Beginner’s Guide to Green Smoothies

When was the last time you ate a whole bunch of parsley or spinach in one day? Chances are you never have, yet leafy greens like these pack a powerful punch of nutrition. A great way to utilize the amazing power of green leafy vegetables is with a daily green smoothie.

Beginner’s Guide to Green Smoothies by Jennifer Thompson

I first started Green Smoothie after several months on the raw food diet, and right away, I felt a difference! My energy levels improved even more, and thanks to the added ground flax seed in the Green Smoothie, my bowel movements became even more, well…epic! I knew that this was something that everyone could do at home, even if they didn’t want to go into a strict raw food diet. So, I started telling my Iridology and Health Coaching Clients about Green Smoothies.

Just some of the amazing stories of success I heard: Symptoms of menopause – gone; Acid Reflux – gone; Sugar Cravings – gone; Colitis – gone; PMS – improved; Digestive disorders and constipation: gone; Skin conditions – cleared; Sleep function – improved; Arthritis – gone; and the list just goes on and on!

One of my clients from Switzerland got her 86-year mother hooked on Green Smoothies and saw her digestion function and energy levels improve. Another client canceled his knee replacement surgery after he realized that the chronic pain and inflammation in his knee had disappeared after starting to drink Green Smoothies. I heard from clients who lost weight finally, after years of yo-yo dieting. I even helped a client get pregnant after 8 years on IVF just from having a daily Green Smoothie…she calls her baby a “Green Smoothie miracle!”

What is a Green Smoothie?

A Green Smoothie is a mixture of water, leafy greens and fruits. The ingredients are thoroughly blended with water in a blender. It is important to note that a Green Smoothie is a blended drink and not a juice. A blender is used to break down the cellulose structure in the greens thereby unlocking their valuable nutrients.

Green Smoothies 101: Your FAQs Answered

Green Smoothies 101

Some of the questions people commonly ask when they first enter the world of green smoothies…
When greens are liquidised in a blender, do they lose nutrients?
To break down all the fiber and cellulose in green leaves, you would have to spend several hours a day chewing and have extremely healthy teeth. In a Green Smoothie, the blender does the chewing for you, blending all the greens into very small pieces. So, a Green Smoothie can actually provide more nutrition because it’s blended, not less.

Can I use powdered greens instead of fresh?
The real benefits and healing potential in Green Smoothies lie in the fresh leafy greens, due to their fiber, nutrients and live enzymes. Powdered greens (spirulina, wheatgrass powder, kelp, green powder blends, etc.) are great to add to your Green Smoothie for even more nutritional power, but don’t forget to use fresh greens too. During travel, powdered greens are a practical and easy way to enjoy Green Smoothies on the road.

Can I use ice or frozen fruit?
Energy is required to ‘warm up’ a frozen drink, and that energy takes away from the process of digestion and absorption. Using cold water is ok, because it’s not nearly as cold as ice.

Can I add yogurt or milk instead of water?
Dairy is mucous-forming to the body and can slow down the cleansing and absorption process. You can still enjoy dairy products in your normal daily diet if you choose, but try to keep the Green Smoothie dairy-free so it is easy for your body to digest.

Isn’t that too much fruit sugar?
If you are diabetic, and you find yourself already sensitive to fruit, then use low-glycemic index fruits, such as blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and green apples. If you are unsure in any way, it’s best to consult a medical doctor.

What is the best blender to use for Green Smoothies?
The best blender for Green Smoothies is one that you actually use! Many people think they need an expensive Vitamix or Blendtec blender in order to make Green Smoothies, and that’s simply not true.

A standard household blender is fine, as long as you add water and fruits first, blend, and then add the greens and blend again. That way, you won’t destroy the motor and you will get many delicious Green Smoothies from your blender!

Am I supposed to eat only Green Smoothies?
No! You can eat whatever you normally eat. All you need to do is simply add 1 Green Smoothie a day to your diet.

I eat meat. Will a Green Smoothie still work?
Yes! Green Smoothies will compliment any diet or lifestyle, whether you are a meat eater, vegetarian, vegan or raw food vegan. You do not have to give anything up.

Can children drink Green Smoothies?
Yes! In fact, children seem to really love Green Smoothies! It’s a fantastic breakfast for the entire family and a great start to a healthy day!

How to Make a Green Smoothie with Easy Recipes

Why Green Smoothies?

Primarily because of the health results.

Greens represent a convenient, essentially non-caloric, nutrient-dense source of otherwise hard to obtain minerals like magnesium, calcium, potassium and manganese.

When the body starts to get the nutrition it needs, it will naturally start to crave healthier foods, and that’s a great weight to jump-start eating the right foods for weight loss. Eating fiber in the diet is essential for proper elimination and good colon health.

Aim to drink about 500ml (about 17 ounces or 2 cups) of Green Smoothie per day.

How to Make a Green Smoothie

1. Blend 60% fruit to 40% greens in a blender.
2. Add water and/or high-water content fruits first.
3. Then add greens, blend again.
4. Blend different fruits and greens every day.
5. Try different combinations and find what tastes best to you!

What to Use for Greens

You can try kale, spinach, Romaine lettuce, bok choy, arugula, celery leaves, alfalfa, clover, parsley, mint, coriander (cilantro), dandelion, Collard greens, watercress, beet greens, or Swiss chard.

Avoid using more than 2 different greens at a time – this will ensure smooth, easy digestion and assimilation. It is important to use variety with your greens over a period of time, so try to buy something different each time you shop.

What to Use for Fruits

Enjoy apples, pears, bananas, oranges, papaya, pineapple, peaches, nectarines, grapes, strawberries blueberries or raspberries, depending on what you can find fresh and preferably in season. Watermelon tastes great in a smoothie. You can also use a few medjool dates just to add some sweet flavor.

Use 2-3 different fruits in your smoothie for a pleasant blend of flavors. Banana is delicious in smoothies because it adds a nice sweetness and thickness to the drink.

4 Green Smoothie Recipes

Digestive Power

– 1 Handful Fresh Watercress
– 1/2 bunch Parsley
– 2 cups Grapes
– 2 Red Apples
– Dash of Cinnamon
– 1/4 inch Fresh Ginger
– 1 T Raw Cacao Powder
– 1 T Coconut Oil
– 1 cup Water

Immune Booster

– 1 Handful Baby Spinach
– 1/2 bunch Fresh Mint
– 1 Apple
– 1 Banana
– 1 Lemon
– 1/2 inch Fresh Ginger
– 2 cups Water

Mega Omegas

– 6-7 Large Kale Leaves
– 1 Handful Celery Greens
– 3 Bananas
– 2 T Ground Flax Seed
– 1 T Whole Flax Seed
– 2 T Flax Oil
– 1 tsp. Agave Nectar, Raw Honey or Date Sugar
– 1/2 cup Water

Antioxidant Blend

– 2 Handfuls Romaine Lettuce
– 1 cup Red Grapes
– 1/2 cup Blueberries
– 2 T Goji Berries (soaked)
– 1 Pitted Date (Medjool if available)
– 1 tsp. Acai Powder
– 1/2 tsp. Spirulina Powder
– 1 cup Water

Directions

1. Carefully wash all greens and fruit.
2. In a blender, add the water, fruit and powders and blend until smooth.
3. Add the greens and blend again.
4. Drink and toast to your vibrant health!

Now on DVD: GREEN SMOOTHIE POWER!

Finally, Jennifer’s famous Green Smoothie Class is now available in DVD. Watch and learn…you will soon become a Green Smoothie Expert, ready to bless the world with your green love!

Find out for yourself why thousands of people are turning to Green Smoothies for more energy, better health, detox & weight loss! Are you not experiencing the level of energy and good health you desire? Green Smoothies could be your answer to start getting results. Jennifer’s NEW Green Smoothie Power DVD teaches you how!

here

With the DVD, you also receive 3 eBooks. Use the Quick Reference Guide eBook to get started immediately. Read the How to Make Green Smoothies eBook for inspiration and motivation. Experiment with 200 amazing recipes in the Green Smoothie Recipe eBook. You can be making your first Green Smoothie within minutes!

See how easy it is to add Superfoods to your Green Smoothies, and learn the real secret to Green Smoothie Success: How to Love Your Blender! Plus FREE EXTRAS included: 2 high-quality 100% Cotton Sprout Bags just for you!

BUY the Green Smoothie DVD and 3 eBook Kit:

Green Smoothie Power Kit

 

 

or buy the eBooks separately!

eBook: Green Smoothie Quick Start Guide

Quick Start Guide eBook

This is the condensed version of Jennifer’s famous Green Smoothie Class, complete with the most popular FAQs, benefits of Green Smoothies and how to make your Green Smoothie taste great!

Read what others had to say:

“My energy levels are much better and I don’t have cravings for sweets like before.” – Bill

“People started to comment on how well I look and my skin is so much better!” – Helen

“I feel focused!!” – Cathy

New and improved Edition!

BUY Green Smoothie Quick Start Guide eBook:

eBook: Green Smoothie Quick Start Guide (.pdf)

 

 

eBook: 200 Green Smoothie Recipes

200 Green Smoothie Recipes eBook

200 Green Smoothie Recipes are available in this great eBook. That’s 4 different Green Smoothies every week for an entire year!

Some of Jennifer’s Amazing Recipes:

Happy Morning, Daily Detox, Quick Cleanse, Fresh Start, Power Blaster, Digestive Balance, Liver Tonic, Instant Health, Basic Instinct, Champion Blend, Enzyme Energy, Pick Me Up, Mega Omegas, Full of Gratitude, Tweet-worthy, Natural Glow, De-Stresser, Simple Pleasure, Soul Food, Fast Tune-Up, Green Gaspacho, Protein Power, Green Kingdom, Antioxidant Blend, Divine Creation, Ab Fab, Super Dude and many more!

New and improved Edition!

BUY 200 Green Smoothie Recipes eBook:

eBook: 200 Green Smoothie Recipes (.pdf)

 

 

eBook: How to Make Green Smoothies

How to Make Green Smoothies eBook

Learn what the necessary tools are for healing and understand why you can’t get long-term results without adding more greens to the diet.

See why having greens in a raw and blended form is the superior way to get all the Power of the Greens.

Find out what kind of blender you need, the best combinations of greens, fruits and superfoods for your health and hear amazing success stories, including the reversal of grey hair from Green Smoothies!

New and improved edition!

Why wait any longer to start feeling better, looking great and losing weight?

BUY How to Make Green Smoothies eBook:

eBook: How to Make Green Smoothies (.pdf)

 

 

Article written be Jennifer Thompson for Awakenings ME Magazine.

Find out how to book an Iridology Session.

Buy Jennifer’s Green Smoothie DVD here.

Book a Personalized Detox with Jennifer today!

More on Green Smoothies:

Detox Juice Recipe

When’s the last time you made a delicious detox juice at home? Yes, it’s time to pull out that juicer and start using it! Each ingredient in this recipe is full of phytonutrients, and that means more health benefits for the body.

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.

Place All Ingredients in a Juicer for a Healthy Detox Drink!

Apples and carrot help to detox the liver. Carrots are also high in beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant. Grapes have been found to have strong anti-cancer properties due to the anti-inflammatory effect of resveratrol. Ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory food and helps strengthen digestion. Parsley helps to cleanse the kidneys and contains folic acid and chlorophyll which can help to regulate blood pressure. The most powerful detox ingredient in this juice is fennel, a simply amazing detox food. Fennel helps to cleanse the colon; it relieves constipation; it’s great for the immune system with its natural anti-parasitic, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties and it’s particularly known to be very alkaline-forming and that means excellent for an alkaline diet and as a natural antacid remedy. When the body heals from the inside-out, the skin clears naturally too! If at all possible, choose organic for your juice ingredients.

A Juice has NO fiber and in made in a Juicer.

What’s the difference between a juicer and a blender? A juicer separates the fiber from the liquid, and you drink only the juice. A blender blends all ingredients together and you drink the fiber and the liquid, called a “smoothie.” This recipe is for a juice, but if you don’t have a juicer, you can certainly mix all the ingredients in a blender and make a nice detox Green Smoothie too! Juice is easy to digest and absorb and is particularly good to high-boost your mineral, vitamin and micro-nutrient reserve.

How To Make a Detox Juice

Place all Ingredients in a Juicer and Juice. Makes 1 Serving.
Detox Juice Recipe:

– 2 Green Apples
– 4 Small Carrots OR 1 Large Carrot
– 2 Cups of Grapes
– 1/2 inch slice of Fresh Ginger
– 1 Handful of Fresh Parsley
– 1 Cup of Fresh Chopped Fennel

Drink Immediately. You can also add 1-2 Tbsp. of Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, stir well and drink.

Use Variety in Your Juices. Make Different Variations!

This is a great juice recipe, all vegan, vegetarian and of course a raw food, but it complements any diet. You can make variations of this recipe by using cucumber instead of carrot or celery instead of apple or kale instead of parsley. Don’t be afraid to try different combinations! More fresh juice packed with fruits and vegetables is always a good thing!

Drink once a day or 3-4 times per week for preventative maintenance. Add to your juice fasting routine. Share with any family and friends who are sick to help them recover more quickly. As Hippocrates (the Father of Modern Medicine) said, “Let Your Food be Thy Medicine and Thy Medicine be Thy Food.”

If you're ready for juicing, this is the juicer for you!

If you’re ready for juicing, this is the juicer for you!

More on Juicing and Smoothies:

Earliest Raw Food and Fasting Book: The Ancient Essene Gospel of the Peace

Book 1 of The Essene Gospel of the Peace is quite possibly the earliest book we have on the teachings of fasting and raw food living, reportedly written in the words of Jesus himself. Jesus taught people how to water fast and eat raw food? How can that be? It was in 1928 that Edmond Bordeaux Szekely first published his translation of Book One of The Essene Gospel of Peace, an ancient manuscript that was found in the Secret Archives of the Vatican. If you’ve never seen or heard of this before, you should definitely have a read. I’ve included the text on fasting and raw food below.

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.

The Essene Gospel of the Peace, an ancient text on Fasting and Raw Food

Actually the whole idea of raw food and fasting is not so outlandish. We do know that Jesus fasted for 40 days, so it would make sense that he talked about it. As for the raw food bit, it’s highly likely that this information could have been withheld due to the confusion it creates for all of Christianity. This text is very controversial in the Christian world for many reasons, but mainly because it offers the idea of 2 Gods: a Heavenly Father and an Earthy Mother. That’s a major monkey wrench to contend with when you supposedly only have a “one man” (or a “father and son”) business. As you read through the text, you will see that the teachings offers raw milk “not heated higher than the sun” as an acceptable food for Man. That means technically, if you follow this Gospel, you would not have to be a vegan or vegetarian, and you would be permitted to drink raw milk. It’s an interesting observation.

I’ve seen certain raw food experts try to debunk this ancient text, and I recognized immediately that if someone were a Christian, they might try very hard to reject this as a Gospel and look for ways to negate the truths. It’s important to try to be as impartial as possible when looking at a historical text, and sometimes that may not be easy. I certainly respect and honor everyone’s religious beliefs and I have immense compassion for the sensitivity of this issue.

Whether or not this Gospel is real or valid or correct is something that I personally cannot answer. But, I think it is fascinating. And it offers amazing teachings and insights about fasting and raw food. I read this small book about 60 times during my own 40-Day Water Fast and I can honestly say that it was the best and most accurate guide I had to stay focused and hold my trust and faith during the process of long water fasting. I believed everything that was written, and I felt very strongly that this book is much more valuable for our physical and spiritual journey than we can ever imagine.

Essene Gospel of the Peace

The following excerpt is from Book One of The Essene Gospel of Peace, translated by Edmond Bordeaux Szekely (copyright 1981):

Jesus said “I tell you in very truth, Man is the Son of the Earthly Mother, and from her did the Son of Man receive his whole body, even as the body of the newborn babe is born of the womb of his mother. I tell you truly, you are one with the Earthly Mother; she is in you, and you in her. Of her were you born, in her do you live, and to her shall you return again. Keep, therefore, her laws, for none can live long, neither be happy, but he who honors his Earthly Mother and does her laws. For your breath is her breath; your blood her blood; your bone her bone; your flesh her flesh; your bowels her bowels; your eyes and your ears are her eyes and her ears.

“I tell you truly, should you fail to keep but one only of all these laws, should you harm but one only of all your body’s members, you shall be utterly lost in your grievous sickness, and there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. I tell you, unless you follow the laws of your Mother, you can in no wise escape death. And he who clings to the laws of his Mother, to him shall his Mother cling also. She shall heal all his plagues, and he shall never become sick. She gives him long life, and protects him from all afflictions; from fire, from water, from the bite of venomous serpents. For your Mother bore you, keeps life within you. She has given you her body, and none but she heals you. Happy is he who loves his Mother and lies quietly in her bosom. For your Mother loves you, even when you turn away from her. And how much more shall she love you, if you turn to her again? I tell you truly, very great is her love, greater than the greatest of mountains, deeper than the deepest seas. And those who love their Mother, she never deserts them. As the hen protects her chickens, as the lioness her cubs, as the mother her newborn babe, so does the Earthly Mother protect the Son of Man from all danger and from all evils.

“For I tell you truly, evils and dangers innumerable lie in wait for the Sons of Men. Beelzebub, the prince of all devils, the source of every evil, lies in wait in the body of all the Sons of Men. He is death, the lord of every plague, and taking upon him a pleasing raiment, he tempts and entices the Sons of Men. Riches does he promise, and power, and splendid palaces, and garments of gold and silver, and a multitude of servants, all these; he promises renown and glory, fornication and lustfulness, gluttony and wine-bibbing, riotous living, and slothfulness and idle days. And he entices every one by that to which their heart is most inclined. And in the day that the Sons of Men have already become the slaves of all these vanities and abominations, then in payment thereof he snatches from the Sons of Men all those things which the Earthly Mother gave them so abundantly. He takes from them their breath, their blood, their bone, their flesh, their bowels, their eyes and their ears. And the breath of the Son of Man becomes short and stifled, full of pain and evil-smelling, like the breath of unclean beasts. And his blood becomes thick and evil-smelling, like the water of the swamps; it clots and blackens, like the night of death. And his bone becomes hard and knotted; it melts away within and breaks asunder, as a stone falling down upon a rock. And his flesh waxes fat and watery; it rots and putrefies, with scabs and boils that are an abomination.

And his bowels become full with abominable filthiness, with oozing streams of decay; and multitudes of abominable worms have their habitation there. And his eyes grow dim, till dark night enshrouds them, and his ears become stopped, like the silence of the grave. And last of all shall the erring Son of Man lose life. For he kept not the laws of his Mother, and added sin to sin. Therefore, are taken from him all the gifts of the Earthly Mother: breath, blood, bone, flesh, bowels, eyes and ears, and after all else, life, with which the Earthly Mother crowned his body.

But if the erring Son of Man be sorry for his sins and undo them, and return again to his Earthly Mother; and if he do his Earthly Mother’s laws and free himself from Satan’s clutches, resisting his temptations, then does the Earthly Mother receive again her erring Son with love and sends him her angels that they may serve him. I tell you truly, when the Son of Man resists the Satan that dwells in him and does not his will, in the same hour are found the Mother’s angels there, that they may serve him with all their power and free utterly the Son of Man from the power of Satan.

“For no man can serve two masters. For either he serves Beelzebub and his devils or else he serves our Earthly Mother and her angels. Either he serves death or he serves life. I ten you truly, happy are those that do the laws of life and wander not upon the paths of death. For in them the forces of life wax strong and they escape the plagues of death.”

And all those round about him listened to his words with amazement, for his word was with power, and he taught quite otherwise than the priests and scribes.

And though the sun was now set, they departed not to their homes. They sat round about Jesus and asked him: “Master, which are these laws of life? Rest with us awhile longer and teach us. We would listen to your teaching that we may be healed and become righteous.”

And Jesus himself sat down in their midst and said: “I tell you truly, none can be happy, except he do the Law.”

Renew yourselves and fast. For I tell you truly, that Satan and his plagues may only be cast out by -fasting and by prayer. Go by yourself and fast alone, and show your fasting to no man. The living God shall see it and great shall be your reward. And fast till Beelzebub and all his evils depart from you, and all the angels of our Earthly Mother come and serve you. For I tell you truly, except you fast, you shall never be freed from the power of Satan and from all diseases that come from Satan. Fast and pray fervently, seeking the power of the living God for your healing. While you fast, eschew the Sons of Men and seek our Earthly Mother’s angels, for he that seeks shall find.

Seek the fresh air of the forest and of the fields, and there in the midst of them shall you find the angel of air. Put off your shoes and your clothing and suffer the angel of air to embrace all your body. Then breathe long and deeply, that the angel of air may be brought within you. I tell you truly, the angel of air shall cast out of your body all uncleannesses which defiled it without and within. And thus shall all evil-smelling and unclean things rise out of you, as the smoke of fire curls upwards and is lost in the sea of the air. For I tell you truly, holy is the angel of air, who cleanses all that is unclean and makes all evil-smelling things of a sweet odor. No man may come before the face of God, whom the angel of air lets not pass. Truly, all must be born again by air and by truth, for your body breathes the air of the Earthly Mother, and your spirit breathes the truth of the Heavenly Father.

“After the angel of air, seek the angel of water. Put off your shoes and your clothing and suffer the angel of water to embrace all your body. Cast yourselves wholly into his enfolding arms, and as often as you move the air with your breath, move with your body the water also. I tell you truly, the angel of water shall cast out of your body all uncleannesses which defiled it without and within. And all unclean and evil-smelling things shall flow out of you, even as the uncleannesses of garments washed in water flow away and are lost in the stream of the river. I tell you truly, holy is the angel of water who cleanses all that is unclean and makes all evil-smelling things of a sweet odor. No man may come before the face of God whom the angel of water lets not pass. in very truth, all must be born again of water and of truth, for your body bathes in the river of earthly life, and your spirit bathes in the river of life everlasting. For you receive your blood from our Earthly Mother and the truth from our Heavenly Father.

“Think not that it is sufficient that the angel of water embrace you outwards only. I tell you truly, the uncleanness within is greater by much than the uncleanness without. And he who cleanses himself without, but within remains unclean, is like to tombs that outwards are painted fair, but are within full of all manner of horrible uncleannesses and abominations. So I tell you truly, suffer the angel of water to baptize you also within, that you may become free from all your past sins, and that within likewise you may become as pure as the river’s foam sporting in the sunlight.

Seek, therefore, a large trailing gourd, having a stalk the length of a man; take out its inwards and fill it with water from the river which the sun has warmed. Hang it upon the branch of a tree, and kneel upon the ground before the angel of water, and suffer the end of the stalk of the trailing gourd to enter your hinder parts, that the water may flow through all your bowels. Afterwards rest kneeling on the ground before the angel of water and pray to the living God that he will forgive you all your past sins, and pray the angel of water that he will free your body from every uncleanness and disease. Then let the water run out from your body, that it may carry away from within it all the unclean and evil-smelling things of Satan. And you shall see with your eyes and smell with your nose all the abominations, and uncleannesses which defiled the temple of your body; even all the sins which abode in your body, tormenting you with all manner of pains. I tell you truly, baptism with water frees you from all of these. Renew your baptizing with water on every day of your fast, till the day when you see that the water which flows out of you is as pure as the river’s foam. Then betake your body to the coursing river, and there in the arms of the angel of water render thanks to the living God that he has freed you from your sins. And this holy baptizing by the angel of water is: Rebirth unto the new life. For your eyes shall henceforth see, and your ears shall hear. Sin no more, therefore, after your baptism, that the angels of air and of water may eternally abide in you and serve you evermore.

“And if afterward there remain within you aught of your past sins and uncleannesses, seek the angel of sunlight. Put off your shoes and your clothing and suffer the angel of sunlight to embrace all your body. Then breathe long and deeply, that the angel of sunlight may be brought within you. And the angel of sunlight shall cast out of your body all evil-smelling and unclean things which defiled it without and within. And all unclean and evil-smelling things shall rise from you, even as the darkness of night fades before the brightness of the rising sun. For I tell you truly, holy is the angel of sunlight who cleans out all uncleannesses and makes all evil-smelling things of a sweet odor. None may come before the face of God, whom the angel of sunlight lets not pass. Truly, all must be born again of sun and of truth, for your body basks in the sunlight of the Earthly Mother, and your spirit basks in the sunlight of the truth of the Heavenly Father.

“The angels of air and of water and of sunlight are brethren. They were given to the Son of Man that they might serve him, and that he might go always from one to the other.

“Holy, likewise, is their embrace. They are indivisible children of the Earthly Mother, so do not you put asunder those whom earth and heaven have made one. Let these three brother angels enfold you every day and let them abide with you through all your fasting.

“For I tell you truly, the power of devils, all sins and uncleannesses shall depart in haste from that body which is embraced by these three angels. As thieves flee from a deserted house at the coming of the lord of the house, one by the door, one by the window, and the third by the roof, each where he is found, and whither he is able, even so shall flee from your bodies all devils of evil, all past sins, and all uncleannesses and diseases which defiled the temple of your bodies. When the Earthly Mother’s angels enter into your bodies, in such wise that the lords of the temple repossess it again, then shall all evil smells depart in haste by your breath and by your skin, corrupt waters by your mouth and by your skin, by your hinder and your privy parts. And all these things you shall see with your eyes and smell with your nose and touch with your hands. And when all sins and uncleannesses are gone from your body, your blood shall become as pure as our Earthly Mother’s blood and as the river’s foam sporting in the sunlight. And your breath shall become as pure as the breath of odorous flowers; your flesh as pure as the flesh of fruits reddening upon the leaves of trees; the light of your eye as clear and bright as the brightness of the sun shining upon the blue sky. And now shall all the angels of the Earthly Mother serve you. And your breath, your blood, your flesh shall be one with the breath, the blood and the flesh of the Earthly Mother, that your spirit also may become one with the spirit of your Heavenly Father. For truly, no one can reach the Heavenly Father unless through the Earthly Mother.

“I say to you, Sons of Man: Honor your Earthly Mother and keep all her laws, that your days may be long on this earth, and honor your Heavenly Father that Eternal Life may be yours in the heavens. For the Heavenly Father is a hundred times greater than all fathers by seed and by blood, and greater is the Earthly Mother than all mothers by the body. And dearer is the Son of Man in the eyes of his Heavenly Father and of his Earthly Mother than are children in the eyes of their fathers by seed and by blood and of their mothers by the body. And more wise are the words and laws of your Heavenly Father and of your Earthly Mother than the words and the will of all fathers by seed and by blood, and of all mothers by the body. And of more worth also is the inheritance of your Heavenly Father and of your Earthly Mother, the everlasting kingdom of earthly and heavenly life, than all the inheritances of your fathers by seed and by blood, and of your mothers by the body.

“And your true brothers are all those who do the will of your Heavenly Father and of your Earthly Mother, and not your brothers by blood. I tell you truly, that your true brothers in the will of the Heavenly Father and of the Earthly Mother will love you a thousand times more than your brothers by blood. For since the days of Cain and Abel, when brothers by blood transgressed the will of God, there is no true brotherhood by blood. And brothers do unto brothers as do strangers. Therefore, I say to you, love your true brothers in the will of God a thousand times more than your brothers by blood.

For Your Heavenly Father is Love.
For Your Earthly Mother is Love.
For the Son of Man is Love.

And many unclean and sick followed Jesus’ words and sought the banks of the murmuring streams. They put off their shoes and their clothing, they fasted, and they gave up their bodies to the angels of air, of water, and of sunshine. And the Earthly Mother’s angels embraced them, possessing their bodies both inwards and outwards. And all of them saw all evils, sins and uncleannesses depart in haste from them.

And the breath of some became as stinking as that which is loosed from the bowels, and some had an issue of spittle, and evil-smelling and unclean vomit rose from their inward parts. All these uncleannesses flowed by their mouths. In some, by the nose, in others by the eyes and ears. And many did have a noisome and abominable sweat come from all their body, over all their skin. And on many limbs great hot boils broke forth, from which carne out uncleannesses with an evil smell, and urine flowed abundantly from their body; and in many their urine was all but dried up and became thick as the honey of bees; that of others was almost red or black, and as hard almost as the sand of rivers. And many belched stinking gases from their bowels, like the breath of devils. And their stench became so great that none could bear it.

And when they baptized themselves, the angel of water entered their bodies, and from them flowed out all the abominations and uncleannesses of their past sins, and like a falling mountain stream gushed from their bodies a multitude of hard and soft abominations. And the ground where their waters flowed was polluted, and so great became the stench that none could remain there. And the devils left their bowels in the shape of multitudinous worms which writhed in impotent rage after the angel of water had cast them out of the bowels of the Sons of Men. And then descended upon them the power of the angel of sunshine, and they perished there in their desperate writhings, trod underfoot by the angel of sunshine. And all were trembling with terror when they looked upon all these abominations of Satan, from which the angels had saved them. And they rendered thanks to God who had sent his angels for their deliverance.

And there were some whom great pains tormented, which would not depart from them; and knowing not what they should do, they resolved to send one of them to Jesus, for they greatly wished he should be with them.

And when two were gone to seek him, they saw Jesus himself approaching by the bank of the river. And their hearts were filled with hope and joy when they heard his greeting, “Peace be with you.” And many were the questions that they desired to ask him, but in their astonishment they could not begin, for nothing came into their minds. Then said Jesus to them: “I come because you need me.” And one cried out: “Master, we do indeed, come and free us from our pains.”

Then Jesus turned to the sick folk and said: “I tell you truly, great and many are your sins. Many years have you yielded to the enticings of Satan. You have been gluttonous, wine-bibbers and gone a-whoring, and your past debts have multiplied. And now you must repay them, and payment is difficult and hard. Be not, therefore, already impatient after the third day, like the prodigal son, but wait patiently for the seventh day which is sanctified by God, and then go with humble and obedient heart before the face of your Heavenly Father, that he may forgive you your sins and all your past debts. I tell you truly, your Heavenly Father loves you without end, for he also allows you to pay in seven days the debts of seven years. Those that owe the sins and diseases of seven years, but pay honestly and persevere till the seventh day, to them shall our Heavenly Father forgive the debts of all these seven years.

“If we sin for seven times seven years?” asked a sick man who suffered horribly. “Even in that case the Heavenly Father forgives you all your debts in seven times seven days.

“If you repent of your sins, and by fasting and prayer you seek the angels of God, then each day that you continue to fast and to pray, God’s angels blot out one year of your evil deeds from the book of your body and your spirit. And when the last page is also blotted out and cleansed from all your sins, you stand before the face of God, and God rejoices in his heart and forgets all your sins. He frees you from the clutches of Satan and from suffering; he takes you within his house and commands that all his servants, all his angels serve you. Long life does he give you, and you shall never see disease. And if, thenceforward, instead of sinning, you pass your days in doing good deeds, then the angels of God shall write all your good deeds in the book of your body and of your spirit. I tell you truly, no good deed remains unwritten before God, not from the beginning of the world. For from your kings and your governors you may wait in vain for your reward, but never do your good deeds want their reward from God.

“And when you come before the face of God, his angels bear witness for you with your good deeds. And God sees your good deeds written in your bodies and in your spirits, and rejoices in his heart. He blesses your body and your spirit and all your deeds, and gives you for a heritage his earthly and heavenly kingdom, that in it you may have life everlasting. Happy is he who can enter into the kingdom of God, for he shall never see death.”

And a great silence fell at his words. And those that were discouraged took new strength from his words and continued to fast and to pray. And he who had spoken the first, said to him: “I will persevere to the seventh day.” And the second, likewise, said to him: “I also will persevere to the seven times seventh day.”

Jesus answered them: “Happy are those that persevere to the end, for they shall inherit the earth.”

And there were many sick among them tormented with grievous pains, and they hardly crawled to Jesus’ feet. For they could no longer walk upon their feet. They said: “Master, we are grievously tormented with pain; tell us what we shall do.” And they showed Jesus their feet in which the bones were twisted and knotted and said: “Neither the angel of air, nor of water, nor of sunshine has assuaged our pains, notwithstanding that we baptized ourselves, and do fast and pray, and follow your words in all things.”

“I tell you truly, your bones will be healed. Be not discouraged, but seek for cure nigh the healer of bones, the angel of earth. For thence were your bones taken, and thither will they return.”

And he pointed with his hand to where the running of the water and the sun’s heat had softened to clayey mud the earth by the edge of the water. “Sink your feet in the mire, that the embrace of the angel of earth may draw out from your bones all uncleanness and all disease. And you will see Satan and your pains fly from the embrace of the angel of earth. And the knots of your bones will vanish away, and they will be straightened, and all your pains will disappear.”

And the sick followed his words, for they knew that they would be healed.

Then Jesus went to them and said: “By your fasting and your prayer, you have called back the lord of your body and his angels. And now Satan sees that the true lord of your body returns, and that it is the end of his power. Wherefore, in his wrath he gathers his strength once again, that he may destroy your bodies before the coming of the lord. It is for this that Satan torments you so grievously, for he feels that the end is come. But let not your hearts tremble, for soon will the angels of God appear, to occupy again their abodes and rededicate them as temples of God. And they will seize Satan and cast himn from your bodies with all his diseases and all his uncleannesses. And happy will you be, for you will receive the reward of your steadfastness, and you will never see disease.”

And Jesus departed, saying: “I will come again to all who persist in prayer and fasting until the seventh day. Peace be with you.”

And it was by the bed of a stream, many sick fasted and prayed with God’s angels for seven days and seven nights. And great was their reward, because they followed Jesus’ words. And with the passing of the seventh day, all their pains left them. And when the sun rose over the earth’s rim they saw Jesus coming towards them from the mountain, with the brightness of the rising sun about his head.

Peace be with you.

And they said no word at all, but only cast themselves down before him, and touched the hem of his garment in token of their healing.

Give thanks not to me, but to your Earthly Mother, who sent you her healing angels. Go, and sin no more, that you may never again see disease. And let the healing angels become your guardians.”

But they answered him: “Whither should we go, Master, for with you are the words of eternal life? Tell us, what are the sins which we must shun, that we may nevermore see disease?”

Jesus answered: “Be it so according to your faith,” and he sat down among them, saying:

“It was said to them of old time, ‘Honor thy Heavenly Father and thy Earthly Mother, and do their commandments, that thy days may be long upon the earth.’ And next afterward was given this commandment, ‘Thou shalt not kill,’ for life is given to all by God, and that which God has given, let not man take away. For-I tell you truly, from one Mother proceeds all that lives upon the earth. Therefore, he who kills, kills his brother. And from him will the Earthly Mother turn away, and will pluck from him her quickening breasts. And he will be shunned by her angels, and Satan will have his dwelling in his body. And the flesh of slain beasts in his body will become his own tomb. For I tell you truly, he who kills, kills himself, and whoso eats the flesh of slain beasts, eats of the body of death. For in his blood every drop of their blood turns to poison; in his breath their breath to stink; in his flesh their flesh to boils; in his bones their bones to chalk; in his bowels their bowels t o decay; in his eyes their eyes to scales; in his ears their ears to waxy issue. And their death will become his death. For only in the service of your Heavenly Father are your debts of seven years forgiven in seven clays. But Satan forgives you nothing and you must pay him for all. ‘Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot; burning for burning, wound for wound; life for life, death for death.’ For the wages of sin is death. Kill not, neither eat the flesh of your innocent prey, lest you become the slaves of Satan. For that is the path of sufferings, and it leads unto death. But do the will of God, that his angels may serve you on the way of life. Obey, therefore, the words of God: ‘Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth upon th e earth, wherein there is breath of life, I give every green herb for meat. Also the milk of every thing that moveth and liveth upon earth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given unto them, so I give their milk unto you. But flesh, and the blood which quickens it, shall ye not eat. And, surely, your spurting blood will I require, your blood wherein is your soul; I will require all slain beasts, and the souls of all slain men. For I the Lord thy God am a God strong and jealous, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands -of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength: this is the first and greatest commandment.’ And the second is like unto it: ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself’ There is none other commandment greater than these.”

And after these words they all remained silent, save one, who called out: “What am I to do, Master, if I see a wild beast rend my brother in the forest? Shall I let my brother perish, or kill the wild beast? Shall not I thus transgress the law?”

And Jesus answered: “It was said to them of old time: “All beasts that move upon the earth, all the fish of the sea, and all the fowl of the air are given into thy power.” I tell you truly, of all creatures living upon the earth, God created only man after his image. Wherefore beasts are for man, and not man for beasts. You do not, therefore, transgress the law if you kill the wild beast to save your brother’s life. For I tell you truly, man is more than the beast. But he who kills the beast without a cause, though the beast attack him not, through lust for slaughter, or for its flesh, or for its hide, or yet for its tusks, evil is the deed which he does, for he is turned into a wild beast himself. Wherefore is his end also as the end of the wild beasts.

Then another said: “Moses, the greatest in Israel, suffered our forefathers to eat the flesh of clean beasts, and forbade only the flesh of unclean beasts. Why, therefore, do you forbid us the flesh of all beasts? Which law comes from God? That of Moses, or your law?

And Jesus answered: “God gave, by Moses, ten commandments to your forefathers. ‘These commandments are hard,’ said your forefathers, and they could not keep them. When Moses saw this, he had compassion on his people, and would not that they perish. And then he gave them ten times ten commandments. For he whose feet are strong as the mountain of Zion, needs no crutches; but he whose limbs do shake, gets further having crutches, than without them. And Moses said to the Lord: ‘My heart is filled with sorrow, for my people will be lost. For they are without knowledge, and are not able to understand thy commandments. They are as little children who cannot yet understand their father’s words. Suffer, Lord, that I give them other laws, that they may not perish. if they may not be with thee, Lord, let them not be against thee; that they may sustain themselves, and when the time has come, and they are ripe for thy words, reveal to hem thy laws.‘ For that did Moses break the two tablets of stone whereon were written the ten commandments, and he gave them ten times ten in their stead. And of these ten times ten the Scribes and Pharisees have made a hundred times ten commandments. And they have laid unbearable burdens on your shoulders, that they themselves do not carry. For the more nigh are the commandments to God, the less do we need; and the farther they are from God, then the more do we need. Wherefore are the laws of the Pharisees and Scribes innumerable; the laws of the Son of Man seven; of the angels three; and of God one.

“Therefore, I teach you only those laws which you can understand, that you may become men, and follow the seven laws of the Son of Man. Then will the unknown angels of the Heavenly Father also reveal their laws to you, that God’s holy spirit may descend upon you, and lead you to his law.”

And all were astonished at his wisdom, and asked him: “Continue, Master, and teach us all the laws which we can receive.”

And Jesus continued: “God commanded your forefathers: ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ But their heart was hardened and they killed. Then Moses desired that at least they should not kill men, and he suffered them to kill beasts. And then the heart of your forefathers was hardened yet more, and they killed men and beasts likewise. But I do say to you: Kill neither men, nor beasts, nor yet the food which goes into your mouth. For if you eat living food, the same will quicken you, but if you kill your food, the dead food will kill you also. For life comes only from life, and from death comes always death. For everything which kills your foods, kills your bodies also. And everything which kills your bodies kills your souls also. And your bodies become what your foods are, even as your spirits, likewise, become what your thoughts are. Therefore, eat not anything which fire, or frost, or water has destroyed. For burned, frozen and rotted foods will burn, freeze and rot your body also. Be not like the foolish husbandman who sowed in his ground cooked, and frozen, and rotten seeds. And the autumn came, and his fields bore nothing. And great was his distress. But be like that husbandman who sowed in his field living seed, and whose field bore living ears of wheat, paying a hundredfold for the seeds which he planted. For I tell you truly, live only by the fire of life, and prepare not your foods with the fire of death, which kills your foods, your bodies and your souls also.”

“Master, where is the fire of life?” asked some of them.

“In you, in your blood, and in your bodies.”

“And the fire of death?” asked others.

“It is the fire which blazes outside your body, which is hotter than your blood. With that fire of death you cook your foods in your homes and in your fields. I tell you truly, it is the same fire which destroys your foods and your bodies, even as the fire of malice, which ravages your thoughts, ravages your spirits. For your body is that which you eat, and your spirit is that which you think. Eat nothing, therefore, which a stronger fire than the fire of life has killed. Wherefore, prepare and eat all fruits of trees, and all grasses of the fields, and all milk of beasts good for eating. For all these are fed and ripened by the fire of life; all are the gift of the angels of our Earthly Mother. But eat nothing to which only the fire of death gives savor, for such is of Satan.”

“How should we cook our daily bread without fire, Master?” asked some with great astonishment.

“Let the angels of God prepare your bread. Moisten your of death gives savor, for such is of Satan.”

How should we cook our daily bread without fire, Master?” asked some with great astonishment.

Let the angels of God prepare your bread. Moisten your wheat, that the angel of water may enter it. Then set it in the air, that the angel of air also may embrace it. And leave it from morning to evening beneath the sun, that the angel of sunshine may descend upon it. And the blessing of the three angels will soon make the germ of life to sprout in your wheat. Then crush your grain, and make thin wafers, as did your forefathers when they departed out of Egypt, the house of bondage. Put them back again beneath the sun from its appearing, and when it is risen to its highest in the heavens, turn them over on the other side that they be embraced there also by the angel of sunshine, and leave them there until the sun be set. For the angels of water, of air, and of sunshine fed and ripened the wheat in the field, and they, likewise, must prepare also your bread. And the same sun which, with the fire of life, made the wheat to grow and ripen, must cook your bread with the same fire. For the fire of the sun gives life to the wheat, to the bread, and to the body. But the fire of death kills the wheat, the bread, and the body. And the living angels of the living God serve only living men. For God is the God of the living, and not the God of the dead.

“So eat always from the table of God: the fruits of the trees, the grain and grasses of the field, the milk of beasts, and the honey of bees. For everything beyond these is of Satan, and leads by the way of sins and of diseases unto death. But the foods which you eat from the abundant table of God give strength and youth to your body, and you will never see diseases For the table of God fed Methuselah of old, and I tell you truly, if you live even as he lived, then will the God of the living give you also long life upon the earth as was his.

“For I tell you truly, the God of the living is richer than all the rich of the earth, and his abundant table is richer than the richest table of feasting of all the rich upon the earth. Eat, therefore, all your life at the table of our Earthly Mother, and you will never see want. And when you eat at her table, eat all things even as they are found on the table of the Earthly Mother. Cook not, neither mix all things one with another, lest your bowels become as steaming bogs. For I tell you truly, this is abominable in the eyes of the Lord.

“And be not like the greedy servant, who always ate up, at the table of his lord, the portions of others. And he devoured everything himself, and mixed all together in his gluttony. And seeing that, his lord was wroth with him, and drove him from the table. And when all had ended their meal, he mixed together all that remained upon the table, and called the greedy servant to him, and said: ‘Take and eat all this with the swine, for your place is with them, and not at my table.’

“Take heed, therefore, and defile not with all kinds of abominations the temple of your bodies. Be content with two or three sorts of food, which you will find always upon the table of our Earthly Mother. And desire not to devour all things which you see around you. For I tell you truly, if you mix together all sorts of food in your body, then the peace of your body will cease, and endless war will rage in you. And it will be blotted out even as homes and kingdoms divided against themselves work their own destruction. For your God is the God of peace, and does never help division. Arouse not, therefore, against you the wrath of God, lest he drive you from his table, and lest you be compelled to go to the table of Satan, where the fire of sins, diseases, and death will corrupt your body.

“And when you eat, never eat unto fullness. Flee the temptations of Satan, and listen to the voice of God’s angels. For Satan and his power tempt you always to eat more and more. But live by the spirit, and resist the desires of the body. And your fasting is always pleasing in the eyes of the angels of God. So give heed to how much you have eaten when your body is sated, and always eat less by a third.

“Let the weight of your daily food be not less than a mina, but mark that it go not beyond two. Then will the angels of God serve you always, and you will never fall into the bondage of Satan and of his diseases. Trouble not the work of the angels in your body by eating often. For I tell you truly, he who eats more than twice in the clay does in him the work of Satan. And the angels of God leave his body, and soon Satan will take possession of it. Eat only when the sun is highest in the heavens, and again when it is set. And you will never see disease, for such finds favor in the eyes of the Lord. And if you will that the angels of God rejoice in your body, and that Satan shun you afar, then sit but once in the day at the table of God. And then your days will be long upon the earth, for this is pleasing in the eyes of the Lord. Eat always when the table of God is served before you, and eat always of that which you find upon the table of God. For I tell you truly, God knows well what your body needs, and when it needs.

“From the coming of the month of Ijar, eat barley; from the month of Sivan, eat wheat, the most perfect among all seed-bearing herbs. And let your daily bread be made of wheat, that the Lord may take care of your bodies. From Tammuz, eat the sour grape, that your body may diminish and Satan may depart from it. in the month of Elul, gather the grape that the juice may serve you as drink. In the month of Marchesvan, gather the sweet grape, dried and sweetened by the angel of sun, that your bodies may increase, for the angels of the Lord dwell in them. You should eat figs rich in juice in the months of Ab and Shebat, and what remain, let the angel of sun keep them for you; eat them with the meat of almonds in all the months when the trees bear no fruits. And the herbs which come after rain, these eat in the month of Thebet, that your blood may be cleansed of all your sins. And in the same month begin to eat also the milk of your beasts, because for this did the Lord give the herbs of the fields to all the beasts which render milk, that they might with their milk feed man. For I tell you truly, happy are they that eat only at the table of God, and eschew all the abominations of Satan. Eat not unclean foods brought from far countries, but eat always that which your trees bear. For your God knows well what is needful for you, and where and when. And he gives to all peoples of all kingdoms for food that which is best for each. Eat not as the heathen do, who stuff themselves in haste, defiling their bodies with all manner of abominations.

“For the power of God’s angels enters into you with the living food which the Lord gives you from his royal table. And when you eat, have above you the angel of air, and below you the angel of water. Breathe long and deeply at all your meals, that the angel of air may bless your repasts. And chew well your food with your teeth, that it become water, and that the angel of water turn it into blood in your body. And eat slowly, as it were a prayer you make to the Lord. For I tell you truly, the power of God enters into you, if you eat after this manner at his table. But Satan turns into a steaming bog the body of him upon whom the angels of air and water do not descend at his repasts. And .the Lord suffers him no longer at his table. For the table of the Lord is an altar, and he who eats at the table of God is in a temple. For I tell you truly, the body of the Son of Man is turned into a temple, and his inwards into an altar, if he does the commandments of God. Wherefore, put naught u pon the altar of the Lord when your spirit is vexed, neither think upon any one with anger in the temple of God. And enter only into the Lord’s sanctuary when you feel in yourselves the call of his angels, for all that you eat in sorrow, or in anger, or without desire, becomes a poison in your body. For the breath of Satan defiles aR these. Place with joy your offerings upon the altar of your body, and let all evil thoughts depart from you when you receive into your body the power of God from his table. And never sit at the table of God before he call you by the angel of appetite.

“Rejoice, therefore, always with God’s angels at their royal table, for this is pleasing to the heart of the Lord. And your life will be long upon the earth, for the most precious of God’s servants will serve you all your days: the angel of joy.

“And forget not that every seventh day is holy and consecrated to God. On six days feed your body with the gifts of the Earthly Mother, but on the seventh day sanctify your body for your Heavenly Father. On the seventh day eat not any earthly food, but live only on the words of God, and be all the day with the angels of the Lord in the kingdom of the Heavenly Father. And on the seventh day let the angels of God build the kingdom of the heavens in your body, as you labor for six days in the kingdom of the Earthly Mother. And let not food trouble the work of the angels in your body throughout the seventh day. And God will give you long life upon earth, that you may have life everlasting in the kingdom of the heavens. For I tell you truly, if you see not diseases any more upon earth, you will live for ever in the kingdom of the heavens.

“And God will send you each morning the angel of sunshine to wake you from your sleep. Therefore, obey your Heavenly Father’s summons, and lie not idle in your beds, for the angels of air and water await you already without. And labor all day long with the angels of the Earthly Mother that you may come to know them and their works ever more and more well. But when the sun is set, and your Heavenly Father sends you his most precious angel, sleep, then take your rest, and be all the night with the angel of sleep. And then will your Heavenly Father send you his unknown angels, that they may be with you the livelong night. And the Heavenly Father’s unknown angels will teach you many things concerning the kingdom of God, even as the angels that you know of the Earthly Mother, instruct you in the things of her kingdom. For I tell you truly, you will be every night the guests of the kingdom of your Heavenly Father, if you do his commandments. And when you wake up upon the morrow, you will feel in you the power of the unknown angels. And your Heavenly Father will send them to you every night, that they may build your spirit, even as every day the Earthly Mother sends you her angels, that they may build your body. For I tell you truly, if in the daytime your Earthly Mother folds you in her arms, and in the night the Heavenly Father breathes his kiss upon you, then will the Sons of Men become the Sons of God.

“Resist day and night the temptations of Satan. Wake not by night, neither sleep by day, lest the angels of God depart from you.

“And take no delight in any drink, nor in any smoke from Satan, waking you by night and making you to sleep by day. For I tell you truly, all the drinks and smokes of Satan are abominations in the eyes of your God.

“Commit not whoredom, by night or by day, for the whoremonger is like a tree whose sap runs out from its trunk. And that tree will be dried up before its time, nor will it ever bear fruit. Therefore, go not a-whoring, lest Satan dry up your body, and the Lord make your seed unfruitful.

Shun all that is too hot and too cold. For it is the will of your Earthly Mother that neither heat nor cold should harm your body. And let not your bodies become either hotter or colder than as God’s angels warm or cool them. And if you do the commandments of the Earthly Mother, then as oft as your body becomes too hot, will she send the angel of coolness to cool you, and as oft as your body becomes too cold, will she send you the angel of heat to warm you again.

“Follow the example of all the angels of the Heavenly Father and of the Earthly Mother, who work day and night, without ceasing, upon the kingdoms of the heavens and of the earth. Therefore, receive also into yourselves the strongest of God’s angels, the angel of deeds, and work all together upon the kingdom of God. Follow the example of the running water, the wind as it blows, the rising and setting of the sun, the growing plants and trees, the beasts as they run and gambol, the wane and waxing of the moon, the stars as they come and go again; all these do move, and do perform their labors. For all which has life does move, and only that which is dead is still. And God is the God of the living, and Satan that of the dead. Serve, therefore, the living God, that the eternal movement of life may sustain you, and that you may escape the eternal stillness of death. Work, therefore, without ceasing, to build the kingdom of God, lest you be cast into the kingdom of Satan. For eternal joy abounds in the living kingdom of God, but still sorrow darkens the kingdom of death of Satan. Be, therefore, true Sons of your Earthly Mother and of your Heavenly Father, that you fall not as slaves of Satan. And your Earthly Mother and Heavenly Father will send you their angels to teach, to love, and to serve you. And their angels will write the commandments of God in your head, in your heart, and in your hands, that you may know, feel, and do God’s commandments.

“And pray every day to your Heavenly Father and Earthly mother, that your soul become as perfect as your Heavenly Father’s holy spirit is perfect, and that your body become as perfect as the body of your Earthly Mother is perfect. For if you understand, feel, and do the commandments, then all for which you pray to your Heavenly Father and your Earthly Mother will be given you. For the wisdom, the love, and the power of God are above all.

“After this manner, therefore, pray to your Heavenly Father: Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

“And after this manner pray to your Earthly Mother: Our Mother which art upon earth, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, and thy will be done in us, as it is in thee. As thou sendest every day thy angels, send them to us also. Forgive us our sins, as we atone all our sins against thee. And lead us not into sickness, but deliver us from all evil, for thine is the earth, the body, and the health. Amen.

And they all prayed together with Jesus to the Heavenly Father and to the Earthly Mother.

And afterwards Jesus spoke thus to them: “Even as your bodies have been reborn through the Earthly Mother’s angels, may your spirit, likewise, be reborn through the angels of the Heavenly Father. Become, therefore, true Sons of your Father and of your Mother, and true Brothers of the Sons of Men. Till now you were at war with your Father, with your Mother, and with your Brothers. And you have served Satan. From today live at peace with your Heavenly Father, and with your Earthly Mother, and with your Brothers, the Sons of Men. And fight only against Satan, lest he rob you of your peace. I give the peace of your Earthly Mother to your body, and the peace of your Heavenly Father to your spirit. And let the peace of both reign among the Sons of Men.

“Come to me, all that are weary and that suffer in strife and affliction! For my peace will strengthen you and comfort you. For my peace is exceeding full of joy. Wherefore do I always greet you after this manner: ‘Peace be with you!’ Do you always, therefore, so greet one another, that upon your body may descend the peace of your Earthly Mother, and upon your spirit the peace of your Heavenly Father. And then you will find peace also among yourselves, for the kingdom of God is within you. And now return to your Brothers with whom hitherto you were at war, and give your peace to them also. For happy are they that strive for peace, for they will find the peace of God. Go, and sin no more. And give to every one your peace, even as I have given my peace unto you. For my peace is of God. Peace be with you.”

And he left them.

And his peace descended upon them; and in their heart the angel of love, in their head the wisdom of law, and in their hands the power of rebirth, they went forth among the Sons of Men, to bring the light of peace to those that warred in darkness.

And they parted, wishing one to another: Peace Be With You.

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Vilcabamba, Ecuador: The Raw Food Valley of Longevity… or Just Hype?

Ecuador is known as a top retirement destination for Americans due to the low cost of living and ease of getting residency, but did you know that it’s also a place for raw foodists and young international families interested in a more simple, natural way of living? Some raw food friends of mine recently moved to Vilcabamba, known to many as the “Valley of Longevity,” and after years of hearing about the place (especially after Mike Adams, Matt Monarch and Angela Stokes moved there), I decided to finally go for a visit and check it out for myself.

The main road entering Vilcabamba, Ecuador aka The Valley of Longevity

My boyfriend and I spent 2.5 months in Vilcabamba. We stayed at the Meditation Center in town for the first 2 weeks until we found a furnished house available for short-term rent. We found a place with gorgeous mountain views and a lot of space (2 bedrooms, an office loft, 2 full bathrooms, a large living area and kitchen) for $900 USD per month. It was less than a 10-minute walk from the center of town. This was perfect for us because we didn’t want a car and we could easily walk to town and buy whatever we needed.

Our home for 2 months…a gorgeous mountain retreat!

Shared pool for the small gated community…it was right next to our house

Open doors in the morning for an absolutely fantastic view of the mountains…close doors 4pm to minimize mosquitos!

Most of our time in Vilcabamba was spent preparing and focusing on the 21-day water fast that we did while there. This was our main goal in renting a house for 2 months – to take a break from all the traveling we’d done through Costa Rica, Guatemala and South America, and to have some quiet time surrounded by nature to fast and rest. What better place to do a detox than in the Valley of Longevity itself?

My first meal (pureed cucumber) after water fasting for 21 days…and NO worms! 🙂

Not to start things on the wrong side, but it has to be said: there are a lot of strange expats in Vilcabamba. You will definitely notice a weird vibe when you arrive to town. It’s a small place, everyone knows each other, and clearly you are the newcomer when you get there. We experienced a lot of long uncomfortable stares from the local “gringos”, to the point where we even googled something like “why is everyone so weird in Vilcabamba” and we actually had a good laugh when we read several travel blogs that reported having the same experience as us. There is definitely a lot of conspiracy theory talk going around about…well, just about everything. It’s almost impossible not to overhear at least one major conspiracy theory conversation per day, especially if you go the the Juice Factory, the main hang-out in the town square where all the gringos converge for a juice, smoothie, salad or the ongoing end-of-the-word discussion. I even heard a story about how the Jesus on the cross was fake, and that the real Jesus was hiding under a pyramid in Egypt… Well, who knows? It could be true!

Odd conversations aside, the Juice Factory has an awesome juice, wheatgrass and smoothie menu!

Admittedly we were a bit disappointed over the lack of normalcy in the people we met. It didn’t take us long to start keeping to ourselves, putting our energy into our preparations for fasting and trying to be friendly as much as we could. Over the course of 2.5 months, we slowly started to meet more gringos who lived further outside of town or who simply kept more to themselves as well, and by the time we were ready to leave, we did actually make some really nice and interesting friends. My best advice in experiencing Vilca is to have an open mind and be patient. There are some really cool people living there; it just might take a bit of time to find them.

People aside, there are a few key practical things that bring expats to Vilcabamba to live. One is the cheap cost of living. Most people are renting houses for about $300 per month. Our house was considered to be very expensive, but we wanted to be in a gated community for safety and security. The other main attraction is the ability to grow your own organic food because there is plenty of land and plenty of water. There are also some people looking to live in a healthy and natural healing environment with a strong sense of community, and although it’s not fully there yet, this movement in Vilcabamba is definitely growing. And many people just want to be “away from it all,” living as far away as possible from the television, media, and “Big Brother” feeling in the Western world.

A 5-star view from our veranda, in Vilcabamba Ecuador

That’s the short of it. Here’s my full list of the Pros and Cons of Vilcabamba:

Vilcabamba, Ecuador: Pros

1. Affordable Organic Food. This was a main attraction for me. Every Saturday there is a great organic market run by Kitzia Kokopelmana where you can find all kinds of fruits, veggies and greens at fantastic prices. Of course, if you stay longer, you would have the option to grow your own. There are many expats selling non-GMO seeds and swapping crops with each other.

Organic produce from Kitzia’s weekly market in Vilcabamba, Ecuador

2. Affordable Housing. There are many options available. Check the notice board at the Juice Factory for postings. We also really enjoyed staying at the Meditation Center in town; it has a great outdoor kitchen and very clean rooms. Bernie, the owner, is a really nice guy and he also happens to be a real estate agent in case you are looking for a home to buy!

3. Nice locals. The Ecuadorian people are very sweet and we really enjoyed speaking our broken Spanish when we could.

4. International delivery is ok. I met some people who ordered supplements from Vitacost and everything seemed to arrive ok. I had a few packages sent from USA that arrived safely (it does take longer than other places, up to 3 weeks for airmail). This becomes very important when you actually decide to live in a place.

5. Relatively Safe. More on this below, but for the most part when comparing to Central America or Colombia, I would consider Ecuador to be much more politically stable and crime-wise a safer choice.

6. Mountain views, rainbows, peaceful feeling. Aren’t we all hoping for more of that in life?

Nice rainbow view from our house in Vilcabamba Ecuador

7. Good climate. It’s not too hot or too cold year-round. You don’t need air-conditioning or heat and that means more fresh mountain air and negative ions for your health!

8. Easy to Get Residency. If you have $25,000 USD in an Ecuadorian bank or the equivalent value in property in Ecuador, you can apply for a resident visa and stay permanently. There seems to be a lots of hoops and paperwork to make this happen, but many people succeed and it’s certainly a reason why a lot of expats move to Ecuador.

9. Many Interesting Activities. Check the notice boards and ask around; you’ll quickly see that there are a lot of good workshops and activities being offered on everything from energy healing to women’s circles to essential oil lessons and much more.

Vilcabamba, Ecuador: Cons

1. Slow internet. This is true for all of Vilcabamba and can really be a problem if you work online (like me!).

2. Expensive Internet. We were shocked how much we paid for a few mice to spin us a connection….it was $84 USD per month!

3. Household items are Very Expensive. Things like pillows, sheets, kitchenware, plastic bins, shower curtains, etc. are extremely expensive in Ecuador. We were really shocked to see this because everyone told us how cheap it was! A plastic bucket could easily cost $5 or $6. That really adds up when you are buying for an entire home!

4. Superfoods and Supplements are Extremely Expensive. So much for the cheap cost of living! Once you get outside of the inexpensive rent, things can start to become expensive in Ecuador. While some superfoods and herbal supplements are available at the Juice Factory, they are really expensive, up to 3x the normal price. Your best bargain at the Juice Factory is the green juice shot made from wheatgrass, kale, parsley, fennel, celery and whatever other local organic greens are in season. Dennis, the owner of the Juice Factory, is a super-nice guy and very helpful by the way. It’s simply difficult to find a good source of organic raw nuts, seeds and dried basic raw food essentials.

5. Difficult to Find Work/Make Money. This is really a problem for a lot of gringos that don’t have an outside source of income. We saw many people trying to sell homemade raw food cookies, cakes and chocolates and hippie jewelry as a way to make money. The high cost of raw food ingredients makes the profit margin for food very low. Your best bet is to arrive with money or have a way to make money outside of Ecuador.

The town’s main square in Vilcabamba, Ecuador

6. Isolated. That can be a pro or a con depending on the individual! It’s a 1-hour drive to the nearest town, Loja, where you can find a large supermarket and the bigger shops. In Vilcabamba itself, there is really nothing but a few cafes and small shops selling essential items.

Not much to do in downtown Vilcabamba…it can be good but definitely isolating

7. Weird-vibes from certain Expat Locals can bring you down. As with any small town, there is a lot of gossip, rumors and even jealousy between gringos. This has a lot to do with #6 (isolated). If you’re prepared for this, you will be fine!

8. Increase in local crime, break-ins and robberies. This goes slightly against #5 of the Pros, but there I compare Ecuador to other countries in Central and South America. You are not likely to get robbed at gunpoint in Vilcabamba, and that is re-assuring. But, burglaries are on the rise. We heard of many break-ins while we were there; most occured while the residents were out to dinner and usually laptops, electronics and cash were stolen. Just before we arrived, there were at least 2 Western women who had been raped (in different incidents). It’s important to be careful. This is one of the main reasons why we chose to pay more money to live in a gated community. Definitely look at the security of your house before you decide to rent.

Vilcabamba can still be a great place to live and a positive experience as long as you stay street-smart and take advantage of all the good things it has to offer.

A lot of people ask me what I thought about Vilcabamba. Many young raw food, vegan and vegetarian couples and families consider moving there because of the ability to live relatively cheaply and still have access to organic food (most of the health-oriented people in Vilcabamba grow their own vegetables, fruits and greens). It’s not easy to describe my experience to others because everyone has different expectations when they travel to a new country to start a new life.

The house had a main living area, 2 separate bedrooms and an upstairs office/loft

Quiet bedroom and lots of nature, ideal for a long water fast…this place was really a perfect detox retreat!

This was the upstairs loft which I used as an office. Great place for meditation or yoga as well!

I really liked Vilcabamba for the few months that I was there, but long-term, I don’t think it’s the place for me, at least not at this stage in my life. I feel a very strong need and pull to be in the mainstream still, to help people understand how to read food labels and look for hidden additives in food, to teach more about raw food and detox, and to show that you don’t need to live in the faraway mountains in order to be healthy. Maybe in a few more years this will change, maybe not. Stayed tuned for more updates, because you will know when I know!

One thing I would definitely recommend is to visit a place first and try to live there for at least 6 months before you seriously considering moving there permanently. Not everyone is able to handle the “mañana” approach in Ecuador (also known as the “mai pen rai” style in Thailand). When we take our Western mind with us, even when we want to “get away,” we may still expect the post office to deliver on time or for the store to open when it says it should or for the correct item to be ordered and delivered. Well, things just don’t happen like that in more relaxed places in the world.

If you decide to go, join the Vilcabamba Facebook page to search for houses to rent and ask any questions to the local expat community.

Top Pick for Vilcabamba

Be sure to check out Elena’s Raw Food Lunch in her private home, a monthly event offered directly from Elena and her husband Vladamir, 2 of the nicest people you will meet in all of Ecuador, and even in the world! Elena has a passion for raw food recipes like no other and every month she offers a new and unique raw food menu for lunch. It’s well worth it to enjoy her creations, and a great way to meet other local raw food people too.

Elena’s Raw Food Lunch is amazing!! Here is her raw pizza with cashew “cheese”

Elena’s raw cacao and coconut cake…this cake alone is a reason to visit Vilca!!

So is Vilcabamba a real Valley of Longevity? Well, maybe yes and maybe no. According to the book The Blue Zones: 9 Lessons for Living Longer by Dan Buettner, Vilcabamba did not make the cut for having a high number of centenarians (people who live over 100) because they don’t have the proper documentation to verify birth records for age verification. Personally, I didn’t see that many healthy old Ecuadorians. Sadly, many of the locals appeared to be overweight and more on the unhealthy side of life.

Beautiful mountains and vistas in Vilcabamba, Ecuador

A word of warning about the salt in Vilcabamba and all of Ecuador/South America for that matter: There is a non-caking agent in the salt called Yellow Prussiate of Soda (YPS) or E535 or 535. This chemical additive can cause an allergic reaction in people resulting in an extremely itchy rash, restless sleep, hot flashes and irritability. I saw many expats in Vilcabamba suffering, especially with rashes. Salt is used in all restaurants (including “healthy” restaurants) contains this additive. I found people very unaware and even ran into problems with one local expat who was selling his own “higher quality” salt that caused a terrible reaction for me; still he swore it was clean. Upon further questioning, he revealed that his product has never actually been tested. In short, do not trust homemade expat labels and check the ingredient list on all other salt. Fluoride is also added to salt in South America so most people do try to avoid buying it, but I did not meet one person who knew the dangers associated with YPS, in my opinion, the much more dangerous ingredient. Stick with Himalayan salt or buy the equivalent large pink salt from Bolivia which can be found in supermarkets in La Paz for $2 per kilo.

We have nice memories of Vilcabamba….thank you!!

Vilcabamba is definitely not for everyone, but it’s still be a good place for a raw food community, and I hope to see it thrive!

More on Traveling Raw:

10 Detox Tips

In the same way you spring clean your house and schedule maintenance service on your car, you should also make the time to do regular detox for the promotion of health and prevention of dis-ease. Whether you go away to a tropical paradise for your next detox holiday or simply try an at-home detox program, you should be make a plan to do at least one 7-day detox per year. It’s even better to do a colon cleanse program every 6 months. When you’re clean inside, all of your organs work better. That means more energy, clearer skin, better sleep, improved digestion, balanced weight and a boosted immune system to keep you healthy all year long.

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.

Clean Your Body, Clean Your Mind, Clean Your Soul!

Imagine giving your body the gift of a cleanse and creating time for a much needed rest, both physically, mentally, and emotionally. As an Iridologist and Nutritionist, I have become increasingly aware that the toxic overload on all of these levels contributes to many health issues. The following detox guidelines will help you get the most out of whatever cleansing program you do, and many of these tips can be done on a regular basis to keep you feeling balanced long after your cleanse.

10 Detox Tips

1. Drink Lemon in Water Upon Rising.

When you wake up in the morning, juice 1 lemon into 2 full 8-oz. glasses of water and drink both glasses immediately. This is a great way to hydrate your body, a natural form of detox, and also creates an alkaline pH in your body. Lemon stimulates digestion, getting the digestive enzymes in the stomach active and ready for proper absorption and assimilation of food. You can switch out the lemon occasionally and drink 2 Tbsp. of raw apple cider vinegar in water upon rising too.

2. Try some Cold Water Therapy!

At the end of your hot shower, turn the water to cold for just 60 seconds. This is a natural way to stimulate circulation and is great for the immune system. It also tightens the skin and gets you feeling energized for the day.

3. Stretch and Move.

Stretching the body helps to strengthen and detox the lymphatic system. Especially if you are used to sitting all day, be sure to take a break every few hours and move! You can also practice dry skin brushing to clean the lymphatic system. Or, better yet, treat yourself to an occasional lymphatic drainage massage.

4. Drink Herbal Teas.

Use the healing power of Mother Nature by drinking more fresh herbal teas (with no sugar or dairy of course!). Try fresh mint tea for digestion; sage tea for clear mental thinking; parsley tea to strengthen the kidneys; red raspberry tea for female fertility; hawthorne berry tea for heart health and blood circulation; and fennel tea as a natural anti-parasitic remedy.

5. Enjoy an Epsom Salt Bath.

Add 3-4 cups of Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulfate) to a bath. It’s a great way to absorb magnesium directly through the skin, also known as “transdermal magnesium therapy.” This helps the muscles relax and is excellent for improving blood circulation and kidney function and also for reducing stress. You can add a few drops of pure organic lavender or grapefruit essential oil to your bath to get a nice essential oil infusion. If you don’t have a bathtub, simply make a foot bath and soak your feet in the Epsom Salts for about 30 minutes.

6. Take a Media Detox.

Let your brain have a break from the daily negative and toxic information over-load. Avoid any emotionally disturbing information the news, Internet, magazines, television, movies, newspaper or radio. When your mind feels calm and rested, your body can go deeper into the physical process of detoxification.

7. Get in Tune with Nature.

Get outside, breathe fresh air, enjoy a sunrise or sunset, listen to the sound of the ocean waves, take solace in the beauty of the forest and reconnect yourself with nature. Our bodies are organic beings and we have to recalibrate ourselves to natural environments to feel more natural, whole and pure.

8. Detox Your Home.

At the same time you detox your body, make time to also clean and purge old items from your home. Give away things you don’t use, organize your belongings and simplify your living space. Letting go of the old creates a lot of space for new healthy habits and new goals. And that’s a great form of detox!

9. Enjoy a Daily Liver Flush.

You can add a healing boost to your detox routine by drinking 1 Liver Flush Drink per day. You can even do this as a separate detox after your 7-day cleanse by having 1 Liver Flush every day for 30 days. The liver is your “grand filter” in your body; it filters everything you drink, eat and breathe. When you clean the liver, your entire system runs more efficiently.

10. Drink More Water.

One of the biggest mistakes that people make is that they don’t drink enough water, and especially during a detox, the importance of water is not to be under-estimated! Your urine should be clear and copious (by “clear” I mean not cloudy). If your urine is dark or cloudy, you are already dehydrated. Water helps your kidneys flush out excess toxins and acid waste.

Taking the time to detox the body on a regular basis is a great way to invest in your health and well-being. Whether you choose a raw food cleanse, a juice feast, a Green Smoothie detox, a water fast or a colon cleanse, you are giving all of the elimination organs a chance to catch up on internal work and that’s a good thing! The cleaner your are inside, the better you feel…and the better you look too!

For more personalize detox advice, see me for a private consultation via Skype or phone. We will optimize your detox program to get the best results in the shortest period time, truly a “fast-track” to health.

More on Skin Cleansing:

Top 10 Tips for the Best Healthy Sunscreen

For many people, the summer months are a time to be outside, enjoying the beach or nature…and also the sun! But, what do you do to protect yourself from sunburn or sun damage? What can be used as a healthy sunblock? Is there such thing as a chemical-free or organic sunscreen?

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.

Staying healthy in the sun!

Danger of Homemade Sunscreen Recipes

First of all, it’s important to be clear that homemade sunscreens are NOT a healthy alternative. I’ve seen many “mommy-and-me”-type blogs posting recipes for making sun creams at home, and there is definitely a lack of knowledge regarding the safety of ingredients. Why? Because the main ingredient is titanium dioxide, a known carcinogen! That’s right, a proven cancer-causing ingredient is right in the middle of that “made-with-love” sunscreen recipe!

It is true that there is some debate on the level of carcinogenic risk there is with titanium dioxide, with some people saying that ii is a safe ingredient when 99% pure and can only cause health risks when in a nano particle form. But do you want to take part in the human experiment? I don’t! And I certainly don’t want to make my own recipe where I could potentially use too much or use a version which hasn’t been tested for purity.

Zinc Oxide, another popular ingredient in homemade sunscreen recipes, has been found to have potential evidence of reproductive toxicity according to the Environmental Working Group investigation of sunscreens and other sun-blocking products. So, be sure to avoid any recipes containing this suspect ingredient as well.

How to Protect Yourself from the Sun

As someone who has lived on the beach for the last 12 years, I’ve spent a lot of time in the sun (mainly in Australia, USA, Thailand and Israel).

Here are my top ways to spend time enjoying the sun safely.

What to Use for the Best Healthy Sunscreen:

1.Wear a hat. It’s just that easy. Find one that is comfortable so you actually wear it.

2. Limit your time in direct sun, and avoid the hours between 10am – 2pm. I can usually spend between 60 – 90 minutes in the sun without sunscreen and without burning, but that’s after I have a base tan. Build your time exposer slowly. No need to fry yourself to a crisp!

3. Move to the shade. You can still enjoy many hours on the beach under an umbrella or in the shade of a tree. This is Mother Nature’s natural organic sun protection!

4. Wear a rash guard shirt in the sea. This is especially a good option for kids. Many surfing shirts actually have a high sun protection factor in the material of the shirt.

5. Have a sarong and/or long-sleeve light-weight cotton shirt to cover-up if necessary. When you feel yourself burning, it’s time to cover the skin!

6.Add chlorophyll to your diet. Why don’t plants and trees get sunburn or leaf cancer, especially when there are exposed to sun all day every day? Because the chlorophyll in leaves protects them from getting burned, and it can help protect you too! A daily Green Smoothie is the best way to start your day before you hit the beach!

7. If necessary, buy children’s sunblock  or sunscreens. The child and/or baby formulas will have the least amount of toxic chemicals. When I know I’ll be out for more than 90 minutes, I apply a baby sunscreen to my nose and shoulders. A small amount is going to be much better for you than a full body immersion.

8. Check the labels and choose a brand with the least amount of titanium dioxide. I recently looked at some popular sunscreen brands, and I saw one expensive bottle contained 38% titanium dioxide in nano particles! Another brand contained only 12%. Can you see how you can still make a better choice, even if you still choose to use a traditional chemical formula?

9. Do not  choose anything above Factor 30. When you increase the sunscreen factor, you also
increase the toxic chemicals in the ingredients. By choosing a Factor 30 sunscreen and limiting your time in the sun, you will be making a healthier choice  for you and your family.

10. Be sure to shower after you finish your fun inthe sun. This sounds like common sense, but if you choose to put a chemical on your skin, you need to wash it off, hopefully with a sodium laureth sulfate (SLS)-free soap and only some organic coconut oil to hydrate your skin after.

Stay protected. Your skin will look better & younger, longer!

(Note: Coconut oil is NOT a safe option for sunscreen…I’ve seen many tourists getting fried to a red and blistered crisp in Thailand trying this, and it doesn’t work.)

Limiting your time and moving to the shade is the best alternative. A diet high in antioxidants will minimize any free-radical damage to the skin and will also limit the amount of “burn” to the skin. It’s certainly true that with a high raw food diet, I don’t ever seem to burn anymore, even after spending longer amounts of time in the sun. But I’m still careful not to overdo it.

More on Lymphatic Detox/Cleansing:

Dry Skin Brushing to Detox Lymphatic & Reduce Cellulite Naturally!

The lymphatic system is a cirulatory system in the body. It’s cleaning cells and dumping toxins into the blood all the time to keep the body clean. But, unlike the blood, the lymphatic system has no pump. If you don’t move, the lymph doesn’t move. It waits for movement to ‘surf’ from the contraction of muscles. So, in order to keep the lymph moving and clean, you have to move!

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.

Practice Daily Dry Skin Brushing to Detox the Lymphatic System

According to David Wolfe in The Sunfood Diet Success System, “The average person has 1.2 gallons (4.5 litres) of blood. But each person has four times as much lymph fluid as blood. Clean and light foods allow the blood to become clean and light, which in turn allows the lymph to become clean and light. Cooked fats are thick, heavy and have a deranged structure. They clog the blood, arteries and lymphatic system.”

The lymphatic fluid rests just below the skin; if it is toxic or sluggish (from processed foods, smoking, chemical body products, lack of exercise), the skin simply won’t look good. A healthy glow comes from the inside out.

If the lymphatic system becomes sluggish, it will try to ‘off-gas’ through the skin. If someone is wearing nylon or polyester clothes or putting chemical creams on their skin, there is nowhere for those toxins to go (imagine wrapping yourself in plastic wrap). So those toxins get re-absorbed. That’s creates a back-log of internal work. This is where a detox can be a good idea to give all the organs a chance to catch up.

How to Clean Lymphatic System

Exercise is the best for lymphatic. Many people who sit all day long develop a sluggish lymphatic system simply because they do not move! Lymph likes gentle exercise, like walking, stretching, swimming or yoga. Go for a walk during lunch, stretch throughout the day and develop a regular exercise routine. Drink plenty of water to keep the lymphatic cells hydrated. Choose a natural deodorant with no added aluminum. Avoid foods with chemical coloring, flavoring, sugar replacements and preseratives which all add more internal housework to the body. Dry skin brushing and wearing natural fiber clothes also allows the skin and lymph to breathe.

Always brush towards to heart to stimulate circulation

How to Practice Daily Dry Skin Brushing To Detox Lymph

Dry skin brushing means to brush the skin when it’s dry. Brushing the skin in the shower is wet skin brushing. Using a loofa in the shower will not give the same effect because once the skin cells are wet, you’re essentially pushing all the dead skin cells around over the surface of your skin. Dry skin brushing adds just the right amount of pressure to move the lymph while at the same time flaking any dead skin cells off of the skin. Many people will say that the skin actually becomes more clean from dry skin brushing than from taking a shower!

You only need 5-7 minutes a day to do your dry skin brushing. The best time is just before you get in the shower in the morning. Brushing the lymph will stimulate circulation and this can also make you feel more awake and alert for the day. You can also do your dry skin brushing later in the day or in the evening too, whatever works best for your schedule. I prefer morning because not only does it get the circulation moving first thing in the morning which is great, but it also gets me into the habit of doing it every day.

Always use a natural bristle brush. Nylon brushes will scratch the skin. A natural bristle brush can be found in any health food store. Most will also come with a handle for brushing the skin on the back.

Brush the skin with a reasonable amount of pressure, but not too strong. Start at the feet using short to medium strokes and always brush towards the heart. You can brush your arms, torso, back and chest but avoid sensitive areas like the breasts and face.

Daily Dry Skin Brushing To Reduce Cellulite

Now, the keyword here is daily! If you practice dry skin brushing on a daily basis, you can start to break up the toxins that have settled into the fat cells creating those unwanted pockets of cellulite. If you practice this daily for a minimum of 3 months, you can start to see results.

Clean Diet for Clean Blood and Clean Lymph

Remember, your body is ‘a community’ of organs. A natural whole and pure diet is always best. Everything you eat affects the entire body, including the lymph. If you choose to eat a lot of animal-based fats, fried foods or processed foods, you will still be creating a daily burden of internal toxicity giving all of the organs more work to do. Combining a healthy diet with healthy practices like dry skin brushing will give you the best results for a beautiful, healthy energetic you!

More on Skin Cleansing:

Healing Power of Onions: Can Onions absorb Bacteria, Viruses and Flu?

The Almighty Onion…is she more powerful than we previously thought? This is an interesting topic that I discovered online several times in various forms, all relating to the theory that if you put an onion in the room of a person who is sick, the onion will ‘absorb’ the illness, and sometimes in just a few hours, the person is better. It seemed unbelievable, but I thought to myself, “Remember that one Jennifer, and if you ever need it, you have nothing to lose by giving the onion theory a try.”

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. 

Cut an onion in half to absorb bad smells & even ‘pull’ viruses/sickness from the air

A few points to note on Onion Healing:

This is not a new idea. Onions were used by certain individuals in Europe to successfully fight off the plague in the early 1900’s. Ayurvedic medicine has been using an onion poultice for the chest or feet to cure coughs, fevers and flus for centuries. They also use the onion poultice to reduce pain and inflammation in the joints. Homeopathic doctors also use the healing power of onions to heal from viruses and illness. I even know people in the North American Hutterite community, a pacifist community similar to the Amish whose traditions date back to the 16th century, who tell me it is common practice to place onions in their homes during winter flu season and to use cut onions in the room of an ill person to relieve their symptoms quickly and naturally.

It is said that white onions work better than red onions. Yellow onions would be an acceptable alternative, but white onions, with the latin name Allium Cepa, work best.

The onions need to be peeled if left around the home as a preventive measure against flu and viruses. Many people do this during flu season and find that no one gets sick, whereas in previous years with no onions, they had several members of the family fall ill. If placed around the home for prevention, the onions should be replaced every 3 months.

If someone falls ill with a cough, flu, cold or fever, immediately place a peeled white onion cut in half in a bowl in their room. The onion needs to be cut in half in order to expose the most amount of ‘healing power’ from its pungent odor.

Cut onions can also be used to eliminate mold smells in a closet, drawer or room.

It’s best not to leave a cut onion open in the fridge (to eat later) because as soon as an onion is cut, it will start to absorb bacteria, etc. So, if you cut an onion for a salad, either use the whole thing or put the other half in your garage or basement to absorb bad smells! Once the onion is in a salad in a sealed container, it is safe and can be eaten at a later time.

Perhaps the most interesting onion remedy is the Sock Onion. This is a ‘modern-day’ version of the Ayurvedic poultice, and involves cutting the white onion in half and placing one half on the bottom of each foot so that the cut onion is against the skin. Place a sock on top of the onion so it stays secure in place and leave the ‘Onion Sock’ on overnight. This is especially good for flus and fevers. One of my twitter followers recently shared her success with the Sock Onion:

The Mighty Healing Power of Onions!

Health Benefits of Onions

Onions are rich in sulfur-containing compounds that are responsible for their strong odor. Sulfur is a powerful detox element and helps the body to release toxins, especially for the liver. Foods naturally high in sulfur also help the body to detox from heavy metals like lead, arsenic and cadmium.

The onion is the richest dietary source of quercitin, a powerful antioxidant flavonoid that has been shown to thin the blood, lower cholesterol, ward off blood clots, and fight asthma, chronic bronchitis, hay fever, diabetes, atherosclerosis and infections and is even linked to inhibiting certain types of cancer.

Onions are also naturally anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and antiviral. That, of course, is when you eat them!

Onions to Heal: First to Remove Odors

Fast-forward to me being in Vilcabamba, Ecuador where I’m here renting a house for 2 months to do an extended water fast. In the first few days in the house, we noticed a very bad septic smell coming from both toilets which never got better, no matter how many times we flushed or cleaned the toilets. After we started the water fast and became more sensitive to smell, I thought to myself, What can we do which is completely natural and will still take this smell away? Then I remembered everything I read about the Almighty Onion!

That night, we sliced 2 white onions in half, placed 1 onion in each of 2 bowls and put one bowl in each bathroom overnight. The onion smell at first was very strong, but that is actually a great smell when you are water fasting (we dreamed of tomato gazpacho with onions!). The next morning, to our complete amazement, there was no more onion smell, and guess what? There was no more septic smell either!!!

Onions to Heal: Taking the Onion Sock Test

I became so excited with this discovery that I wanted to try to Onion Sock theory. Luckily, we still had 1 onion left in the house, so the very next night, we cut the onion into 4 lateral thick slices (each slice about 1/2″ thick). I use 2 slices on my my feet and gave the remaining 2 to my boyfriend who willing put them on his feet. (Yes, he is a willing participant in all of this stuff including the water fast because, one, he is very open to try new things and he trusts my skills and experience, and two, because he lost his mom to cancer 8 years ago and knows that clean diet, clean body and clean mind are the keys to good health).

Now, the interesting part of this story is that we were on Day 5 of a water fast when we tried the Onion Socks. Mainly, I wanted to see if the onion could be used as a tool to amplify the detox effects. Especially with the body being so clean, the fumes from the onion could theoretically be absorbed through the skin and pass through the body more quickly, and perhaps eliminate internal bad bacteria or even parasites.

With Onion Socks on, we waited anxiously to see what would happen. Note that both of us were feeling good all day and I felt great when we placed the onions on our feet. My boyfriend was feeling pretty tired and weak after his evening enema but had felt really good earlier in the day.

Praise for the Onion!

Praise for the Onion!

Results of the Onion Sock Experiment

After about 30 minutes with the Onion Socks on, I started to feel distinct quivers in my calves and a twitch on my left side at the rib cage. 20 minutes later, I started feeling heartburn! That was amazing. I have not had any acid reflux at all during this water fast (although is was an issue during my last water fast, all of which I explain in my ebook: Water Fasting Guide & 40-Day Journal). Shortly after that, I started to feel hot in the head. In another 10 minutes, my eyes started to tear as if I had just cut an onion, although a much milder sensation but clearly a distinct tearing.

5 minutes after that, my boyfriend told me he had the taste of onion in his mouth!

So clearly, something was happening, even if it was only onion fumes passing through our bodies and nothing else.

The next morning, we compared notes about how we felt. My boyfriend had a terrible night and barely slept and felt that the onion fumes had upset his intestinal worms (which we are sure he has and are hoping the water fast will eliminate). I felt tired and weak, the first day for me to feel that way, but I did feel better. I don’t think it was the placebo effect as I am very open to trying something and saying it doesn’t work.

And the real reason why I think it worked is because 90% of my hay fever and allergy symptoms disappeared overnight!! That is the best part of this story so far. Ever since we arrived to Vilcabama, I have been sneezing like crazy, scratching my nose all the time with excessive mucous coming out of my nose almost constantly. Well, they say that raw foodists don’t have allergies so I could not understand what was going on and I was hoping that the water fast would help. But, we went through Day 1-4 with absolutely no change and no relief, still sneezing up to 50 times a day easily. Well, after the Onion Socks, I did not have any mucous, and I went through the whole day with no itchy eyes and no itchy nose and I think I sneezed only 2 times the entire day!! Now, that is no placebo effect! Anyone who suffers from allergies can appreciate how wonderful the sense of relief is, and to find a natural ‘cure’ and experience allergy relief from 1/2 of an onion?! Wow!!

Today we went out and bought 10 more onions and we are going to continue with the Onion Socks intermittently during our water fast. I’ll update later with more results. Meanwhile, consider trying this yourself at home. I mean, what do you have to lose except for the cost of a few onions? In my opinion, it’s a safe and effective method with nothing to lose and a lot to possibly gain.

UPDATE: I did the Onion Sock again the next night, and that was it. One month later, eating again, and all sign of hayfever are still gone! I recommended this to a Natural Hygiene Raw Foodist in Vilcabamba who was also having hay fever allergies, and he had noticeable reduction of symptoms after 24 hours.

This article is not meant to diagnose any disease. For any serious medical concerns, always consult with your doctor.

Read more information on the liver and liver cleansing here:

Liver Flush Detox Drink – Recipe for a Daily Liver Cleanse

Gallstone Liver Flush – Recipe & Cleanse Info

How to Do a Coffee Enema at Home

How to Do a Castor Oil Pack for Liver Cleansing


How to Eat Clean: Start with Green Smoothies!

Green Smoothie for DummiesCheck out my book Green Smoothies for Dummies – I’ve got loads of recipes using dark leafy greens and many delicious combos without any chemical additives, flavorings or refined sugar. It’s so easy!

Clean your body from the inside out and watch your skin improve, your hair and nails get stronger, your eyes look brighter and your waistline slim down….all naturally and effortlessly! It’s simply amazing and your only regret will be that you didn’t start drinking green smoothies sooner.

When you take care of your whole body, you get whole body health.

When you let your food be your medicine, you are always moving towards better health.

Find the book Green Smoothies for Dummies on iTunes or amazon.com!


For more on how to achieve your health goals and actually start feeling great, book a private health consult with me via Skype.

How to Book Your Health & Nutritional Coaching Session:

1. Take photos of your eyes with a smart phone or digital camera.
2. Email the photos to me for approval for Iridology Analysis.
3. We schedule a time to meet via phone or Skype!


More on pH health:

More on Healing Crisis:

More on anti-Aging:

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Reconnect with Nature in Guatemala with Fresh Juice, Raw Food, Mayan Ruins & Volcanoes

Guatemala is a country full of culture, colorful handicrafts, Mayan ruins and lots of nature and it’s a great place to visit for a health holiday! I recently spend 1 month in Guatemala and I’m going to share my top-picks, favorite restaurants and must-see things to do.

Central Courtyard in Antigua, Guatemala

Most people fly into Guatemala City when they arrive to Guatemala. Since the quaint, picturesque town of Antigua is only 45 minutes from Guatemala City, it’s a good idea to take a taxi or arrange hotel pickup directly from the airport to Antigua and start your adventures there (it’s about $30 for a private taxi). Antigua is the former capital of Guatemala and is full of Spanish architecture, cobblestone streets and many courtyard gardens behind the ancient walled streets. This is a good place to spend 4-5 days so you have time to take a tour, explore the local market, visit a nearby volcano or Mayan village, soak in natural hot springs, enjoy some of the restaurants and maybe even schedule a massage. Now that sounds like a holiday!

Old and beautiful downtown Antigua

Guatemalan decoration, handicraft, style, love!

Inside Pitaya Juice Bar in Antigua

My favorite morning stop in Antigua was at Pitaya Juice Bar, across from the Antigua Gym. It’s a small but very cute place and they serve fresh juice or superfood smoothies with moringa, ginseng, flax or wheatgrass, for a healthy start to the day (Pitaya Juice Bar: 6ta Calle Poniente, #26). For lunch, I frequented Sabo Rico, an outdoor garden restaurant serving salads, juices and smoothies in a gorgeously romantic courtyard (Sabo Rico: 6a avenida sur #7).

Dinners were typically made at the hostel using fresh raw foods bought at the local market and raw apple cider vinegar or coconut oil from the main health food store in town, Organica (5 calle poniente No. 6, just 1 block from the main square). Organica also has a small range of gluten-free foods for sale. Everything in Antigua is walkable which makes it very nice as a tourist.

My top picks for things to do in Antigua

Walking Tour with Elizabeth Bell

Definitely take Elizabeth Bell’s walking tour which runs every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 9:30am to 12:30pm and meets at the central fountain in the main square. Elizabeth’s knowledge and enthusiasm over all things Antigua and Guatemala is absolutely amazing, impressive and inspiring. This was absolutely a highlight of Antigua form me; the $20 was well spent for the tour.

Santo Domingo Hotel’s restaurant on the hill: Santo Domingo del Cerro

If you plan your day correctly, you can continue on your own at the end of Elizabeth’s tour at the Santo Domingo Hotel in downtown Antigua and from there, take the hotel’s free shuttle up the hill to their restaurant, the Santo Domingo del Cerro. Most likely you’ll be hungry after the tour and in daylight hours, you can enjoy all their unusual outdoor art sculptures and take in the views of surrounding volcanoes while enjoying a nice healthy salad. I had a delicious apple and watercress salad and was very happy to see that on the menu as a reasonable raw food choice. For anyone looking for a nice place to do work online (to write blog posts or update twitter feeds a-hem), the Santo Domingo del Cerro has a very nice terrace with free wifi, so you can spend the rest of your afternoon there and catch up on some work!

Wednesday at the Kawilal Hot Springs

Every Wednesday, the Kawilal Hot Springs and Spa offers a free shuttle that leaves at 9am from the Cathedral (it returns back to Antigua at 3pm). It’s a 1-hour ride to the hot springs so the free Wednesday shuttle is really the best option for tourists. The spa offers different packages with or without massage and it’s a bit expensive ($85 for hot springs and massage) for what it is and for Central American prices. For that reason, I would recommend a cheaper package using only the hot springs. The pools are still great and I fully believe in the healing powers of natural hot springs, so I personally seek them out wherever I go! This is a nice break from Antigua and a good option for a quiet afternoon soaking in the natural healing energy of thermal waters.

Outside Antigua: Tikal, Semuc Champey & Lake Atitlan

Tikal National Park

If you have the time, take an overnight bus to the northern part of Guatemala where you will find the ancient Mayan city and UNESCO World Heritage Site at Tikal National Park. We managed to find an honest tour company to book our bus tickets directly across from Pitaya Juice Bar. I don’t remember the name, but the staff wore Lonely Plant t-shirts and we received the correct price for the bus (not always an easy thing to achieve in Guatemala!). Speaking of which, be sure to book your accommodation before arriving to Flores; otherwise you will be absolutely mobbed by booking agents trying to lure you into other hotels and various park tours. We booked online in advance directly with Los Amigos Hostel, and we arranged our Tikal sunrise tour and onward bus tickets inside the hostel, at the very back, during office hours only. Flores is known for thieves operating as tour guides preying on the weary traveler arriving at 5am; we heard more than a few stories of this during our brief 2 days there. So be careful!

A great option for your first day in Flores is to rent kayaks at the hostel and paddle around the lake. It’s a wonderful feeling to get out on the water and to just glide with every stroke closer to the other side, then power-paddle back. Get to sleep well and truly early, because the the sunrise tours leaves at 4am! The tour takes you into the park to sit atop one of the Mayan temples and experience ‘the jungle waking up’ with sounds of howler monkeys, toucans and other birds. It’s great! A few more hours to explore the park gets you back to the hostel in early afternoon.

Ancient Mayan Civilization at Tikal National Park

Tikal National Park, in the jungles of northern Guatemala

Imagine the sounds of tropical birds and howler monkeys all around you…amazing!

Semuc Champey

The next day, you can head to Semuc Champey, about 6-8 hours by minibus from Flores. It’s not as comfortable to travel by minibus but there is no big bus that goes to Semuc Champey. Once you get there, you will see that it is well worth the effort! Semuc Champey is a gorgeous set of natural limestone bridges that’s located deep in a mountain gorge and covered with crystal blue-green water. You have to see it to really appreciate how magnificent Mother Nature can be. You only need one day to see the park, but many people stay at either one of the hostels for a few days just to relax and well, mainly to party. The backpacker party thing wasn’t my scene so I only stayed 2 days to see the park and do the cave tour, and I continued on my way to Lake Atilan.

Semuc Champey…simply amazing natural wonder!

Reconnecting with nature…is healthy bliss! At Semuc Champey

In awe of Mother Nature’s beauty at Semuc Champey

Save the Best for Last: Lake Atitlan

My best advice is exactly that: Save Lake Atitlan for the end of your Guatemala travels and take some time to rest, relax eat good food, or even rent a house along the lake and plan to do your own juice or water fast while there. Lake Atitlan is a popular destination for yoga, healing, raw food, meditation and spiritual retreats due to its magical energy field. It’s claimed to be one of the worlds’ energy vortexes, alongside the great pyramids and Macchu Picchu. The lake itself is surrounded by volcanoes, and when we were there, San Pedro volcano was visibly active, which was just amazing to see!

Beauty and nature at Lake Atitlan

Local fruit and vegetable market

Many of the health-enthusiast tourists stay in the village of San Marcos on the lake. In my opinion, it was a bit too hippie and we searched for something a bit more scenic and peaceful, with good views of the lake, good internet and decent sense of security. We found exactly that at Sakcari Hotel in San Pedro. While not cheap by Guatemala standards at $40 per night, Sakcari was everything we were looking for – it was quiet and on the lake with incredible views from the room and a real feeling of nature. Nearby in the village, we could get fresh fruit, fresh juice and smoothies every day. There is also a great health food store in San Pedro; it’s small but well-stocked with herbs, supplements, natural body products and some dried organic nuts and seeds. What more in life does one need?

A nice place to contemplate life, on the shores of Lake Atitlan

Fresh air, views of nature…this in and of itself is a cleanse!

Isla Verde Eco-Resort with its famed ‘slow-cooking’

We checked out some other spots and also looked at a few houses and apartments to rent on Lake Atitlan because we considered staying longer, up to 1-2 months. After a good amount of searching, there is only one place I would recommend and that’s the PasaCap property, owned by Pierre, a Frenchman living on the lake for more than 15 years. Pasacap has very modern and clean furnished apartments with perfect lake views on a secure property with a private dock to access the lake. We seriously considered renting an apartment here for 1-2 months so I could do a long water fast, but unfortunately the units were fully booked at the time and I didn’t want to wait a month for availability. I would definitely consider returning at a future date, and securing the booking in advance online. To have the chance to do a water fast on a major world energy vortex….well that’s just ‘Wow!’

There were a few other highlights on the lake for healthy eating and raw food, both in the village of Santa Cruz. The first, Isla Verde Resort, is a beautiful place with a gorgeous restaurant overlooking the lake. They are known for their ‘slow cooking,’ but we found that they may have taken this term a bit too far…by adding ‘slow ordering,’ ‘slow service,’ ‘slow preparation,’ and ‘slow to settle your bill.’ In short, the entire experience was SLOW. But, they did have some nice juices, salads and a great homemade kombucha drink that is worth waiting to order, receive and pay for!

View of Lake Atitlan from Isla Verde Resort

Mayan Cacao Energy Balls at Villa Sumaya

The other place is also in Santa Cruz, but in the opposite direction from the dock. When you exit the boat taxi, walk to the right and follow the maze of planks and boardwalks (which is really fun by the way!); after about 30 minutes you will arrive to Villa Sumaya.

Villa Sumaya is a yoga and meditation retreat center and it’s a great place to consider staying for a few nights if your budget allows. Otherwise, do what we did and visit during the day, enjoy a delicious fruit smoothie, sample their raw cacao superfood snacks and take a few raw energy balls home to nibble on later.

Whatever extra time you have in Guatemala, definitely spend it at Lake Atitlan. The views of the lake and surrounding volcanoes change with each day’s cloud formations and sun, a real-life painting waiting for you to slow down and simply enjoy its natural canvas. It’s a place that really grows on you after awhile.

Quiet time in nature is good for the soul

Safety in Guatemala

This is something worthy of noting and needs to be addressed for your personal travel safety. While absolutely nothing happened to use during our 4 weeks in Guatemala, we did meet a few tourists who had been robbed, mugged or ripped off. Some important things to remember: Do not show your iPhone or smartphone in public areas; Do not wear expensive jewelry; Carry a purse that hangs across the body from shoulder-to-hip and not on one shoulder only; Do not carry valuables at night; Do not carry a lot of cash at any time; Ask around at several travel agents to compare prices before booking anything. Again, we had nothing happen to us, but we heard quite a few stories. Personally, I always lock all valuables in my suitcase in the hotel room at all times. The temptation for a cleaning lady or other hotel staff to look around is just too great, so why take the risk? Once you get into the habit of doing that, it becomes very easy and it’s much ‘safer’ than a front desk safe where other staff may also have a key. You can definitely enjoy Guatemala without any problems if you follow these simple safety tips. With so much to see and enjoy; it’s a country worthy of a visit!

More on Traveling Raw:

Panama as a health destination? Warning about pesticides in fruits and vegetables

After 2 amazing weeks in Costa Rica, we decided to head south to Panama to see what it had to offer. With the same Caribbean beaches, mountains and tropical landscape, I expected a cheaper and less touristy version of Costa Rica. I wanted to explore what raw food and/or detox options were available and thought I would get some nice time in nature and sun to boot. It seemed like a good idea…or so I thought.

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.

Ajonjoli, Raw Food in Panama City

Everything started out great when we arrived to Panama City and stayed in an awesome funky little hotel, the Lemon Inn, run by 2 young Panamanian brothers. What a treat to get a modern clean hotel room after paying so much for accommodation in Costa Rica. Thanks to one of my twitter followers, I managed to find Ajonjoli on my first day in the city – a health food store and raw food meal service offering home delivery with a different daily raw food meal. I was very impressed to see such a service in Panama, and the food was great!

More time in the city allowed us to explore the old part of the city, Casco Viejo, which I loved…and as we walked through the streets I could almost feel I was in Paris or Belgium. Well, except for the armed policemen on every corner. At least you feel much safer in Panama than in other Central American countries. In the afternoon, we took a taxi out to see the Panama Canal and were lucky to arrive just as one of the container ships was moving through the docks. It’s definitely an example of some fine engineering.

Organic Raw Food Lunch from Ajonjoli in Panama City, a safe and yummy choice!

Casco Viejo in Panama City

Panama City at night, view from Casco Viejo

Panama Canal, Panama City

After 2 days in the city, we headed out to the mountain town Boquete, famed as one of the top retirement destinations for Americans. We thought it would be an organized town with some nice restaurants and cafes, but were surprised to find what looked like an abandoned town from the Wild West with local Panamanian women in traditional dress and lots of SUVs with grey-haired gringo elders. Lots of SUVs. There seemed to be no interaction between the expat retiree gringo and the locals; in fact we met many Americans who lived there for 5 years or more and spoke no Spanish. We found that to be very strange and I realized that this was not a cohesive community. But our worst discovery by far was in the fruit and vegetables.

Fruit and veggie market in Boquete, Panama

I don’t think I want to know what’s in this truck!

Reaction to Pesticides in Fruit and Vegetables

After buying fresh cabbage, cucumbers, tomato, onion, papaya and banana at the local market we were excited to go back to the hostel to make some yummy raw food creations. That night, I developed a horrible headache (something I never get)…and for days I had headaches, felt tired and even had a burning sensation in my throat, like a chemical burn. It finally occurred to me that it might be a pesticide reaction from the food. It didn’t take me long to make some Google discoveries about pesticide use in Panama and how the local farmers are using carbofuran, a very strong pesticide which is currently banned in Canada and the EU (in addition to many other banned pesticides as well). This was my first ever reaction to a pesticide as such, but it really scared me, especially the burning in my throat. We did not use any olive oil, salt or spice of any kind and still, I had horrible headaches daily. This discovery wound up crossing off Panama from my list of tourist destinations, well at least for anyone who is health-oriented or chemically sensitive. We did our best to make the most of the time we had, but our overall morale and feeling about Panama remained low for the remainder of our stay.

How to clean pesticides out of fruits and vegetables

For anyone who is traveling to Panama, I highly recommend bring Activated Charcoal Powder to pull the chemical pesticides out of your produce. This is how it’s done: Fill a bucket with water and add 2 tsp. of loose “activated charcoal powder” (in Thailand this is sold in health food stores specially as a vegetable cleaner). Soak all fruits and veggies for 10 minutes in the charcoal/water mixture, then rinse. Be sure to peel all vegetables before eating, even tomatoes. This will significantly reduce your exposure to these harmful pesticides and should minimize any reaction.

Please note: I have seen some websites that wrongfully promote Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) as a way to pull pesticides from produce. While GSE is great for killing bugs and harmful bacteria, it does NOT pull pesticides out of fruit and vegetables. Charcoal is an absorbing agent, like a sponge; while GSE is a cleaner of bacteria. Ideally, if you have the time and patience, you should first soak your produce in a Charcoal/Water mixture for 10 minutes, rinse, and then soak in 12-15 drops of GSE/water mixture for 10 minutes to clean any bacteria and eggs.

Boquete and Bocas del Toro

We decided to stay a few days in Boquete and take advantage of the one good thing we found: a 1-week membership to The Haven Spa; for $50 USD per person we had access to the gym, swimming pool and far infrared sauna for the week…so our daily ritual was to leave the backpacker hostel at about 11am each day and spend the whole afternoon relaxing in the quiet nature of the Spa. It was a bit strange that all the other members seemed to be 60 years old or greater and on most days I felt like we were in a re-make of the Ron Howard movie ‘Cocoon,’ but as tired weary travelers, we were most grateful for the tranquility of the place and I really enjoyed my daily far-infrared treatment, know to be a great detoxifier of heavy metals and chemicals (needed even moreso due to the circumstances!).

The Haven Spa, Boquete Panama

Exercise pool at The Haven Spa, Boquete Panama

From Boquete, we ventured north to the Caribbean islands at Bocas del Toro, a famous destination in Panama for beach, sun and nature. A highlight for me was searching for red frogs on the island of Bastimentos and finding them ourselves, without a guide, and in nature…it was a small discovery but it felt so cool to find such a beautiful creature! Overall. I found the availability of raw food to be very bad on the islands. The grocery stores are owned by a Chinese mafia and the vegetables are black with mold and the lettuce and cabbage are wilted (and with heavy pesticides to boot). We initially thought to spend a few weeks in the islands but after a few days, we felt starved for real food and fresh produce so we headed back to Panama City and flew north to Guatemala.

Bocas del Toro, Panama

Taking the boat from Bocas to Bastimentos Island

Finding the elusive red frogs on the island of Bastimentos

Bastimentos Island…beautiful, but no decent raw food!

Poor vegetable choice in Bocas del Toro

My suggestion for Panama is this:

Definitely check out Panama City as it is an interesting place and there is plenty of fruit and vegetables in the supermarket. From what I read, the villages are using more potent mixtures of pesticides, and most likely, no one is regulating how much or what mixtures should be used. More mass-produced supplies in Panama City should be better (and I did NOT react to any produce in Panama City; only in Boquete and Bocas). That said, I did find a local expat, Kirk Floeck, owner of Organic Harvest, who is currently working on an at-home delivery service of organic fruit and vegetables for Panama City, so if you do live there, contact him for details: kfloeck [at] hotmail [dot] com. Also, sign up for the at-home delivery of vegan, raw food, gluten-free meals with Ajonjoli, another great healthy option for people in Panama City:

Ajonjoli
FB page: http://www.facebook.com/ajonjolinatural
Calle 65, San Francisco, Panama City, Panama.
telephone +507 394-8024

There are better choices for organic raw food, vegan and gluten-free health holidays in Central America in Costa Rica or even Guatemala.

More on Traveling Raw:

14-21 Day Travel Itinerary for Organic Vegan Raw Food, Hot Springs, Beach & Detox in Costa Rica

If you’re looking for a new destination for your next detox holiday, you may want to consider Costa Rica in Central America. A year-round tropical climate offers plenty of fresh fruits such as papaya, pineapple, banana, coconut and passionfruit. Add mountains, volcanoes, beaches, hot springs, zip-line adventures and rain forest and you’ve got nature + raw food + sun…the perfect combination for a fantastic health holiday!

My suggestion for Costa Rica is to plan for at least 14-21 days; if you want to do a raw food retreat or fruit feast then plan for 28 days or even more. I recommend to hire a car for the first 2 weeks of your journey to give you a chance to get around more quickly and easily. After that, you may want to return the rental car and settle in to a retreat center for another week or two of organic raw food bliss. Scroll down to the end of this article for important tips on renting a car in Costa Rica.

14-21 Day Itinerary for Costa Rica

Day 1-3 at Playa Montezuma for Natural Beaches & Coastline

Fly into San Jose, pick up your rental car and head straight for Montezuma Beach. It should be about a 2-4 hour drive to the car ferry depending on traffic; the ferry takes you to Puntarenas, and from there, it’s about a 45-minute drive over partially dirt and pot-hole filled roads to Montezuma, but well worth it! This is a great place to relax, work on your tan, walk the beach, eat raw foods and have a nice introduction to Costa Rica. We stayed at Mariposario Bed and Breakfast which I really liked for a few reasons: 1. clean and quiet, 2. nice gardens, 3. nice owner, 4. wifi and breakfast included, 5. a small kitchen to make salads and chop fresh fruit every day and 6. a good price at $50 per night. Our days in Montezuma consisted of an early morning beach walk from Ylang Ylang Resort, in my opinion one of the most beautiful and easily accessible beach walks in the world, followed by a fresh juice or spirulina smoothie at Ylang Ylang’s gorgeous restaurant. Another option is to take the daily yoga class at 8:00am, as an outside guest it costs $12 pp.

The beach at Montezuma, Costa Rica

Ylang Ylang Resort in Montezuma, Costa Rica

Yoga Sala at Ylang Ylang Resort

Afternoon activities can include taking a surf lesson, sitting in the sun, wandering the shops in town or driving along the coast to nearby Mal Pais and Santa Teresa, both beautiful beaches worthy of exploration. My favorite daily treat was to walk 10 minutes up the road from Mariposario to Anamaya Resort and Retreat Center and use their far infrared sauna – a bargain at $10 pp for 60 minutes! Without a doubt, Anamaya has the best view ever from a far infrared sauna! Imagine watching monkeys play in the papaya trees and 180 degree views of beach and sea while sitting inside the sauna, contemplating health, love and longevity!

Infinity Pool at Anamaya Resort

Anamaya Resort, a Yoga Teacher Training Center

Slice of Paradise at Anamaya Resort

Organic Market in Montezuma every Saturday

If you’re in Montezuma on a Saturday, be sure to check out the organic fruit and vegetable market in the center of town starting at 11am. Raw food fans of Victoras Kulvinskas may want to look up his schedule of workshops and retreats offered from his home in the Montezuma area.

Day 4-6 at Nicoya Peninsula for Jungle Forest

Raw Cacao treats at the Cacao Bar

After a few days in Montezuma, you may be ready for some adventure.

On Day 4 head towards Nicoya Peninsula and stay at Pachamama for a few days to experience living in a hippie commune in the jungle forest with simply divine gluten-free food made by Alon, their Israeli master chef and yummy raw cacao treats at their Cacao Bar.

Choices of accommodation include camping, casita or cabin, depending on your budget. Daily yoga classes and meditation are included in the cost of your stay.

Plan on driving to Pachamama during the day since there is about 20-30km of dirt road and not the best road signs in that area in general. If unsure, stop and ask the locals.

Pachamama’s Tara Garden for yoga classes & evening talks

Daily Silent Meditation at Osho Hall in Pachamama

I stopped by Hacienda Del Sol Retreat Center which is also in the Nicoya Peninsula and actually very close to Pachamama, but found it to be pretty run down and energetically uninviting. The local staff member at the restaurant didn’t speak any English and told us the restaurant was closed; we were unable to find any other reception or staff; the grounds appeared overgrown and bungalows seemed shabby and no one ever answered my email enquiry sent several weeks before my arrival. I’m not sure if they were closed temporarily or what but based on my experience, I would not recommend this place for detox.

Day 7-8 to Zip-Line and Hike in the Cloud Forest at Monteverde

On Day 7, drive from Nicoya inland towards Monteverde via Liberia. It’s about a 7-8 hour drive but gorgeous views as the scenery changes from rain forest and beach to pasture to cloud forest. Plan to spend 2 nights at Monteverde, and if you can, book a bunk bed room at the Arco Iris Lodge for only $35 USD per night. We felt very lucky to find this resort with nice staff, beautiful gardens, banana trees and lots of flowers…a real gem compared to other places in town! Spend one day checking out the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, and the next morning book a zip-line tour before heading off for the 4-hour drive around the lake to Arenal Volcano. From Nicoya to Monteverde to Arenal, plan to stock up on fruits at roadside stalls as there isn’t much in the way of raw food restaurants in these areas.

Cabin at Arco Iris next to Banana Trees

Bunk rooms at Arco Iris, a great bargain!

Nicer cabins also available at Arco Iris Eco Lodge

Day 9 for Natural Hot Springs at Arenal Volcano

Depending on your schedule, stay 1 or 2 nights in Arenal, Costa Rica. With only one night to spend there on our schedule, we headed straight for the hot springs. A great choice is Tabacon Hot Springs, the only 100% natural hot spring resort in Arenal. If you arrive after 6pm, you get a discounted rate of $45 pp (as opposed to the daytime rate of $60 pp). We decided to splurge on the all-natural experience at Tabacon and it was well worth it! A second day in Arenal would give you the opportunity to check out the National Park and have another evening at the hot springs. We tried to stay at the Arenal Backpacker Resort but it was full, so we checked-in next door at Sierra Arenal and actually enjoyed it very much, with a nice grassy garden area and a great view of the volcano for $35 USD per night.

Scenic drive from Monteverde to Arenal, Costa Rica

Arenal Volcano…Gorgeous!

View from Sierra Arenal Hotel near Arenal Volcano

Day 10-14 for Raw Food, Detox and Nature at Finca de Vida or Farm of Life

On Day 10, plan to head south for more organic raw food and the chance to do a detox at Finca de Vida, or Farm of life, my #1 pick for a raw food retreat or juice fast in Costa Rica. If you are on a 14-day trip, you may want to keep the rental car and make the 8-hour drive from Arenal to the Dominical area to be able to experience Finca de Vida for the last 4 days of your stay. Or, better yet, plan for 21 days or more and spend your last week or two at the farm to rest, juice fast or fruit feast, take raw food cooking classes, enjoy daily yoga and meditation or join an organized retreat for a detox with colon cleansing. If staying longer, you may not want to waste money on a rental car; in that case drive the car from Arenal back to the San Jose airport to return the rental and from there book a 4-hour shuttle from the airport to Finca de Vida (they can arrange this for you).

Either way, on the drive from Arenal back towards San Jose for sure plan to stop at Lands in Love. This is a must-see for animal lovers. Anyone who wants to support the rescue cats and dogs can even stay longer, either in their hotel or as a volunteer. Lands in Love is an Israeli-owned rescue center for cats and dogs with over 200 animals on site. Their restaurant is a welcomed oasis on the road from Arenal with a good menu of salads, Israeli food, and several vegan and gluten-free options as well. For any veterinary students, surgeons or physicians looking for a international volunteer job, Lands in Love is perfect and in need of your expertise! What an opportunity to work in Costa Rica, experience the culture and sights but also put your skills to work with these gorgeous rescue dogs and cats that need your help!

A project of love, and this place is full of Love!

Israeli Salad at Lands in Love Restaurant, Costa Rica

Lands in Love Restaurant, Boutique Hotel & Animal Rescue Center

Natural mineral spring at Finca de Vida

From Lands in Love, continue south towards Domincal and then turn inland to find Finca de Vida.

This place is truly an oasis and is best saved for last, after all the driving and travel around Costa Rica you will be happy to reach the quiet, beauty and organic raw food at Farm of Life.

The owners, Brian and Jodi, set a top-notch standard in caring for their guests and with smaller groups and a limited number of bungalows, you’re sure to get more personal attention and a true sense of community between staff, volunteers and guests.

If you have the time, book a room for 1 month and to eat 100% organic raw foods, be in nature and enjoy having the time to heal. Be sure not to miss the on-site natural mineral spring pools and the nearby weekly local organic market.

Paradise found…view from the guest bungalow at Farm of Life

Staff and guests joining together for a Breath Workshop

Early morning view from the restaurant at Fica de Vida, Costa Rica

If you have more time, check out Osa Peninsula in the south of Costa Rica. We didn’t have a chance to get there in our 14-day trip, but we heard it’s amazing and worth a visit. To drive onto the peninsula, you will need a 4wd vehicle.

Budget for Costa Rica

Anyone who has traveled in Thailand or SE Asia will find the prices in Costa Rica to be very high! In researching online before our trip, it seemed that every hotel was a minimum of $80-100 USD per night. By looking around and not booking in advance, we managed to find places more in the $35-50 USD per night range. That said, with the rental car and cost of food (an average salad to be $10-15 USD), 14 days in Costa Rica was expensive. If you live in North America, you’ll save money and time on the flight so that is definitely something to consider. There are many other countries in Central America which are cheaper than Costa Rica, so research and plan according to your budget. If you have the time, consider volunteering for 1 month or more on an organic farm or at one of the retreat centers – it’s a reasonable way to experience Costa Rica for just a fraction of the cost.

Practical notes on renting a car in Costa Rica

Car rental rates in Costa Rica are not cheap since the car rental companies seem to require mandatory insurance which is not listed in any online booking form. Our 2-week car rental cost over $700 USD, but there was no way we could have seen as much as we did without a car. (One word of advice: do NOT use Thrifty Car Rental). The roads in Costa Rica are not marked and it’s easy to get lost…also the GPS is not very accurate due to many dirt roads that aren’t listed in the computer. The only real way to get around is to stop in every small town and ask which way to the next town. Well, it’s the old-fashioned way but it works! We were happy we didn’t bother with a GPS, and actually we rented a Toyota Yaris 2-wheel drive which we drove everywhere ‘Costa-Rica style’ and didn’t have any problems getting stuck on river crossings or 4-wheel drive dirt roads. January being dry season makes it possible to have a 2-wheel drive car (January to March is the high-season and best time of year weather-wise to go). If you rent a 4-wheel drive car, be careful to not rent the Jimmy or if you do do not leave any valuables inside; apparently it is very easy to break into and gets robbed more often than any other rental vehicle.

Safety in Costa Rica and Where to Stay Near the San Jose Airport

With all the warning about robberies and safety in Costa Rica, it’s always important to keep your street smarts; that said, we did not have any problems at all and found the Costa Ricans to be very helpful with directions and quite friendly and nice overall. If you need to spend one night near the San Jose airport either at the beginning or end of your journey, I highly recommend Hotel Pacande in Alajuela as a clean, safe affordable option with friendly staff. I hope you enjoy your trip. Eat lots of papayas and….see you on the road!

More Articles on Costa Rica

Read my article on Pachamama: Gluten-Free, Raw Food and Detox at Pachamama, Costa Rica.
My awesome experience at Finca de Vida: Fasting Retreat, Organic Raw Food & Total Relaxation at Farm of Life in Costa Rica.

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Fasting Retreat, Organic Raw Food & Total Relaxation at Farm of Life in Costa Rica

Fruit feasting at Farm of Life!

If there is such a place as the Garden of Eden, this could be it! Finca de Vida (or Farm of Life) is a raw food, juice fasting, yoga and detox retreat center in the hills of Costa Rica and just gives you that “this is a place to heal” feeling as soon as you arrive. The owners, Brian and Jodi, are a young American couple whose commitment to health and healing is truly inspiring, especially because their own journeys from sickness to health brought them to create Farm of Life. They really care about their guests, and it shows.

I actually found Finca de Vida thanks to their excellent rating on Trip Advisor, and wow, I felt so grateful to have the chance to check it out. The farm is large compared to a typical detox resort in Thailand, but doesn’t have so many rooms, which is a good thing in my opinion, because smaller groups means more space to relax in nature, and a chance to get one-on-one attention and personal care.

The center hosts several juice fasts, raw vegetarian food and 80/10/10 retreats throughout the year; additionally guests can come and stay on their own simply to eat raw organic fruits, relax, do daily yoga, learn sun gazing meditation from Brian (the master!), get massage, do colonics, dig into their library of healing books, learn from the raw food chefs, soak in the natural mineral springs, and most of all, take time to reflect, rest, rebuild and heal. I did say Garden of Eden, didn’t I?! I just didn’t expect to find it in Central America!!

Fresh organic herbs from the garden at Finca de Vida

Cabins for guests…a real raw food nature retreat!

Staff and guests joining together for a Breath Workshop

Paradise found…view from the guest bungalow at Farm of Life

Natural mineral spring: a place to soak and heal!

There are a few key highlights that really made Farm of Life stand out for me. First, the food is all raw, vegan, gluten-free and organic (a lot of the food is grown right on the farm). Second, it really is in nature, with views of mountains, trees and the distant sea. Imagine waking up to the sounds of the birds, walking up to the yoga sala to do an early meditation, or joining Brian at sunrise for his sun gazing lesson.

It’s very, very peaceful.

And third, the type of guests and volunteer staff that Finca attracts is absolutely top-notch. I never met a nicer group of people gathering to do detox and eat fruit, really! There was no feeling of competition or ego, which can often plague larger detox resorts. This place is pure, from the heart and created for people to have a place to heal, as it should be!

Finally, a major factor to consider is how affordable Finca de Vida is compared to other fasting/cleansing resorts both in Costa Rica and worldwide. A couple can stay in a bungalow with private shower/toilet for $1500 USD per month, that includes access to eat whatever food is grown on the farm. Wifi is also included. Organized juice fasts or raw food retreats are priced differently, depending on who is running the program and how many days it lasts.

If you choose to do water fasting during your stay, there is no additional charge, and that includes cleansing support from Brian. Other places in Costa Rica charge $10,000+ per person to do a 21-day water fast, so you can quickly see what an incredible value that is. Brian (the owner) was clear to point out “I want to make this place affordable so cops and teachers have a place to come and heal. It shouldn’t just be available for rich people.”

Brian giving me a personal tour…and a taste of the hibiscus leaf!

Both Jodi and Brian shared their personal stories of healing with me, all explained in detail in my youtube interview with them. Brian was a professional athlete whose life took a detour into drugs and eventually led him to chronic fatigue and other illness which required him to be on several different pharmaceutical drugs daily. Miraculously, one day he saw a book on raw food in a bookstore, decided to buy it, and essentially went 100% raw food overnight. He is absolutely living proof that you can heal yourself as long as you are willing to change your diet and lifestyle.

Jodi suffered with rheumatoid arthritis for nearly her entire life and probably knows the meaning of pain better than anyone! But, she didn’t give up. And when she met Brian, the idea of doing a raw food diet seemed like a good thing to try. Since doing detox and raw food, she is almost 100% cured and is even a certified yoga instructor now! Amazing!

Early morning view from the restaurant at Fica de Vida, Costa Rica

Finca de Vida is about a 4-hour drive from San Jose. They can organize your pickup and transport directly from the airport to the center. The beach is about a 30-minute drive from the center (or a $25 taxi ride). There are weekly trips to a local waterfall and organic farmer’s market (for a nominal fee). The property is remote and there is no chance of temptation from bars or convenience stores, which is great for most people but challenging for some, especially anyone suffering from addictions. Be prepared to go deep into your healing when you’re there. If you are ready, Finca de Vida can really change your life.

For more info, contact Brian and Jodi at http://fincadevida.com.

Video Interview: Raw Food Success Stories

At Finca de Vida Detox & Juice Fast Retreat Center in Costa Rica

Jody and Brian Calvi have 2 of the best Raw Food Success Stories I ever heard! Jody suffered from Rheumatoid Arthritis for 35 years before finding relief from daily pain (and many medications) after doing detox and raw foods. She tells the story of how her chronic asthma disappeared after getting her amalgam fillings removed. Brian suffered from chronic fatigue and then depression as a result of being chronically fatigued! He cured himself on a 100% raw food diet and become inspired with Jody to open the Farm of Life Retreat Center in Costa Rica. This is a place I highly recommend for detox, juice fasting, or having a health holiday in nature to de-stress and heal.

Check out my entire 14-21 day Itinerary for Costa Rica here!

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