Raw Chocolate Truffles

Raw Chocolate Truffles:

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8 Medjool Dates (add more if needed)

3 tbsp @navitasnaturals Cacao Powder

2 tbsp Raw Honey or Maple Syrup

1 tsp Cinnamon 

1 tsp Nutmeg

1 drop of Pure Lemon Extract

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1. Blend ingredients in food processor until it forms a log. 

2. Form into balls 

3. Roll balls in Hemp Heart, Coconut Shreds or Cacao Nibs! 

Rich and chocolatey delicious! 

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This delicious recipe has 6 ingredients and packed full of nutrients, vitamins and essential minerals. It may taste like a delicious treat but it feeds your body fast using energy nutrition!

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Top Dangerous Ingredients to Avoid in Beauty Products

Raw Earth Medicine: Awareness 

There are so many different brands of beauty products out on the market today that promise the consumer the world in results. Although we may want to add  volume to our hair and have skin as soft as a baby, at what price to our health are we willing to go to get these results. The key to buying products that won't cause tumors to grow while giving your hair that beautiful sheen, is reading the ingredients.  After researching what ingredients to avoid I have found that Accure Shampoo and Conditioner work wonderfully on my thick unruly mane and ShiKai Body wash leaves me feeling clean, refreshed and smelling delicious! Both products are natural and safe without any of the hazardous ingredients I learned were dangerous to my health. 

While doing my own research, I came across a great excerpt from Dr. Frank Lipman's book REVIVE: Stop Feeling Spent and Start Living Again (2009) that lists the most dangerous ingredients in beauty products that you should avoid and why.  Here's the list:

1. DEA (Diethanolamine), MEA (Monoethanolamine), TEA (Triethanolamine)

These three chemicals are hormone-disrupting chemicals that can form cancer-causing agents — research indicates a strong link to liver and kidney cancer. They are commonly found in shampoos, soaps, bubble baths and facial cleansers. 

2. Phthalates and Parabens 

Banned by the European Union in 2003, phthalates and parabens are a group of chemicals commonly used as preservatives in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. They keep hairsprays sticky and bacteria and fungus out of things like nail polish and perfume. Both have demonstrated themselves to be carcinogenic and particularly linked to breast cancer.

3. FD&C Color Pigments

Most FD&C color pigments are made from coal tar and studies show that almost all of them are carcinogenic. Many of these pigments cause skin sensitivity and irritation, or even oxygen depletion in the blood. FD&C Red #4 is no longer available for use in foods because of a known threat to the adrenal glands and urinary bladder. 

4. Fragrance

“Fragrance” is a euphemism for nearly 4,000 different ingredients. Most “fragrances” are synthetic and are either cancer-causing or otherwise toxic. Exposure to fragrances has been shown to affect the central nervous system. “Fragrances” are found in most shampoos, deodorants, sunscreens, skincare and body care products. 

5. Imidazolidinyl Urea and DMDM Hydantoin

These are formaldehyde donors, which means that they are derivatives of the formaldehyde, which is what scientists and morticians use to preserve corpses and body parts. Remember dissecting frogs in school? These chemicals are linked to allergies, chest pain, chronic fatigue, depression, dizziness, ear infections, headaches, joint pain, loss of sleep, and can trigger asthma. They can weaken the immune system, and, surprise surprise, cause cancer. Imidazolidinyl Urea and DMDM Hydantoin are used in skin, body and hair products, antiperspirants and nail polish.

6. Quaternium-15

Quarternium-15 commonly causes allergic reactions and dermatitis, and breaks down into formaldehyde. Quarternium-15 is used as a preservative in many skin and hair care products.

7. Isopropyl Alcohol

Isopropyl Alcohol is used in hair color rinses, body rubs, hand lotion and aftershave lotions as well as in your car’s antifreeze and shellac! Scientists believe that it has the ability to destroy intestinal flora, leaving the body’s major organs open to parasites, and thus to cancers. Beyond attacking the intestinal flora, isopropyl alcohol can cause headaches, dizziness, mental depression, nausea, vomiting, and coma.

8. Mineral Oil

Mineral oil is a petroleum derivative that coats the skin like saran wrap, which prevents the skin from breathing, absorbing and excreting. It also slows the skin’s natural cell development, causing the skin to age prematurely. Note that baby oil is 100% mineral oil – and 100% bad for your baby’s sensitive skin.

9. PEG (Polyethylene Glycol)

PEG’s are most commonly used in spray-on oven cleaners and in many hair and skin products. PEG’s main fuctions are to dissolve oil and grease. Thus, on the body, they take the protective oils off the skin and hair, making them more vulnerable to other toxins.

10. Propylene Glycol

Propylene Glycol is the active ingredient in antifreeze. It is also used in makeup, toothpaste and deodorant. Stick deodorants have a higher concentration of PG than is allowed for most industrial use! Direct contact can cause brain, liver and kidney abnormalities. The EPA requires workers to wear protective gloves, clothing and goggles when working with it. And yet, the FDA says we can put it in our mouths!!

11. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate are the most toxic ingredients on this list. When used in combination with other chemicals, they can form nitrosamines, a deadly class of carcinogen. They are used to clean engines, garage floors and at car washes. AND still the most popular ingredients for makeup, shampoo and conditioner and toothpaste. Exposure causes eye damage, depression, diarrhea and many other ailments. 

12. Triclosan

A synthetic antibacterial ingredient that has been compared to Agent Orange. The Environmental Protection Agency registers it as a pesticide, highly toxic to any living organism. It is also classified as a chlorophenol. In other words, it is in a cancer causing chemical class. Triclosan disrupts hormones, can affect sexual function and fertility and may foster birth defects. Triclosan has been linked to paralysis, suppression of the immune system, brain hemorrhages, and heart problems. It is widely used in antibacterial cleansers, toothpaste, and household products.

13. Talc

Talc has been linked to ovarian and testicular cancer. It can be found in makeup, baby and adult powders and foundation. 

14. Petrolatum

Petrolatum is a petrochemical that contains two well-known carcinogens: Benzo-A-Pyrene and Benzo-B-Fluroanthene. As you might imagine from a petroleum derivative, petrolatum prevents the skin breathing and excreting.

I know it may seem like nothing is safe out on the market from our foods to our beauty products but the more we educate ourselves on what to look for and start buying from responsible companies that make products that aren't harmful, the less we will see of the products that contain these ingredients. We have all been blind to what was going into our favorite products and now that we know what the true consequence is to our health we can make educated decisions about what products are safe to use! 

Ginger Veggie Roll

 

Ginger Veggie Roll: 

Rice:

1 cup Brown Rice 

2 cups Water 

1 tsp Raw Coconut Sugar

1 tbsp Fresh Grated Ginger

1 tsp @braggsacvhealth Liquid Aminos

1. Bring water to a boil then add Brown Rice and Coconut Sugar. 

2. Boil for 15 minutes then start stirring every few minutes. 3. When the water starts to thicken (about 25 minutes into boiling) add the Ginger and Liquid Aminos. 

4. Keep stirring until the water is gone and the rice will have a creamy Brown coating on it. 

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Sushi:

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1 Carrot Sliced into long thin Strips

1 Cucumber Sliced into long thin Strips

1 Avocado Sliced into long thin Strips

1 cup Bean Sprouts

Nori Seaweed Papers (will say for sushi)

1. Lay the Nori Paper on a plate. Make a thin layer of Ginger Rice leaving about a 1/2 an inch boarder on two sides. 

2. On one end layer Carrots, Cucumber, Avocado and Sprouts. 

3. Using the 1/2 inch boarder start to roll the Nori Paper tightly over the veggies. 

4. Keep rolling until it forms a log. 

Tips: You can use parchment paper or your hands to press on the roll to make sure it's all tightly rolled. You can use a sushi roller but you really don't need to because it's really easy to roll. 

5. Using a very sharp serrated knife cut the roll into pieces. Yum! 

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You don't even need a dip with this roll because the ginger and Liquid Aminos give this roll an authentic Sushi Soy Sauce taste. 

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I like to pair this roll with a Smokey Cucumber Salad!

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This recipe is low fat, all natural, gluten free, gmo free, vegan and so delicious! .

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The 80/20 Split for a Healthy Life

Foods to eat in Moderation: .

20% of your nutrition can come from this list if you don't want to be full vegan and plantbased! Most people are surprised that they need to limit their intake of these foods. By reducing your intake of animal proteins and fats you highly reduce your risk for: heart disease, cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, strokes, diabetes, obesity and Cancer.

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By no means am I advocating that it’s at all healthy to eat animal products as I 100% believe it causes cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, infertility, arthritis and more but I understand human nature. I would much rather see someone reduce their intake and recommend reasonable guidelines on consumption than be staunch and insist all vegan or nothing. Most people have eaten animal products their entire life and it’s not realistic to expect people to give it up over night, it’s a transition so I treat it accordingly

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Eat in Abundance: 

Eat to your hearts content. Your nutrition should be filled with bountiful amounts of fresh fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains that feed your body the vitamins, nutrients, phytonutrients, antioxidants, minerals, essential oils and carbohydrates it needs to function in good health and prevent diseases while maintaining a healthy body weight! (Grains After 4 is for the Raw until 4pm Lifestyle)

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Theses foods lower your risk for heart disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stroke and Cancer. They boost the immune system, create digestive health, provide natural energy to the body, improve skin health, improve vision health, oral health and mental functions. *

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(This is an excerpt from "Eat Well Live Well: Transitioning to an Unprocessed Lifestyle) Available on Amazon :

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https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074P7VHL1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_JshLzb3B8N1Z4

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Plantbased Sweet Hot and Sour Soup

 

Sweet Hot and Sour Soup

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Prep: cook any type of noodle you like .

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Soup:

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6 cups Water

1 c chopped Orange/Red Peppers

1 c Shredded Coleslaw Salad Mix

1/2 c Coconut Aminos

1/4 c Vegetarian Mushroom Sauce

3 tbsp Cholula Hot Sauce 

1 tsp Tapatio Hot Sauce 

2 tbsp Crushed Red Pepper

1 tbsp White Pepper

1 tbsp Hot Mustard Powder

1 tbsp Onion Salt .

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1. Put water in a pot and start heating 

2. Add Peppers

3. Add all ingredients except Coleslaw Mix 

4. Bring to a boil for 1-2 minutes 

5. Add Coleslaw Mix and lower to a simmer 

6. Simmer for 1 minute then pour over pre prepped noodles and garnish with peppers (hot or regular) or Scallions .

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Sweet Hot and Sour indeed, this soup will make you sweat!  It’s a delicious vegan take on a few staple Asian soups all rolled into one!  You get a hint of sweet from the Coconut Aminos and Mushroom Sauce with layers of heat and flavor from the different types of peppers in this dish.  You can whip this soup up in about 15 minutes and people will think it took you all day because it’s unbelievably flavorful and delicious! 

5 Essential Daily Habits

 

Here are 5 Essentials Daily Habits to include in your lifestyle to get your health going in the right direction:

1. Exercise: A body in motion stays in motion. Get yourself moving with 30 minutes of exercise at least 3 times a week to start. The more you get moving the more exercise your body will crave and the more energy you will have! 

2. Water: Since our bodies are made up of mostly water and we use water to do many functions like detox and fuel our cells, it's important to replenish and hydrate daily to keep ourselves from getting dehydrated and storing toxins! 

3. Anti-inflammatory: Most pain issues and diseases stem from inflammation. Instead of reaching for the Advil start including a Turmeric based natural Anti-inflammatory into your daily routine. If done daily you will see a continual drop in pain symptoms from inflammatory diseases like arthritis and you will prevent the body from future inflammatory issues! 

4. Daily Elixir: Add an extra line of defense to your nutrition by having a tonic, probiotic or elixir every day.  They add water, vitamins, minerals, good bacteria and boost immunity while feeding your body what it needs to function in good health.

5. Juice: Cold Pressed Fruit and Vegetable juices help make sure that you get the proper amount of nutrients, vitamins and minerals daily.  They can help regulate all of your bodies systems and help support optimum health!

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Changing your habits takes time. By slowing incorporating one of these into your lifestyle you will see improved health and a boost in your energy levels. Take it one at time until you develop the good habits you can maintain and then keep adding more until you've developed a lifestyle you can live with! .

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(This is an excerpt from: Eat Well Live Well: Transitioning to an Unprocessed Lifestyle by Amy Michelle) .

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Available in Paperback

Amazon.com/shop/rawearthmedicine 

Fine. I’ll say it... I’m a Jewish mother

I never questioned or understood the reason why my mother told me about every relative and their story repeatedly. She loved telling me the stories of her childhood with ridiculously hilarious truths about relatives and the stories that her grand parents told her. I know them well. Stories about Rifka Rukal, her grandmothers laugh and Tantasura ,who infamously Burped a lot at Sunday bbq’s.  Names not like any names I ever heard at school or on tv.  Stories about all her aunts and uncles and cousins getting together for every occasion and their family traditions, grudges and business doings. The stories of success, the rumors, how each person was and all the seedy details.   The struggles of having Grand parents who spoke Yiddish and the funny sayings.  I loved it when my mom and I would go through her family albums and it felt like I knew these people and wanted to carry on their traditions.  

Somewhere along the way the constant jokes about how horrible Jewish mothers were because of their nagging, nosiness, focus on money and success, I started to become embarrassed to tell people I was Jewish and then the bullying over my weight from the kids at the Jewish school pushed me away from ever wanting to be associated with being Jewish. What I never realized is that the stigma and jokes about Jewish mothers is actually Anti-Semitism and that Anti-Semitic rhetoric turned me against my destiny and no matter how much I resisted in the end the world we live in opened my eyes to the importance of the Jewish mother in the fight against Anti-Semitism. 

It wasn’t until out of curiosity at the beginning of the 2020 race war that I looked up the statistics of hate crimes and crime data that I understood why Jewish mothers are the way they are and how important it was for my daughter for me to be a Jewish mother.

 I have been preaching and living a lifestyle of individualism. I believe that each person should believe in themselves above all else.  That develops a narrative of love. It takes work to love yourself. If you would have asked me in March 2020 how I felt about religion I would have told you that I do not believe in organized religion. My perspective was true to form about being an individual and praying to yourself to be the best person you can be. 

I never wanted to send my daughter to a religious school but when it came time to tour pre schools I did want to see what a Judaic pre school would be like. Out of all the schools we toured she didn’t want to leave the Judaic  School. What’s the harm I thought,  she’ll learn the basics of her heritage and the schools curriculum and dietary guidelines are all inline with the environment I want her in but that doesn’t mean we have to practice devout religion at home.  It’s about education and I know she’s getting the best possible education. 

At the beginning of the George Floyd riots, I started to study hate crime statistics and crime data. What I was learning was unbelievable to me. Jaw dropping to be honest because what I thought going into my research was completely the opposite of what I discovered and suddenly I learned the truth and meaning behind why the role of story teller explains why the Jewish people always succeed in the end. When you know your history you learn how not to repeat it. You grow and evolve, and it taught me how there is an unspoken bond amongst the Jewish community that’s focus is education and history which as a child growing up, I never truly understood.  

I did love that I was raised to question everything because by questioning narratives and doing my own research as an individual I’m rooted in education, factual data and history instead of emotional and triggered. 

Knowing the true statistics about race relations and the history of change is how we as individuals grow. 

Teaching our children Proper eating habits and manners is important but as a Jew our own lineage and the history of hate against Jews is the most important role of a Jewish mother. To assure your child is educated and succeeds in a role that not only provides for your family and your community but serves it as well. While the jokes may be about every Jewish mother wanting a doctor or lawyer for their daughter or for their sons to be one, the truth is who contributed the most to helping people and these are the roles Jewish mothers want their children to have.   The part that it was about money always made me feel Bad about being a Jew, like there was something wrong with that when there was something wrong with the narrative anti Semitic people gave to it. I never wanted to be referred to as a Jew until I became a mother and I learned that 67% of hate crimes in US are against Jews and this whole time I thought it was against minorities. 

The truth is that above all the hate in this world is the universal hate for Jews which means whether I like it or not, I have an obligation to my mother, my family history, my daughter and the Jews who have died before me to continue the unspoken bond of Jews to educate my daughter and protect her from the world of hate against her simply because of her blood line by educating her about Judaism. 

As I watch the world circle in hate a shinning light has come down on the Jews in the form of a President with an unwavering devotion to creating peace for the Jews, Israel and the Middle East and for this alone, I have to assume the honor and role of being a Jewish mother.  I tell my daughter the stories of her family like this one written by my great grandfather about what my family went through in Poland so I never let anyone tell me now is not the time to mention the Anti Semitism rooted in today’s movements because now and always is the right time to say something....  

And this story is why I will never stay silent! 

Vegan Pizza Dough

Vegan Pizza Dough

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1 cup warm water

2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast

1 tablespoon granulated coconut sugar

3 cups unbleached organic all-purpose flour 

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons coconut oil

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Step 1: In a measuring cup, place warm water. The water should be warm to the touch making sure it's not too hot because hot water will kill the yeast; and water that is too cold will not activate it. Pour the yeast into the water, add sugar, and stir until both ingredients dissolve and a beige mixture results. Let stand for 5 minutes, until a thin layer of creamy foam covers surface, which indicates that the yeast is effective. Tip: If bubbles/foam have not formed within 5 minutes, start over with a new package of yeast

 

Step 2: Combine 3 cups flour with sea salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in your yeast mixture and coconut oil. Using a spoon, stir flour into well, blending well to get rid of any lumps. Next, place dough onto a lightly floured surface. Dust your hands with flour and knead gently. Turn and repeat until the dough is silky and elastic (less than 5 minutes) Add a little Coconut oil to your hands if the dough is too dry. Tip:  if you knead too much it overdevelops the gluten in the flour and results in a tough crust..

Step 3: Form dough into a ball and lightly coat with coconut oil. (Less than a teaspoon) Place dough back in mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and drape a kitchen cloth over top..

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Let the dough rise in a place warm place (68 to 72 degrees) until it has doubled in size (about 1 to 2 hours). When the dough is ready, punch it down using your fist, to eliminate the air bubbles..

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This recipe will make:

One (1) 15 to 16 inch pizza 

Divide dough in half;  two (2) 12 inch pizzas  two (2)  9 inch deep-dish pizzas..

Divide dough into 4 to 6 equal portions.  Four (4) to six (6) 9 inch individuals..

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Dough can be kept refrigerated for up to 36 hours or sealed and froze for up to a month. 

Tip: Let chilled dough come to room temperature before shaping..

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Baking: Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees for 30 minutes prior to baking. Pizzas should take between 10-15 minutes to bake