There are two ways the economic crisis leads to packing on the extra pounds and declining health.

One: People are more depressed so they resort to comfort food which is often high in fat, sugar and calories. On an online Forbes.com article, they stated that in a survey of 1,000 Americans, 25% revealed “that they were more likely to eat high-calorie comfort food because of the economic downturn.”   A USA Today online article also talks about stress from the economy and how people are reaching for comfort food.

Two: People are trying to make their paychecks stretch, so they buy cheap food and usually from fast food restaurants. 

It’s a dangerous game – low nutrient cheap fast food and high sugar comfort food only serves to make you more depressed. And like an addiction, you will sadly reach for more of the same.

Diarmuid Crowley of Wild Orchard commented on the previous post here:  “…If the months ahead are going to be as tough as our government says then we all need to be in tip-top health in order to remain at our sharpest and most energetic.”

So true! What steps will you take to be in tip-top health? One way is to choose fresh fruit to snack on instead of a candy bar. Choose water or fruit / vegatable juices over sugar laden soft drinks.

In Victoria Boutenkos popular book “Green for Life” (I highly recommend) she shows how adding a daily green smoothie improves your health. If you don’t do anything else – just add one green smoothie to what you already eat everyday and your body will thank you.

My favorite green smoothie recipe: In Vitamix (or blender) blend 1 cup pure water, huge handful fresh spinach, half a ripe banana, 1 cup chopped papaya. Blend smooth and be happy!

Visit Victorias “Green Smoothie Revolution” site for more green smoothie information.

1. Stay ahead of the game – walk – it’s free. If you don’t exercise regularly, try walking around the block after work one night instead of sitting in front of the television. Try it once, you will feel a huge difference in your mood.   

2. Join a group (or start your own) for moral support or to get your mind off of woes – Check out the international Meetup.com and search for a group that interests you. You name it, there is probably a group about it – Search raw food, dancing, walking, fitness, or bring your dog play day!

3. Sign up for some volunteer work  – being of service is the secret to happiness. Check out VolunteerMatch.org for something in your area.

Don’t wait until you are so sick you can’t function and you moan about the costs of health care and expect a doctor to give you a pill, or cut on you, or fill you full of toxic chemicals to make you better. Your body is trying to do it’s job – listen to what it is telling you – help it – love it.

Going Wild for Juice - a recent article from Irish Business News shows smoothies are popular worldwide and the business of REAL smoothies are a smart business move. (I say “real” smoothies as opposed to the bottled additive-rich liquid thats being sold doesn’t qualify as “real” – but that’s another post!)

Back in the year 2000, Diarmuid Crowley worked for Pepsi in Cork (in southern Ireland) when he decided that healthy beverages would be the future. He opened a business with the great name of “Wild Orchard.”

I applaud his business sense and choice of keeping the product additive free. Quoted from the article, he says: “Our products are smoothies and juices, 100 percent natural, healthy and free from additives – basically fruit in a bottle.”

Click the link above for the article and visit the Wild Orchard website.

Years ago in a cool little heath food store/cafe in Houston, I discovered a little $6 recipe book – 6″x9″ and plastic comb bound. Today it seems it’s a collectible. “Light Eating for Survival” by Marcia Acciardo.

It could be the only raw food recipe book I would ever need. But since this was years before I discovered the raw, living, plant based diet – it was the cover art by  Peter Max, which probably caught my eye. (He’s one of my favorite artists the other being Albrecht Durer.) If you haven’t heard of Peter Max, you will probably recognize his art.

This awesome little book enjoyed a few reprints but today you can only find copies on Amazon used books or occasionally ebay. I wanted to find a copy for a friend and kept looking to Amazon and ebay. I’ve seen it for over $100 on Amazon and as I write this there is a $69 copy on ebay and a $20 one on Amazon. Being in the publishing business myself, I refused to just Zerox her a copy – I kept looking and got lucky – finding one on ebay for $5 plus shipping! I was the only bidder woo hoo!

There is a preface by  Viktoras Kulvinskas Co-founder with Dr. Ann Wigmore  of the Hippocrates Heath Institute (inside the back cover features a photo of Viktoras and Ann Wigmore in a room of wheatgrass). Viktoras will be one of the keynote speakers on the main stage at this years Raw Spirit Fest in Sedona, Arizona.

The book covers what you need in a raw kitchen (utencils, basic foods…) it covers how to make rejuvelac, how to make Sun Cheeses (seed cheese), Sun Breads (raw sprouted grain crackers), juicing, cleansing, sprouting, wheatgrass and its uses, nut and coconut milks, liver flushes and of course its packed with recipes. This is where I first heard of the Green Smoothie. Hmm, when I type the word Green Smoothie, I swear I hear a choir of angels singing in the background.

I wouldn’t hear about it again for many years when I got into raw food and discovered the beloved Victoria Boutenko. Buy any book of Victorias and you will do yourself a favor. Victoria brought the Green Smoothie to the masses. That is what I usually have for breakfast – 1 cup papaya, 1/2 a banana, 1 cup of greens (kale, spinach, edible weeds, sprouts or whatever) and 1 cup pure water.

I find it difficult to get others to try a Green Smoothie – they are usually a beautiful, beautiful smooth green color. Always sweet and very satisfying. The greens seem to keep me from becoming hungry too fast – like when I have a fruit only smoothie. The secret to a tasty one is to just keep it simple. The half of banana helps sweeten it for me, the nutrient dense greens satisfy any cravings then I add one other fruit like papaya, mango, avocado or peaches to make it full and complete. If I have some young coconut water to add, that gives it a different dimension that’s nice.

If you ever run across a copy of this simple yet profound book, grab it!

Smoothie recipes coming soon -

with loving vibrations ~Julie

Here you will find all things related to smoothies!

See you soon,
Julie