Looking for a healthy, live-food dish? Try this satisfying and easy to make salad I call "Avo-Veg Delight".

What you'll need:

(all fresh, uncooked and preferably organic)

• 1-1 1/2 Avocado
• 1-2 Tomatoes
• Handful Cilantro
• 2-3 Kale Leaves
• 1-2 Green Onions
• 1/3 Red Pepper
• 1/2 Corn on the Cob
• 3-4 Large Romaine Leaves
• Handful Parsely
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon
• 1 tsp Cumin

Optional:

• Sea Salt to taste
• Flax Crackers (GoRaw makes a great -very thick- original flax variety)
• Pumpkin seeds
• Sunflower seeds

Here's How To Make It:

In a large mixing bowl mash up avocado. Add all chopped vegetables, squeeze lemon, add cumin and optionally sea salt to taste. Mix up well. Lay out 3-4 large romaine lettuce leaves and add one large scoop of salad on each romaine leaf. Eat as a salad or wrap lettuce leaves around salad and eat burrito style! Enjoy with live flax crackers or your favorite veggies.

Makes 1-2 servings.

This is a very satisfying dish! Enjoy experimenting with different veggies and have fun.

Enjoy and all the best for your health...with living foods!

Mark

Being green is popular today and many people are looking for ways to have less of an impact on the environment in their daily lives.

Well, eating a raw food diet is the original, and in my opinion, best way to be green!

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Recently, the only co-op in the Phoenix area, Gentle Strength, and a leader in locally grown, organic produce, went out of business.

Why?

Bottom line... not enough shoppers.

Sure there were probably a few other reasons, but the main one was lack of business.

It's funny, though, everyone I talk to in the area is disappointed and saddened by the closing (as I was). However, I believe there was too much talk and not enough action.

If we want to have better, fresher, organic and locally grown choices, we have to support those organizations. Support them with our shopping dollars and with our help in letting others know about the organizations.

Personally, I'll miss the co-op and the friends I've made there. They were the -only- central place to get fresh, locally grown greens and other produce. All the produce sold was organic and as much as possible was sourced locally. The only choices now are the national chains including Whole Foods and Wild Oats (now owned by Whole Foods), a few smaller chains and some traditional grocery chains that now carry some organic produce. I'm happy that they're all carrying more organic foods, although little, if any, is locally grown. Whole Foods advertises 'local' although a quick walk through shows just a few locally grown out of over 200 produce items.

Alternative sources include farmers markets and visiting farms directly. I've found a few farms and frequent farmers markets on weekends and can find some of the same items. Although not as convenient, it's a solution for now.

Find the local co-ops in your area and support them. It's a fact, traditional companies will continue to market non-organic products and source all over the world unless we 'vote' with our dollars. Using as much locally grown organic produce not only supports your community and the environment, the food is also more nutritious and benefits your health.

We can make a difference.. just do it!

To your best health!

Mark

Along with a diet rich in fresh, organically grown foods, consideration should be given to the clothes you wear as well. Not only for the fact that your skin is in constant contact with your clothing, but also for the way certain fabrics are made and their impact on our environment.
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If you're wondering why eating more raw and living foods is beneficial, view this insightful video from Brenda at Living Foods Institute and find out about cancer, doctors, prescription drugs and more. Select 'click to play' below. Enjoy!

Mark

Just returned from my second raw roadtrip driving almost 2000 miles from Chicago back home to Arizona. This time I decided to start my journey at Cousin's Incredible Vitality one of the premier raw and vegan eateries in Chicago. After a nice visit with Chef Mehmet, I selected several burritos wrapped in collard greens along with a vanilla cheesecake to go.
All the dishes were delicious and the vanilla cheesecake was better than any cheesecake I've ever tasted! Chef Mehmet was welcoming and has made available some unique services to the health community in Chicago. He offers a wide range of classes and certifications including detox sessions, raw food how-to prep classes, associate raw chef certifications as well as yoga. You can regularly find an interesting event hosted there including authors, health practicioners, and for holiday gatherings. Cousin's also has an amazing raw food bar that's 'all you can eat' in addition to its abundant selection of menu items. Stop by to say hello to Chef Mehmet for an experience you'll remember and want to return to regularly.

These to-go meals were great for late afternoon dinners over the next few days while fruit and water kept me satiated in the mornings and evenings.

I found eating raw much easier than stopping and waiting for a S.A.D. meal (as I did many years ago) when I would then normally feel tired from the excess burden of processed foods on my digestive system. Now, I enjoyed abundant energy for the 12-14 hours a day driving and was grateful for the fresh and organic fruits I found at Whole Foods on my way out of town.

Next I stopped in St. Louis to meet a new friend for lunch at 'Eternity Vegetarian Deli'. The food and company were great and learned much. The deli is transitioning into mostly raw and living foods and now has a good mix of vegetarian, vegan and raw dishes. If you're in the area, stop by for a nice treat.

Going through Missouri you'll notice, just before the south end of the state, several factory outlet stores. Of particular interest to me were the wooden bowls... they're perfect to serve dishes at potlucks and get togethers and are great looking as well. I stopped at the Shepard Hills outlet shop and found some nice 'factory second' bowls at about half the retail price.

Just over two days after I started I was happy to be back in Arizona on my way home. Another great roadtrip with fun and healthy experiences!

To your best health,

Mark

Appetizers are great, especially when they're delicious and raw! Here's a wonderful dish inspired by Living Nutrition Magazine... "Poppers".

Here's what you'll need:

1-1/2 cups of sun dried tomatoes (soaked)
1 cup of macadamia nuts
Basil (about 10 leaves)
2 zucchini
1 pint large cherry tomatoes

Here's how you make them:

First, soak the sun-dried tomatoes for about an hour. Drain and save the soak water. Process the macadamia nuts in a blender or a food processor. Then add the sun-dried tomatoes. You'll want a nice pate-like consistency. If it's too thick, add the soak water slowly. Lastly add the basil and finish processing.

Slice zucchini with a madolin or peeler into long, thin strips. Add the pate and roll up the zucchini slices. Scoop out the middle of the cherry tomatoes and fill them with pate. Arrange on a plate and garnish to your preference.

These were a real hit over the holidays with my family and friends. Great for veggies and meat eaters alike (you might even inspire a few friends).

Enjoy!

Mark
"The Raw Guy!"
Vegan Raw Diet