Interview with Gabriel Cousens on Raw Food & Fasting – Video

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Video interview with Gabriel Cousens, author of Conscious Eating, Reversing Diabetes in 30 days, Spiritual Nutrition, raw food educator, and fasting expert. Jennifer is with Gabriel at the Tree of Life Israel fasting retreat. She asks him about fasting metabolism, blood sugars, diet, radiation from traveling and the Tree of Life philosophy. With over 20 years of experience in the cleansing and meditation world, Gabriel is truly a wealth of knowledge and inspiration! See part 2 of the interview below:

Jennifer attended a 7-day fasting retreat in Yehiam, Northern Israel with Gabriel and Shanti Cousens for their Green Juice Cleanse. The Tree of Life offers fasting retreats in Israel every year. As part of the retreat, there are daily yoga classes, meditation sessions, group discussions, live music and so much more. It is an experience not to be missed!

Jennifer Thompson & Gabriel Cousens

Jennifer Thompson & Gabriel Cousens

 

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Hidden Sources of MSG on Food Labels: Video Guide

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Jennifer shows you how even so-called healthy and even organic foods can have hidden sources of MSG in them. MSG, or monosodium glutamate, is a flavor enhancer that adds a salty, savory flavor to foods. In Europe and Australia, they call these additive ‘E numbers’ and MSG is E621. If you have an intolerance to MSG, you can experience migraine headaches and insomnia.

All information in this article is for educational purposes only.
It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.

Some countries will list it as 621. But, did you know that food manufacturers can also legally ‘hide’ MSG in other ingredients, such as ‘yeast extract,’ ‘pea protein,’ ‘soy extract,’ ‘Vegetable Protein Extract,’ ‘Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP),’ ‘Autolyzed Yeast,’ ‘spices’ and even ‘natural flavorings’? If not, you need to see this video. Jennifer even finds MSG in a organic non-GMO chicken stock. Knowing the trickery in food labels can help you increase the quality of food you are buying instantaneously.

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New Year’s Resolution: Attract Love, Let Go of the Past

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Love is the first ingredient needed and perhaps the only ingredient necessary.

If we feel loved, we make the best choices for ourselves. We feel supported and safe. We feel beautiful. We become more healthy instantly!

Joy!

Anger and hatred are deadly emotions. You know for yourself how tense your body feels in a moment of rage. Now, think of the words forgiveness, grace and light. Feel how your body lifts. Are you ready to forgive and leave that pain behind, once and for all? Letting go creates such a clean, open space to bring in more love, which is most likely exactly what you want anyway!

A new year is a time for new beginnings and one of the best things about a new beginning is it creates an emotional clean slate. When you choose to only focus on the good and the love in your life, you naturally do not have room on your canvas for any negative energies. Remember, you are what you think! Your thoughts create your reality! This is what quantum physics and the law of attraction is all about.

For more info, I recommend Esther Hicks ‘Ask and It Is Given’ and Louise Hay ‘You Can Heal Your Life,’ available in both DVD and in book format.

Take a moment to feel that new clean space in your mind and in your heart. Feels great!

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New Year’s Resolution: Daily Meditation Practice

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We must eventually address healing on all levels of consciousness. There is no use in having just physical health. Even if we eat the perfect diet, we can still manifest dis-ease from holding on to negative thoughts, not forgiving and not letting go of anger, resentment, fear or pain. Meditation is a tool which helps us begin the process of clearing the mind and spirit and filling the heart with pure positive healing energy.

‘All healing starts in the mind.’

The importance of having a regular meditation practice in one’s healing journey is not to be underestimated.

Starting the day with a 20-minute meditation is a great idea for a New Year’s Resolution. For the beginner, a guided meditation is a good practice because it keeps one focused and attentive throughout the session. For the more experienced individual, it can be a useful tool to go deeper within oneself to the core of pure, positive energy, or simply, divine unconditional love.

    ‘As a man thinketh, so he becomes.’
    ‘As is above, so is below.’
    ‘The kingdom of heaven is within.’

Imagine that you can experience a feeling of total acceptance, happiness, bliss and love while enjoying the beauty of the present moment just from doing a regular daily meditation! As you clean the outside of your body with soaps and the inside of your body with healthy, clean food, so you can clean your spirit with a dedicated meditative practice focusing on love, gratitude and goals and intentions. Meditation is a natural anti-depressant and it’s free!

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Jennifer’s ‘Raw Foods for Success!’ Class in Philadelphia, PA

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October 2010 found Jennifer in the USA visiting family and friends…and also sharing her love of detox, live raw vegan foods, fasting, juice, green smoothies and love with the local people of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She presented a workshop called ‘Raw Foods for Success – Finally!’ at the Essene Market & Cafe in Philadelphia.

In the class, she discussed many things including the importance of mental, emotional and spiritual focus and clarity on one’s healing journey. Hope you enjoy the clips – finally! 🙂

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za56UkhrK8I[/youtube]

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Raw Food Classes and Restaurants in Los Angeles

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Los Angeles, California is the place for sun, beauty, beach, stars and fun….but did you also know it’s a great place to find raw food classes and eateries? On my recent trip to LA, I was amazed at the interest and enthusiasm over raw cuisine.

Raw Food Class

Raw Food Vegan Chef Blythe Metz is all over the LA scene offering FREE classes at various Whole Foods Markets – check out the Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Sherman Oaks locations for more details.

My friend and I joined the class one Saturday after yard-saling around LA, and we had so much fun! At the class, Blythe shows each recipe and then of course we get to taste the results 🙂

Our Raw Food Class featured:

Kale Salad and Kale Chips
Butternut Squash Soup (recipe below)
Raw Chili Chocolate Treats
Coconut Smoothie

Raw Cacao Treats

Eventually, we were ready for a proper meal. In the afternoon, we went to Juliano’s Raw Food restaurant in Santa Monica called Planet Raw. I recommend order several dishes and sharing – that way you get to enjoy even more! Planet Raw claims to be the only raw food vegan restaurant in Los Angeles which is also all organic. Maybe that explains the high prices 🙂 But it’s a treat and you’re worth it! My personal favorite was the Green Junkie Salad and the Mint Chocolate Shake for dessert – o.m.g. – it is so good!!!

There are plenty of other raw food eateries to explore in the LA area such as Leaf Organic, Mooi, Good Earth, Elf Cafe and Cru…and there seem to be more popping up all the time, and they need our business to stay in business…so let’s support the raw food vegan community – yeah!

Living Butternut Rosemary Soup Recipe

from Raw Food Class at WholeFoods in LA with Blythe Metz

2 young green coconuts – water and flesh
1 cup cubed fresh butternut squash
1 Tbsp. raw agave (or 4 dates)
½ inch fresh ginger
¼ tsp. whole cloves
dash sea salt (to taste)
dash cayenne pepper (to taste)

Can also add fresh rosemary, chives or nutmeg. Blend all ingredients.

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Raw Food Potluck Recipes

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Raw Food Yum!

A monthly gathering is a great excuse to try new raw food dishes. Having a network of support can help guide you on your healing journey.

Look for a Raw Food Potluck near you by searching online, checking out your local craigslist.org and by searching for notices at your neighborhood health food shop. And if there isn’t one, then create it! Tweet and facebook the info to your friends and watch your online health network grow too!

Recently I checked out 2 local Pot Lucks while in the USA: Arnold’s Way, a 100% raw food restaurant in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, and the Kinzer, Pennsylvania Raw Food Pot Luck, an amazing group of people including many of the local Amish!

Below are some of the raw food recipes from them!

Raw Food Recipes Galore

Pineapple Salsa

2 tomatoes
½ pineapple
1 mango
1 jalapeno pepper
fresh cilantro (coriander)
dash cayenne pepper (to taste)
Chop all ingredients. Enjoy!

“Tuna” Wrap

Kinzer, PA Raw Food Pot Luck

Kinzer, PA Raw Food Pot Luck

Ingredients for Tuna:
½ cup soaked sunflower seeds
¼ cup soaked almonds
2 Tbsp. water
1 ½ Tbs. celery
1 Tbsp. each minced onion, parsley or dill, lemon juice
Tamari (to taste)

Ingredients for Wrap:
2 Nori sheets or fresh lettuce leaves

Ingredients for Garnish:

Fresh sprouts
Thinly sliced peppers of choice
(For a real hardy meal you can also add zucchini hummus or dressing)

In either a blender or food processor: blend water, sunflower seeds and almonds, together so they are well mixed but still a bit course.
Add celery, parsley or dill, lemon, and tamari to the mix.
Then wrap in a delicious nori roll (or fresh lettuce leaf) with or without extras.

Pasta with Marina Sauce

Ingredients for Pasta:
3-4 zucchini or squash, spiralized or shredded using the Raw Food Slicer

Ingredients for Sauce:
2 ½ cups tomatoes and/or red bell pepper (capsicum)
9 sun-dried tomatoes, soaked and rinsed
3 large dates, soaked and rinsed
Fresh parsley, basil and oregano
1 tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. cayenne pepper

Raw Food Yum

Chia Banana Pudding

2 cups fresh almond milk
2 cups chia seeds
½ cup coconut flakes
2-3 bananas

Blend and pour into serving bowls. Chill before serving.

Donut Holes

1 cup almonds (soaked overnight & rinsed)
1 cup dried pineapple (with no added sugar)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup dates (soaked)
3 heaping Tbsp. dried coconut

Put almonds into food processor and blend. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Roll into balls and add additional coconut.

Raw Pumpkin Pie (from Alissa Cohen Cookbook)

Ingredients for Crust:
2 cups almonds
1/3 – ½ cup dates, pitted and soaked

Ingredients for Filling:
2 cups shredded pumpkin or butternut squash
1 cup dates
½ cup almonds (soaked) or sunflower seeds
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
½ tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼ cup water

To make Crust:
Add all crust ingredients and blend until smooth. Press down into pie plate.

For filling:
Blend until smooth and pour into pie crust. Chill before serving.

More Healthy Recipes:

Detox Your Body with Aluminum Free Deodorant

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Did you know…

As much as 1/3 of all personal care products contains at least one ingredient that has been classified as a possible human carcinogen!

What about that aluminum in your deodorant? Aluminum is a poisonous neurotoxin that accumulates in the body. The World Health Organization has linked exposure of aluminum to Alzheimer’s disease, with higher frequencies of deodorant use corresponding to higher risks of developing Alzheimer’s. Time to ditch that Mitchum and Secret Solid folks, once and for all!

Especially if you are a lymphatic constitution in Iridology, you should never be putting dangerous chemicals right next to your lymphatic glands! Talk about a toxic health danger!!

Do your body a favor and throw away your aluminum deodorant!!

Deonat Natural Mineral Spray

And don’t worry about finding an alternative that actually works…I have found one for you! The Deonat brand of Crystal Mineral Spray Deodorant is one of my top selling items in Samui, and it is now available to purchase online!

Deonat contains alum, which are natural mineral salts made up of molecules that are too large to be absorbed by your skin. They form a protective layer on your skin that inhibits the growth of odor-causing bacteria.

Keep in mind that with more detoxing, cleansing and raw, organic foods in the diet, you will find your body odor diminishing over time, and eventually you will not any deodorant at all – wow, real Healthy Bliss!

You can find a comparable brand to Deonat on iherb.com – called “Naturally Fresh Crystal Mineral Body Spray.”

What a great gift for yourself! And your loved ones too!

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Raw Food Diet for Detox and Cleansing – Success!

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Are you suffering from headaches, constipation, irregular periods, infertility, fatigue, heartburn, arthritis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or insomnia?

Did you every think that your ailment could be caused or related to the foods you are eating??

Raw Food is a Healing Diet

If de-vitalized, processed and chemically-altered foods can create dis-ease, then surely natural, whole and pure foods can reverse it.

Raw foods especially are excellent for cleansing the body and bringing it back to it’s natural state because they are full of natural enzymes, minerals, vitamins, fiber and chlorophyll – all the elements that the body needs to heal!

Mother Earth has given us everything we need.

Consider trying a raw food diet as a cleansing diet, even on a temporary basis. Even 1 month of 100% raw organic fresh fruits and vegetables can do wonders. With nothing to lose and so much to gain, I can’t see why everyone wouldn’t give it a try!

You can even consider taking a raw food holiday – book a 1-month retreat in a warm, tropical climate (hmm…think Thailand!), take a Raw Food Class (ummm…perhaps Jennifer?) and then get chopping and start creating your very own Raw Food Cleanse!

It’s all possible. All we need is you!

I now offer one-on-one Raw Food Coaching to support you through your Raw Food Journey. Contact me to get started today!

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Raw Food for Weight Loss – Before and After Pictures

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Can a Raw Food Diet be the answer?

A Raw Food Diet can be a wonderful diet to help people achieve weight loss. One of the main reasons why it works is because when you eat raw food, you naturally avoid the cooked food temptations that may lead you to over-eat. Raw food also digests very easily and allows the body to get back into balance at it’s own natural pace.

All information in this article is for educational purposes only.
It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.

Remember that it doesn’t have to be forever! You can use it as a tool to get to your ideal weight and slowly you can re-introduce cooked foods back into the diet. Eventually you may want to eat more raw foods anyway and that’s ok too! But so many people make the mistake of thinking this is an all-or-nothing now-and-forever type of decision and it doesn’t have to be that way!

Just consider that you may actually have a better chance of long-term success if you do a Raw Food Weight Loss Program rather than a full fasting program. You will also be high-boosting your mineral and vitamin reserve and therefore gaining inner strength, increasing immune function and also cleansing the cells, blood and tissues.

I was successful using a Raw Food Diet to lose weight and the best thing was that I ate as much as I wanted! I didn’t have to count calories or scale portions or weigh meals – in fact, I ate more than everyone else around me and I still lost weight! It’s true!!

Jennifer Cooked (Before) & Jennifer Raw (After)

One book that really helped me initially go all raw was The Sunfood Success Diet System by David Wolfe. Nowadays there are so many Raw Food Potlucks on craigslist.org and meetup.com. Imagine finding a new network of friends to help support and encourage you along the way!

It’s been 4 years since I started my raw food journey. I continue to feel better, more energetic, healthier and younger every day! And I have maintained my weight loss without ever feeling like I am on a limiting diet.

Jennifer Cooked (Before) & Jennifer Raw (After)

I now offer one-on-one Private Coaching for Raw Food Weight Loss. I can help you identify where you may be making mistakes and get you on a fast track to feeling good and looking great. There is nothing special about me, in fact, I am exactly like you! So, if I can do it, believe me, you can too!

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Raw Food for De-Stressing – The Natural Way!

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Top 5 Raw Food Superfoods or Herbal Supplements for De-Stressing:

Raw Cacao - Food of the Gods

Raw Cacao – High in magnesium, anandamide and tryptophan, the raw cacao bean is know to enhance one’s mood and induce a feeling of well-being and happiness. You can use it in powder form to add to a smoothie or try the raw cacao beans on their own.

Maca Powder – Maca is a root that comes from South America and has a taste like chicory, similar to coffee. But unlike coffee, it doesn’t contain caffeine. It is known to regulate the hypothalamus gland’s production of cortisol, the stress hormone. Maca is also well known to be a potent aphrodisiac…and for that alone can relieve stress!

Yerba Mate – This Superfood is brewed as a tea and is known to produce clarity of mind and provide smooth and sustained energy. It is a great healthier alternative to coffee. Improvement in mood, especially in cases of depression, often follows drinking this tea.

Kava Kava – Kava is a native to the Pacific Islands and is known to be the best natural plant for relieving anxiety (with the exception of opium). It has natural relaxing qualities as well as mood-elevating and pain-relieving effects. I personally use Kava Kava for long-haul flights; it gives me a nice happy feeling and is a much healthier alternative to alcohol!

Dark, Leafy Greens – Edible greens such as kale, spinach, bok choy and watercress can also help reduce stress. The natural green color in these foods helps to balance the heart chakra. Remember that natural color vibrations have a healing effect on the body too! Greens are also high in Vitamin C which is a natural anti-oxidant. Did you have your Green Smoothie today?

I now offer one-on-one Raw Food Coaching for Raw Food Success. Contact me today!

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Fluoride Free Healthy Toothpaste in China!

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For those of you living in or visiting China, keep your eye out for this brand of toothpaste – it is completely fluoride-free and a great alternative to normal commercially available toxic toothpaste.

My friends who are fluent in Chinese and very consciously aware gave me this toothpaste and I wanted to share it with you, because if you don’t speak or read Chinese, you would not have a clue as the entire package is in Chinese! Here is the safe toothpaste to buy:

Print this out & bring it to the shop with you!


The symbol on the left means 'No Fluoride' in Chinese


Look for the 'No Fluoride' symbol on your toothpaste!

Why is Fluoride – Free Toothpaste better for you?

Read this excerpt from Cleanse & Purify Thyself by Dr. Richard Anderson:

    ‘Sodium fluoride is a waste product from aluminum milling companies that has quietly and profitably been recycled into the bodies and brains of millions. The popular concept that sodium fluoride is good for teeth is fraudulent – a dangerous lie. It has now been proven that it does nothing to prevent tooth decay. It is calcium fluoride, not sodium fluoride which is good for the teeth.

    Do our government decision makers know this? Perhaps some are not fully informed, but it is the responsibility of lawmakers to know the facts before they legislate. Money and power, often, or in many cases, usually speak louder than conscience.

    Sodium fluoride actually increases tooth brittleness, likelihood of breakage, discoloration and periodontal bone loss. Sodium fluoride is a deadly poison that is used to kill rats by destroying the digestive system. Sodium fluoride is a deadly heavy metal and is even more poisonous than lead. Communist Russia put sodium fluoride in the drinking water system because it was thought to alter parts of the brain, which made people more open to suggestion.’

Next time you are in the supermarket, look at the label on the rat poison containers. You will see sodium fluoride!! So, can you understand how it would be a very good idea to use toothpaste containing NO sodium fluoride?

If you find more healthy natural fluoride-free toothpastes, add a comment to this post and we can all help to educate each other!

I now offer one-on-one Personalized Coaching to support you through your transition to a healthy, chemical-free life. Contact me to get started today!

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