eat well. It’s not some far fetched difficult thing that you have to overcome or start doing after this vacation or that diet. You can start right here, right now. If it means adding in a new vegetable, or buying a blender or your starting to juice – these are all components to a better way of living. My ultimate goal is that people enjoy it and don’t look at this new approach as a chore but a lifestyle. It should be fun, easy and of course, delicious.

“Loved the retreat. Everyone was so great there! We have already incorporated so much of what you have taught us. We have already been a week tomorrow without coffee and 98% raw all week. Have also done sprouting of a couple of things and incorporating seaweeds into our diet. We feel amazing! We both had such a wonderful time.”

There is no greater thrill than to be the catalyst in peoples lives and I can’t wait to continue spreading my passion and delicious knowledge. I hope you will join me at one of My Cooking Classes, Retreats – like my Delicious Bliss Escape to Costa Rica – or take the journey on my Fully Nourished Lifestyle Program. Or, if you live away from Toronto, get started with my easy to read Ebooks. This is who I am and I want to share it with you!

In health,

 

 

Click here to see….

Some of the most beautiful and heartfelt testimonials I have ever heard!

 

 

If You’re Going to Juice…

Make it organic! Or else you may as well not drink juice at all. When you juice  conventional vegetables you are likely absorbing all the pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or genetically modified organism (GMO) stored in them. Because juices are so concentrated your body will soak up those chemicals immediately. Especially if you are doing a cleanse, this is crucial! I know you may be thinking, isn’t just drinking juice in general better than no juice at all? Well, there is something to be said about that, as it’s better than most people are drinking daily (soda, sugared coffees and pasteurized juice). However if you are making the effort to enhance your health, then you may as well go the full length and do it right!

If you’re not sold on juicing yet, here are some of the main benefits…

1. It helps your body absorb the nutrients from the vegetables/fruits. Many individuals have difficulty digesting certain foods. As a result, the body doesn’t absorb all of the nutrients that the food provides. Juicing helps to “pre digest” the food for you, making it easier for your body to receive and absorb all of the nutrients.
2. Juicing helps you increase your consumption of fruits and vegetables. Many individuals do not get enough fruits and vegetables throughout the day. Juicing allows you to obtain all of the beneficial nutrients in a quick and timely fashion.
3. Juicing helps to broaden your intake of various fruits and vegetables. It is easy to stick to the same fruits and vegetables day in and day out. But it is important to rotate your intake of various foods to get the full spectrum of nutrients.
4. It helps to improve your health and sustain a nutritious raw lifestyle. Eating a high percentage of raw fruits and vegetables contributes to high energy levels and faster recovery from illness…as well as a slower aging process.
5. You are able to obtain all of the beneficial enzymes found in the produce, which is important for metabolism.
6. The body receives a sufficient amount of phytochemicals, which help it to fight disease.
7. Juicing provides the body with a high concentration of antioxidants, which help to combat free radicals.
8. They are rich in vitamins and minerals and help to hydrate the body
9. Juicing is a live liquid supplementation. Greater benefits than taking synthetic supplementation.
10. There are lots of options when it comes to juice, play with different combinations!

To learn how and what to juice, join me at my Raw Essentials workshop or my Liquid Nutrition class this summer.

Problems with buying store bought juices:

• Juice in bottles is often pasteurized. This means it is heated to at least 145*F/62*C to make it shelf stable, thus deactivating the beneficial enzymes.
• Plastic packaging contains “leachables” or some sort of chemical component that ends up in the juice.
• Plastic is harmful to the environment as it contributes to pollution, affects wildlife, and ultimately ends up in the food chain.

Juice delivery cleanses:

In terms of juice delivery services, you need to ask yourself a few questions. How fresh is the juice? Are these companies adding in any preservatives to make the juice last longer? Are they using completely organic ingredients? Storing the juice in plastic bottles? It is hard to know. That is why it is best to juice your own fruits and vegetables. If you can’t get organic produce, wash thoroughly with a vegetable wash, peel and avoid anything that is known to be heavily sprayed (strawberries, blueberries, bell peppers , etc.) or cannot be peeled (like berries).

Depending on your budget there is a wide range of juicers to choose from use this resource to sort through them and go here to buy one!

However, one company in Toronto in particular is just quite a few steps above the rest and that’s Belmonte Raw. The owner, and my friend, Carol Belmont, strictly adheres to healthy, organic and environmentally friendly principles.

I will be doing her 5 day juice cleanse next week. So if anyone wants to join me and share their experience on Facebook or Twitter (@marniwasserman), or if you’ve already done one, please share your experience!

Looking for other inspiration to get started on cleansing?

The Raw Truth

It seems of lately that more and more we’ve been hearing about raw foods. Which leads me to say that adding more of them into your diet is absolutely a great way to boost your health. Incorporating raw foods into your everyday eating means focusing on fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and sprouts. With these foods as the foundation of your diet, you will have more energy, lose weight and feel fantastic, as they’re loaded with enzymes, vitamins, and nutrients.

But it’s not about becoming 100% raw and following strict guidelines – it’s just about eating better and getting some pure, clean, and fresh foods into your body. Even if half of your meals each day consist of raw food, you’re on the right track. Your entire meal doesn’t have to be raw; simply enjoy a cooked meal along with a salad or a fresh juice.

My advice: don’t get too caught up with the details. Just start simply by adding more “raw” foods into your meals.

Here are a few ways to get started + a delicious recipe!

1. Have at least a serving or more of fresh fruit everyday. This can include an apple, pear, orange, berries or a fresh fruit smoothie
2. Have multiple servings of fresh vegetables everyday – cut up carrots, celery, peppers, a large dark leafy green salad or a fresh pressed green juice.
3. Enjoy a handful (or two) of raw organic nuts and seeds. Put them into a trail mix with raisins, goji berries, apricots – and you can even add some pure raw dark chocolate (cacao) into the mix
4. Grab a bag of fresh sunflower or pea sprouts from your local health food store or farmers market. These make a great addition to salads, sandwiches, soups, stir fry’s and smoothies
5. Get creative and try to prepare a few new raw recipes each week including smoothies, raw nori rolls, cookies and nut based spreads

If you’re thinking about reaping the benefits of incorporating more raw foods into your lifestyle and need a little professional help along the way, join me for a Raw Essentials on June 3rd or Raw Made Easy cooking class on June 13th. I will be showing you easy and impressive ways to prepare delicious, raw foods.

Almond Basil Pesto
A delicious spread to enjoy with raw bread, flatbread, and crackers or served with crunchy raw veggies, kelp noodles or shredded zucchini!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp torn fresh basil
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 cup whole almonds, soaked overnight or for 8 hours
½ cup pine nuts
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove
¼ cup olive oil (or more) for a creamier consistency

Procedure:

1. Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth
2. Place in a small bowl and refrigerate
3. Serve with cucumber slices, zucchini noodles, carrots, whole grain or raw crackers or brown rice pasta/kelp noodles or steamed vegetables

It Doesn’t Have to be Winter for Apple Cider!

Although we haven’t been getting the harsh, cold weather as we’re usually used to in Toronto, the weather outside can still give you the chills. Enter: Sweet Apple Cider! Apple cider is one of the few drinks that make you want to curl up on your couch in front of a fire. And while sweet apple cider is delicious and nourishing on its own, apple cider can come in another form that’s both tasty and healthy: Apple Cider Vinegar!

Apple cider vinegar and sweet apple cider are two liquids that your body can truly benefit from. There are many brands out there, but my particular favorite is Filsinger’s, a local Canadian brand, that produces incredibly pure and fresh apple products.

Keep reading – you can enter the contest to win a big basket of apple cider products from Filsinger’s!

Apple Cider Vinegar
Filsinger’s apple cider vinegar is fresh, pure, unpasteurized, and unfiltered – this means nothing’s been added or altered in the process of making it, and their certified organic apples are pressed and aged without preservatives or additives.

Apple cider vinegar has been used for centuries to help with a variety of ailments due to its powerful cleansing qualities as it’s also a naturally occurring antibiotic and antiseptic. You can use it as a home remedy for skin, wounds, burns, acne, sunburns, insect bites, or as a weight loss ingredient. Although I don’t like to promote “weight loss”, apple cider can speed up your metabolism, making your body more efficient at burning energy. A good tip is to place 1 tbsp. in a glass of water and drink first thing in the morning or throughout the day.

You can also use it to clean your house (although it may be more costly) but apple cider vinegar makes a great disinfectant, deodorizer and over all household cleaner.

Lastly, you can eat it! Apple cider vinegar is an amazing addition to salad dressings, stir fry’s, and can be used to add acid (or make vegan buttermilk) in recipes such as cookies, pancakes and muffins. (If you are not local to Ontario, just be sure to look for products with similar standards such as Bragg’s, Eden, and Spectrum).

Sweet Apple Cider
Filsinger’s sweet apple cider is made the old fashioned way from whole apples. They blend several varieties of apples such as McIntosh, Cortland, Spy, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, and Ida Red. According to Filsinger’s, using a variety of apples enhances the flavour. Just like all of their products, they don’t use any preservatives or additives in the preparation of the final product.

How to Enjoy Sweet Apple Cider
Warmed up with a cinnamon stick any time of day! Warm it up in a pot, sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg and a large cinnamon stick. Get into your comfiest clothing and curl up on the couch in front of fire, and just let the apple cider sink in.

Sweet Apple Cider Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Filsinger’s apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp  Filsinger’s sweet apple cider
1 tbsp local honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger powder

Place all the ingredients in a blender or small processor and blend until well combined and creamy. Tastes delicious on spinach or arugula with fresh sliced apples, walnuts and hemp seeds!

If you have never used or tried Apple Cider Vinegar, now is your chance!! Tell me why, what, and how you would like to use it and you just may win your very gift basket full of Filsinger’s goodies! The basket (which is large in size) contains Sweet Apple Cider, Apple Sauce, Apple Cider Vinegar, and Pear Sauce)

Just post a comment below!

At the end of the week, I’ll choose the best answer to be rewarded with the gift basket. Good luck Torontonians!

Note: (Winner must be able to pick it up in Toronto)

Want to hear what Marni’s up to, or grab some #DeliciousTips?

Let it sprout!

Most people don’t know what a sprout truly is. In fact I get a lot of people who think that when something is sprouted it has gone bad or gone off. In fact, the opposite is true.

When a grain, legume, nut or seed has been sprouted, the nutritional profile has more than doubled. Meaning protein, enzymes, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and are at their optimum potential. Which means you will not only digest them efficiently, but you are getting so much more bang for your buck so to speak. Just a small amount goes a long way nutritionally speaking.

Sprouts are an alkalizing, living foods which continue to grow and gain vitamins after being harvested, which when compared to food bought at the supermarket that begin to lose their nutrient content as soon as they are picked (and are not then consumed for weeks on end), become very attractive – especially if you are trying to add more raw food to your diet.

Here are a couple of things to keep in mind.

How to Sprout

Get yourself a glass jar + cheesecloth or mesh lining. You can also use a stainless steel colander, sprouting jar or sprout kit. (Get your very own glass sprout kit – order one today at gethealthy@marniwasserman.com)

1. Soak your legume, grain, nut or seed for 8-10 hours.

2. Rinse and drain.

3. Continue to rinse and drain for 1-3 days until what you are sprouting starts to grow a shoot. When the shoot is as long as the item itself, it is ready to be consumed. (Important - be sure to rinse and drain at least 2 times/day or more. You can even add in 1 teaspoon of vitamin C or amla powder to one of your rinses to prevent mold growth)

4. After a sprout has formed be sure to consume right away and store in the fridge.

What to Sprout

Legumes: lentils, adzuki beans, chickpeas, mung beans

Grains: brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, kamut, wild rice or wheat berries

Nuts: almonds, cashews

Seeds: sesame, sunflower, chia, flax

Benefits of Sprouts

All LEGUMES such as those mentioned above are highly concentrated in both protein and starch and are acid-forming unless sprouted.  Sprouting helps to reduce the acid-alkaline imbalance which might occur when grains, legumes, and other proteins are used.

• Mung beans in particular, are similar in composition to fruits, are rich in vitamins A, C, and B complex.

GRAINS: Sprouted wheat berries has become a favorite with many who try to follow a natural diet. These sprouts contain vitamins C, E, B complex, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, sodium, potassium, protein, enzymes, chlorophyll, and possibly B-17. In its cooked form, wheat is unacceptable to some individuals, causing mucus congestion, allergic reaction, and constipation. In its sprouted form, a large portion of starch is converted to simple sugars, making it a wholesome food acceptable to many who would otherwise need to eliminate wheat as a food source.

• Another way to use wheat is to grow the whole wheat berries as grass. The chlorophyll of wheat grass is very high. The wheat grass should be chewed to obtain the juice, discarding the pulp. Special juicers for wheat grass are now on the market.

Another grain amazing grain to sprout is buckwheat,which is rich in lecithin and rutin.

Most SEEDS contain a great deal of phosphorous, an important mineral for spiritual aspirants, who want to increase their alertness and mental abilities. Phosphorous is also necessary for healthy bones and teeth, a fact which makes sprouted seeds desirable for babies and children.

• Sunflower seeds are rich in vitamins B and D and all the essential amino acids.
• Sesame seeds are a rich source of calcium, iron, phosphorous, niacin, and protein.
• Alfalfa, probably the most popular sprouted seed, contains much chlorophyll, as well as vitamins A, B complex, C, D, E, G. K, and U. It also has large amounts of iron, calcium, phosphorous, and sulphur.

What if I don’t want to sprout?

Then get yourself equipped with some of these amazing products who have done a fabulous job for you!

Navitas Naturals – Sprouted flax and chia seeds

Sha Sha Bio Buds -  (lentils, adzuki beans)

Bio Live – legume, rice and seed mixes, sprouted flax powders

Giddy Yoyo – pea shoots and sunflower sprouts – local to Toronto and will deliver to your door!

Wild Wood Tofu - Sprouted Tofu and Tempeh

See my latest ebook Purely Fit – that has a whole section on sprouts + some delicious recipes!

Or join my Raw Essentials Class this spring and learn how to do this hands on!

Soaking vs. Sprouting

When you soak a nut, grain, seed or legume you are making it easier to digest because you are neutralizing phytic acids (which is the indigestible component of grains and seeds). So when they are soaked, they become easier to digest and absorb.

It is possible to soak without sprouting. You can soak your grains before you cook them, for example soak brown rice or quinoa for 1 hour up to 8 hours before it is being cooked. Or you can soak whole rolled oats overnight and enjoy them the next morning either at room temperature or warmed up.

For nuts and seeds, they can just simply be soaked before you make them into a dip or a milk. However if you want to go the length to sprout them, they will require an extra day or so.

Raw-freshing Mango Delights!

Delight your palette with this late summer treat!

 

With summer coming to a close (sorry to say that out loud)- I am getting in my last bits of creativity for summer raw, frozen desserts. When it comes to desserts, it’s all about something refreshing, dense, slightly sweet – and overall delicious. You don’t want to overwhelm your palette with too many things – and no one likes a filmy, sugary residue on their teeth!

The inspiration for this recipe came from tasting a tart similar to these years ago at a raw food demo I attended. I just haven’t been able to get them out or my mind. And if you can believe, it has taken me until yesterday to finally re-create what I could remember of them.

All I remember is the filling being super creamy, moist and tart. The crust being crumbly, chewy and rich. So I gathered my most favourite of raw ingredients and started creating.

Instead of doing a large pie, I opted for mini tarts. That way I could freeze them, and grab them. As oppose to trying to cut a “healthy portion” each time I wanted a slice. This way I could also decorate them individually… and they are just so cute!

They are bite size and easy to eat for a quick snack or dessert. Take them to a friends for a potluck or stash them in your freezer and keep them for yourself

Creamy Mango Delight

Crust:

2 cups dried coconut

1/2 cup raw cashews

3 tablespoons coconut nectar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons dried coconut

2 tablespoons dried goji berries and/or cacao nibs

Filling:

2 cups dried mango, soaked for 3 hours in 2 cups water with half a lemon wedge

1/4 cup pitted dates

1/4 cup raw macadamia nuts

1 tablespoon coconut butter or coconut manna

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. In food processor – add the coconut, lemon zest, coconut nectar and salt until mixture forms a ball and is fully blended.

2. Press into a tart pan or mini tart pan and set aside.

3. In a high speed blender or Vita Mix - blend the soaked mango (set the soaking water aside) dates, macadamia nuts, coconut butter and lemon juice.

4. Blend until creamy, may need to fold with a rubber spatula for optimum consistency. Pour mixture into pie tart crusts and garnish with coconut and goji berries!

5. Place in fridge or freezer for a few hours so that it sets.

Share with us!

What’s your favourite raw dessert?

Do you love Mango?

When are you going to make these?

A Super Retreat to Remember!

So I did it again. Took a wonderful week away in Collingwood to host an amazing retreat!

Get a Glimpse of what went on during the week:

The theme was raw, cleansing and superfoods. But the goal of the retreat was not to convert people, but rather to inspire them to make small changes. Whether it was through adding more superfoods, living foods, raw foods into their life or to get more active on a regular basis or just to take time to nurture their well- being, all were accomplished in these five incredible days.

I had 15 participants and I had all kinds of people attend, from a mother and a son to a married couple, to friends, to single individuals just wanted to take a week away for themselves. My oldest retreat participant was 78 and the youngest was 16. So this just goes to show that anyone, at any point in there life can take positives steps towards their health.

Everyone also came with their own areas of expertise. This is the best part, that I actually get to learn from my participants, there were reiki practitioners, spiritual psychotherapists a line of work called heart math and so much more. People became friends and really got a chance to connect with other that were like minded.

The week was organized with education, eating, relaxing, activity and rejuvenating in mind. We kick-started the week with an incredible hike up blue mountain.

This was followed by an informative talk on Cleansing with Superfoods where everyone got a copy of my brand new Health E Book Cleansing with Superfoods

(get your own copy HERE)

Garden of Life – the only plant based supplement I would ever recommend – was kind enough to donate samples of their Raw Vitamin Code Supplements to my participants (B12 and Vitamin C). So everyone got to take home veggie capsules to test out along with the book The Raw Truth , filled with recipes and tips!
Here is why I only recommend these supplements…if any!

The next day we visited an Organic Farm, The New Farm which was an amazing experience for all. We got to see interns in action working on the farm. Planting, harvesting and just how they make their organic farm work.

Other activities of the week included relaxing a Hatha based Yoga class and a trip the Le Scandinave Spa – a traditional turkish style spa with hot and cold pools, steam room and sauna room. This was a perfect way to aid the body to detoxify and also helps to strengthen the immune system. Everyone just felt amazing after this experience!

We concluded the retreat with a final hike on the last day. This was great because everyone got to see just how much energy and strength they had gained over 4 days on healthy foods. We reached the top in no time and everyone attributed this to the amazing food that was consumed during the week!

Have a look!

Watch some of the Superfood Cooking Demos I did during the week:

 

Feeling inspired to come on one of my retreats? Well the good news is that I will be hosting one in Costa Rica in March! So book early to get your spot!

Please check back soon as I will be sharing with you the amazing results that my participants experienced during and after the retreat!

My favourite kind of Butter!

Take a look and see what I have to say about my LOVE for nut butters and what I use in my kitchen!

 

Since the term butter can be applied to more than just a creamed milk substance – but to anything that is thick, creamy and loaded with nutrients – I will share what kind of “butters” are my favourites!

These butters come from nuts and seeds and other plant varieties. When you take a nut or a seed and grind it down or blend it into a puree – you will get a thick, sticky substance that makes an excellent substitute for traditional butter and even peanut butter!

(The reason why I am not a fan of peanut butters is because there are so many allergies associated with it. Peanuts also often are grown where there is more a chance for certain toxin’s and molds to grow with it. And lastly peanuts – are actually not a NUT they are legume, grown from the ground and not a tree like most other nuts. But that being said, there are so many delicious and nutritious alternatives.)

It’s easy enough to make your own blends at home by grabbing at least a cups worth of nuts – let’s say almonds – placing them in your food processor and leaving it on for about 3-5 minutes. The oils will start to separate and you will get a smooth paste soon enough. If you don’t quite have the time or means to make your own then support companies that go out of their way to make them for us.

There are quite a few companies that I use to support my love for nut butters

Sun Butter – the best sunflower seed butter (tastes like peanut butter)

Blue Mountain Organics – better than roasted seed and nut butters (raw natural butters)

Then there is also Artisana which is a company that has put true love and care into the quality of their butters. They have a variety from nut based butters from almond and walnut to cocoa, coconut and tahini (sesame seed) butters. They use only organically sourced nuts. Which is extremely important. Since nuts are fat soluble, if they are not organic they usually carry with them toxins and other residues that can absorb within the nut. You can truly taste this purity in their products.

There is something (hopefully) for everyone. Since I love their packaging and product philosophy I have been so genoursoulsy given a whole batch of their wonderul products and now I want to give some away to you!

You can get more delicious knowledge by checking out Marni’s Cleansing with Superfoodse-book, available here: http://www.marniwasserman.com/ebooks/

Tell me why you love seed or nut butters?

What do you put your “butter” on?

In order to win you must live in Canada and:

1. Comment Below

2. Share on Facebook

3. Share on Twitter

This contest is now closed! Thank you for all of your comments.

Eat more Raw Now!

Grab a spot on my Raw Urban One Day Detox Retreat!

Or Join my Raw Essentials Workshop or Raw made Easy !

Adding more raw foods into to your diet is a great way to boost your health. This means making sure the bulk of what you eat focuses on fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouts. With these foods as the foundation of your diet you will have more energy, lose weight and feel great. Raw foods are loaded with enzymes, vitamin and nutrients.

I am not suggesting you become a 100 percent raw foodie or adhere to strict guidelines, but rather simply incorporate more fresh foods into your diet. Even if half your meals each day consist of raw food, you are on the right track.

Five easy ways to add more raw to your diet:

1. Have at least a serving or more of fresh fruit every day: This can include an apple, pear, orange, berries or a fresh fruit smoothie.

2. Have multiple servings of fresh vegetables every day: Cut up carrots, celery, peppers, make a large dark leafy green salad or a fresh pressed green juice.

3. Enjoy a handful (or two) of raw organic nuts and seeds. Put them into a trail mix with raisins, goji berries, apricots – and you can even add some pure raw dark chocolate (cacao) into the mix.

4. Grab a bag of fresh sunflower or pea sprouts from your local health food store or farmers market, these make a great addition to salads, sandwiches, soups, stirfrys and smoothies. Or order them directly from Giddy YoYo and have them delivered to your door!

5. Get creative and try to prepare a few new raw recipes each week (check out different books, websites or videos on how to prepare things like smoothies, raw nori rolls, cookies and nut based spreads).

For an informative and inspirational day on living well with raw concepts grab a spot for my Raw Urban One Day Detox Retreat!

Or for some more inspiring raw recipes & concepts then join my Raw Essentials Workshop or Raw made Easy Cooking Class!

Almond basil pesto

Try this recipe – this is a delicious spread to enjoy with raw bread, flatbread, and crackers or served with crunchy raw veggies, kelp noodles or shredded zucchini

Ingredients:
2 tbsp torn fresh basil
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 cup whole almonds, soaked overnight or for eight hours
½ cup pine nuts
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove
¼ cup olive oil (or more) for a creamier consistency

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth
2. Place in a small bowl and refrigerate
3. Serve with cucumber slices, zucchini noodles, carrots, whole grain or raw crackers or brown rice pasta/kelp noodles or steamed vegetables

You can get more delicious knowledge by checking out Marni’s Cleansing with Superfoods e-book, available here: http://www.marniwasserman.com/ebooks/

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